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Diversity And the college of pharmacy
The Iowa Promise
One of the stated goals of The Iowa Promise: A Strategic Plan for The University of Iowa 2005-2010 is “to promote excellence in education by increasing the diversity of the faculty, staff, and students” at The University of Iowa. The College of Pharmacy supports this strategic plan and has aligned the mission of the College of Pharmacy Diversity Committee to reflect the goals of The Iowa Promise.
College of Pharmacy Diversity Committee
The collegiate Diversity Committee is composed of faculty, staff, students, pharmacists and community members. The mission of the College of Pharmacy Diversity Committee is to foster, facilitate, and enhance diversity in all College of Pharmacy endeavors through education, advocacy, and empowerment. The Diversity Committee promotes and supports diversity within the College of Pharmacy and throughout the University. The College of Pharmacy Diversity Committee sponsors Martin Luther King, Jr. Human Rights Week events at the college each January and works with other units across campus to support other events such as Moving From Symbol to Substance: Diversity and Cultural Competency Skills for UI Leaders.
Faculty and Staff Diversity
The College of Pharmacy is committed to employing a diverse workforce. The College of Pharmacy is comprised of three academic divisions, three service divisions, and other administrative units. The College of Pharmacy welcomes applications for open positions from women and members of underrepresented minorities. The University of Iowa, among the first public universities in the United States to admit women and minorities, has a long history of being committed to equal employment opportunity for all, regardless of race, national origin, color, creed, religion, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or associational preference. Information about programs and opportunities for women faculty and faculty of color, such as the Faculty Diversity Opportunity Program and the Noon NetWork program can be found at http://www.uiowa.edu/~provost/ap-diversity/. Information about employment at The University of Iowa can be found at http://www.uiowa.edu/homepage/employers.
Student Diversity
The College of Pharmacy is committed to a diverse student body, and to preparing students to become part of a diverse healthcare workforce for the future. For Fall 2007, professional (Doctor of Pharmacy program) enrollment in the College is 431 students and graduate enrollment is 83 students, for a total of 514 students in the College of Pharmacy. Total minority enrollment in the College of Pharmacy is 11.3%: 2.1% of students are African American/Black, 2.7% are Hispanic/Latino(a), 0.4% are American Indian/Alaskan Native, 6.0% are Asian/Pacific Islander/Native Hawaiian, and 2.9% of students chose not to identify racial/ethnic/tribal affiliation. In addition, 9.7% of students in the College of Pharmacy are international students, for a total minority and international student enrollment of 21%. These percentages are a reflection of enrollment by ethnicity and international status for The University of Iowa as a whole; see http://www.uiowa.edu/admissions/undergrad/diversity/students.htm. Applications for admission to the College of Pharmacy from prospective students who are members of underrepresented groups and who meet published admission criteria are encouraged.
For information about admission to the pre-pharmacy (Pharmacy Interest) program at The University of Iowa, see http://www.uiowa.edu/admissions (en español: http://www.uiowa.edu/admissions/espanol/index.html), email admissions@uiowa.edu or call 1-800-553-IOWA.
For information about admission to the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) program, see http://www.pharmacy.uiowa.edu/admissions, email pharmacy-academic-affairs@uiowa.edu or call 319-335-8795 (toll free: 1-800-553-4692, ext. 5-8795).
For information about M.S. and Ph.D. programs in Clinical Pharmaceutical Sciences, Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Socioeconomics, or Pharmaceutics, see http://www.pharmacy.uiowa.edu/grad/, email Office of Research and Graduate Affairs, or call 319-335-8797 (toll free: 1-800-553-4692, ext. 5-8797).
Financial Aid
In addition to the opportunities listed below, the best resource for information about financial aid at The University of Iowa is the Office of Student Financial Aid. Information about grants, scholarships, loans and other types of financial assistance can be found on their website at http://www.uiowa.edu/financial-aid/ or you may call them at 319-335-1450 (toll free: 1-800-553-4692, ext. 5-1450). Some types of financial aid, such as loans and work-study, are available to all students who qualify based on completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Also available to all students who qualify is the Iowa First Nations In-State Tuition Program. Members of tribes and nations historic to Iowa may attend The University of Iowa at resident tuition rates, regardless of where they live. See http://www.uiowa.edu/~provost/oi/ifn/tuition for more information about this program.
Availability of other types of aid vary depending on the classification of the student as undergraduate, professional or graduate.
For undergraduate students (including Pre-Pharmacy students):
Grants are a type of financial aid that does not need to be repaid. Federal grant programs available to eligible students include the Federal Pell Grant and the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG). The Iowa Minority Academic Grants for Economic Success Program (IMAGES) is a state-funded grant. Students must be an Iowa resident, meet eligibility requirements, and must meet specified minority status. See http://www.uiowa.edu/financial-aid/grants/chart for more information regarding grants available to students at The University of Iowa.
