The Report of the 2017-2018 Professional Affairs Standing Committee: The Development of the Preceptor Self-Assessment Tool for Entrustable Professional Activities for New Graduates.

The 2017-2018 AACP Professional Affairs Committee addressed the charges of (1) developing a self-reflection/self-assessment tool for pharmacy faculty and preceptors to allow them to assess their capability and confidence with Center for the Advancement of Pharmacy Education (CAPE) Educational Outcomes, the Pharmacists' Patient Care Process (PPCP), and the Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) for New Pharmacy Graduates and (2) creation of a plan for AACP to utilize in the development of preceptor continuing education and training programs. This report describes the framework, rationale and process for the development of the Preceptor Self-Assessment Tool for Entrustable Professional Activities for New Pharmacy Graduates (PSAE Tool), the pre-test for the PSAE tool, and the online pilot test and its results for the PSAE Tool. The committee provides recommendations for AACP in the continued development and distribution of the PSAE Tool to the schools of pharmacy. Considerations for AACP and the schools of pharmacy to consider in the continuing professional development (CPD) for all preceptors are also discussed. The committee provides a policy statement, adopted by the AACP House of Delegates, regarding the commitment of AACP regarding the CPD for all preceptors. The committee also provides several recommendations to AACP and suggestions to schools of pharmacy and other stakeholder groups pertaining to the committee charges.

Development of valid and reliable tools for student evaluation of teaching.

INTRODUCTION: The objective of this project was to develop valid and reliable course and instructor student evaluation tools (SETs) of teaching for utilization by a college of pharmacy. METHODS: A collection of 119 course and instructor evaluation items was compiled from a review of the primary literature and grouped into six different themes (subscales): organization, communication, motivation, rapport, fairness, and learning. Input was sought from the college of pharmacy faculty to reduce the list of items to a more manageable pilot tool (27 for course evaluations; 29 for instructor evaluations) for developing pilot SETs. The results were analyzed for internal consistency and reliability using Cronbach's alpha, and whether factor structures aligned with the content structure using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). RESULTS: The Cronbach's alpha for all six subscales in the designed instructor evaluation and for three of the six subscales in the designed course evaluation were above 0.9, indicating high internal consistency and reliability. The CFA results indicated a moderate model fit with factor loadings for all items above 0.6. The correlation coefficients between each dimension were about 0.8, indicating high correlations among dimensions. Those data items found to be valid were then used to construct new course and instructor evaluation instruments, both consisting of three validated items in each of the six themes (subscales). CONCLUSION: This report describes the process that one college of pharmacy employed to develop a valid and reliable SET. The methodology can inform other colleges and schools of pharmacy who wish to design, revise, or develop their own SETs.

The IPE performance report: A tool for preceptor development.

INTRODUCTION: In order to promote interprofessional education (IPE) within the advanced experiential curriculum, the Office of Experiential Affairs (OEA) at Western New England University (WNE) created a process by which information regarding IPE at the practice sites is collected, verified, quantified, and used for preceptor development. METHODS: An interprofessional education preceptor survey (IPEPS), consisting of 43 standardized questions designed to assess IPE opportunities available at practice sites, was administered to 55 preceptors in spring 2016 using QualtricsTM. Throughout the 2016-2017 academic year, students were required to document two interprofessional interactions that occurred during each of their four required APPE rotations. Results from the IPEPS were used to determine a perceived level of IPE occurring at each site and compared to student field encounter logs, then used to inform preceptor development through a customized IPE Performance Report. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Response rates for both the IPEPS and student field encounter logs were 100%. Data relating to preceptors' perception of IPE opportunities afforded by their sites were collected and compared to data logged by students regarding IPE encounters at the sites. The data were compiled through a customized IPE Performance Report and communicated to preceptors as a form of professional development around IPE.

Point/Counterpoint: Are Outstanding Leaders Born or Made?

The question of whether outstanding leaders are born or made has been debated for years. There are numerous examples of historical figures that came naturally to leadership, while others developed their leadership skills through tenacity and experience. To understand leadership, both nature (the genetic component) and nurture (the environmental influences) must be considered. This article represents the work of two Academic Leadership Fellows Program groups who debated each position at the 2016 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Interim Meeting in Tampa, Fla., in February 2016.

