Current Status and Best Practices of Shared Governance in US Pharmacy Programs.

Objective. To characterize shared governance in US schools and colleges of pharmacy and recommend best practices to promote faculty engagement and satisfaction. Findings. The literature review revealed only one study on governance in a pharmacy school and some data from an AACP Faculty Survey. Of the 926 faculty members who responded to the survey, the majority were satisfied or very satisfied with faculty governance (64%) and the level of input into faculty governance (63%) at their school. Faculty members in administrative positions and those at public institutions were more satisfied with governance. The forum resulted in the development of five themes: establish a clear vision of governance in all areas; ensure that faculty members are aware of their roles and responsibilities within the governance structure; ensure faculty members are able to join committees of interest; recognize and reward faculty contributions to governance; and involve all full-time faculty members in governance, regardless of their tenure status. Summary. Establishing shared governance within a school or college of pharmacy impacts overall faculty satisfaction and potentially faculty retention.

Study Behaviors Associated with Student Pharmacists' Academic Success in an Active Classroom Pharmacy Curriculum.

Objective. To identify the specific study behaviors that promoted student pharmacists' success in an active-learning pharmacy curriculum. Methods. The Washington State University College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences implemented an active-learning, flipped classroom model for instruction to equitably deliver course content to Doctor of Pharmacy students on both its main and extended campuses. Students' ability to adapt to the new model and its impact on their study behaviors were unknown. A qualitative descriptive design that included semi-structured interviews was applied to evaluate the study behaviors of high-performing students. The study sample included 13 third and fourth professional year pharmacy students in the top 20% of their respective classes. Results. Interview responses were unaffected by baseline demographics such as gender and year of graduation. Content analysis generated five primary themes related to the behavioral strategies used by high performers: preparing for class, preparing for testing, seeking help, knowing yourself, and building on strengths. These were mapped to the four tenants of Wenger's social learning theory in the representation of findings: learning as doing, learning as belonging, learning as becoming, and learning as experience. Conclusion. High-performing students demonstrated a refined ability to select and modify study behaviors that aided in their academic success, demonstrating a high degree of metacognition. The results of this research may assist pharmacy faculty members in identifying critical elements for success of students enrolled in pharmacy programs using an active learning model.

A student initiative to implement peer-led study groups for a pharmacogenomics course: Evaluation of student performance and perceptions.

INTRODUCTION: To better elucidate the impact of cooperative learning outside the classroom, a student-initiated research project was conducted to explore the effects of participating in peer-led study groups (PLSGs) on student examination scores and perceptions. METHODS: First-year pharmacy students were given the opportunity to participate in weekly PLSGs for a pharmacogenomics course during spring 2016 and spring 2017. Student exam performance was stratified by those who attended vs. those who did not. Optional pre- and post-course surveys examined student perceptions of PLSGs. RESULTS: No significant differences were seen between the attendance groups in spring 2016. In spring 2017, student attendees were significantly more likely to pass two of their six exams (p = .04, p = .0029) and to have higher exam scores on one exam (p = .02) in comparison to non-attendees. Overall exam score averages were significantly different between attendees and non-attendees during spring 2017 (p = .03) but not during spring 2016 (p = .38). Perception surveys indicated students believed participation helped them to demonstrate competency and build confidence. Additionally, students reported they felt more comfortable clarifying questions during the study groups vs. during class time. CONCLUSIONS: The impact of study group participation on student exam performance was minimal over the two years of data collection, but there were instances where exam scores were positively impacted. Students perceived value in study group participation even if it did not translate directly to improved exam performance on all exams.