Promoting Professional Socialization Within the Experiential Curriculum: Implementation of a High-stakes Professionalism Rubric.

Objectives. To describe the implementation of a high-stakes rubric to assess student professionalism in introductory and advanced pharmacy practice experiences (IPPEs and APPEs) to promote the professional socialization of students in the doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) program at Western New England University (WNE). Findings. A professionalism rubric was adapted from the literature to assess the professional behavior of students enrolled in experiential courses based on evaluation of the following criteria: appropriate communication skills with patients and providers, appearance and dress code, timeliness, and initiative. The rubric was implemented in the fall semester of 2013 as a high-stakes component of the assessment within all experiential courses. Students were required to meet expectations for each of the four criteria in order to pass the practice experience, independent of their performance in other course components. Students were assessed by their preceptors at the midpoint and end of each practice experience using the appropriate evaluation tool. Each of the IPPE and APPE evaluation tools included the professionalism rubric as a requirement for assessment. Use of the Professionalism Rubric as a high-stakes assessment tool highlighted professionalism as an important component of the program, making expectations explicit to students and providing leverage to preceptors for holding students accountable. Summary. The Office of Experiential Affairs at WNE has raised awareness of the importance of professionalism and promoted the professional socialization of PharmD students with the use of a high-stakes professionalism rubric.

Design and Implementation of a Professional Development Course Series.

Objective. To design and implement a longitudinal course series focused on professional development and professional identity formation in pharmacy students at Western New England University. Methods. A four-year, theme-based course series was designed to sequentially and longitudinally impart the values, attributes, and characteristics of a professional pharmacist. Requirements of the course include: goal planning and reflective assignments, submission of "Best Works," attendance at professional meetings, completion of service hours, annual completion of a Pharmacy Professionalism Instrument, attendance at Dean's Seminar, participation in roundtable discussions, and maintenance of an electronic portfolio. Though the Professional Development course series carries no credit, these courses are progression requirements and students are assessed on a pass/fail basis. Results. Course pass rates in the 2015-2016 academic year for all four classes were 99% to 100%, suggesting the majority of students take professional development seriously and are achieving the intended outcomes of the courses. Conclusion. A professional development course series was designed and implemented in the new Doctor of Pharmacy program at Western New England University to enhance the professional identity formation of students.

Where we are now: A 2015 snapshot of assessment personnel and practices in US Schools and Colleges of pharmacy.

PURPOSE: To describe infrastructures and personnel of US schools and colleges of pharmacy (S/COPs) assigned to coordinate and administer programmatic and curricular assessment. METHODS: A web-based survey instrument consisting of 23 standardized questions was administered using QualtricsTM, Provo, Utah. An invitation to participate was sent to 128 deans via e-mail with an embedded link to the survey instrument. A follow-up e-mail reminder was sent to non-responders after two weeks, then weekly for another month. The survey was closed after two months. CONCLUSIONS: The final response rate was 47% (N = 60), with respondents comprising a representative cross-section of US S/COPs. Most US S/COPs have a written plan of programmatic assessment, stand-alone assessment committees with representative membership, and either a dean-level or faculty administrator responsible for leading assessment activities. On a sliding scale from 0% to100%, most respondents report their programs have achieved a culture of assessment in the 70-99% range. Considerable progress has been made in 15 years since assessment personnel in the US S/COPs were last formally documented.

Using Radar Plots for Curricular Mapping to Visualize Assessment in a New Doctor of Pharmacy Program.

OBJECTIVE. To initiate mapping of the curriculum to the core competencies of our program and to develop a novel and visually accessible method for communicating data to all stakeholders. DESIGN. An online survey was developed to gauge the extent to which instructors and students perceive that courses within the curriculum and assess students' ability to achieve each of the 10 core competencies. Response data were collected and processed as radar plots in Microsoft Excel. ASSESSMENT. Response rate for faculty members was 100% and 86%for students. Radar plots provided images of the relative extent to which each course surveyed was perceived to contribute to core competencies. CONCLUSION. Using radar plots to present perception data is visually descriptive, makes patterns/trends readily apparent, and facilitates the development of an ongoing culture of assessment.