Information about scholarships available thorough The University of Iowa may be found at http://www.uiowa.edu/financial-aid/scholarships, including a link to information about outside scholarships. Scholarship information for first-year undergraduates (including pre-pharmacy students, who enroll in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at The University of Iowa) can be found at http://www.uiowa.edu/admissions/undergrad/costs/frst-yr-fin-aid.htm.
The Advantage Iowa Award is for first-year undergraduate students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents whose enrollment will contribute to a diverse learning environment. Selection criteria include race/ethnic background; socioeconomic factors; whether the student is a first-generation college student (parents have not graduated from college); and participation in a federal TRIO program. Award is based on merit (test scores, GPA, class rank). Eligible students are considered automatically upon admission. Value of the award ranges from $2,000 to full tuition. Advantage Iowa Award may increase if the student demonstrates need through the financial aid process. See http://www.uiowa.edu/~provost/oi/programs/advantage-iowa.html for more information about the Advantage Iowa Award.
The Iowa Pathways Program is a scholarship program for financially disadvantaged, high achieving undergraduate students from Iowa. To be eligible to participate in Iowa Pathways, a student must be accepted to The University of Iowa and come from a family with a parental income at or below 150 percent of the poverty level. The student must also graduate in the top 10 percent of his or her high school class and maintain a minimum GPA of 3.00 while a student at The University of Iowa. See http://www.uiowa.edu/financial-aid/pathways.html for more information about the Iowa Pathways Program.
For professional students:
The College of Pharmacy offers several scholarships for students enrolled in the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) program. The College of Pharmacy Opportunity Scholarship is awarded to first through fourth year Pharm.D. students, with a maximum award of $5,000. The College of Pharmacy values the educational benefits of a diverse student body. A diverse student body enriches the academic experiences by providing an opportunity to explore different world views, philosophies, and cultural approaches to pharmacy practice and the pharmaceutical sciences. The College of Pharmacy wishes to continue to develop and energize our diverse student body by making available the College of Pharmacy Opportunity Scholarship. The scholarship is awarded based on an essay written by the student which addresses how their background contributes to diversity, an experience they have had that has lead them to value diversity, economic or social barriers they have overcome to obtain their education, how they would enrich the academic environment of the College of Pharmacy, their service and contribution to the community, or their leadership activities. Completion of the FAFSA is not required. Application details are provided to new Pharm.D. students once accepted into the College of Pharmacy. For more information about financial aid opportunities for students in the Pharm.D. program, see http://www.pharmacy.uiowa.edu/admissions/finance.htm.
For graduate students:
Graduate students may apply for teaching or research assistantships, and most doctoral students are admitted with some type of financial support. Teaching assistantships require that each TA is proficient in English, and research assistantships are funded by individual professors’ grants or divisional funds. Students who hold a ¼ time or more assistantship qualify for in-state tuition and a partial tuition waiver. For the 2007-2008 academic year the tuition waiver is $1,487.50. The division of Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry awards full tuition and fees to their doctoral students. Applicants for the Ph.D. program in the College of Pharmacy are also eligible to apply for a variety of fellowships from the Graduate College, see http://www.grad.uiowa.edu/Students/FinancialSupport/. Please contact the Office of Research and Graduate Affairs for more information.
Curriculum
The Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) program is fully accredited by the American Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) and Pharm.D. graduates are eligible for licensure in all 50 states. The curriculum for the Pharm.D. program is contemporary and continuously evolving. The Pharm.D. curriculum meets the newly revised ACPE standards effective July 1, 2007. The ACPE standards encourage diversity of faculty, administrators, staff and students at all colleges of pharmacy. The guidelines also state that graduates should be prepared to interact with patients from diverse backgrounds. The University of Iowa College of Pharmacy addresses these standards through its recruitment of faculty, staff and students from diverse backgrounds, and in its teaching throughout the didactic and experiential components of the professional program. One example is that Pharm.D. students may elect to take a course, taught by College of Pharmacy faculty, specifically addressing issues of health care disparities and cultural diversity:
046:377 Health Disparities and Culturally Competent Care (2-4 s.h.) This course introduces students to the characteristics, causes, and effects of health disparities in the U.S. health care system and provides students with a foundation to develop the knowledge, attitudes, and skills to become culturally competent health providers. Representative topics include an overview of health disparities among specific population groups; definitions and models of cultural competence; evidence for cultural competence as a remedy for health disparities; guidelines for taking a culturally appropriate history; working with language interpreters; legal and professional imperatives for cultural competence; characteristics of culturally effective practitioners and workplaces; personal growth in cultural competence. Students will participate in discussion of assigned readings and other classroom and experiential activities designed to enable students to meet course goals.
Addressing global health care needs is also a priority in the College of Pharmacy. Pharmacists with an understanding of the needs of diverse patients and populations can improve the care available to patients and their communities. Pharm.D. students in the College of Pharmacy can gain global health care experiences though study abroad during semester breaks or during their fourth-year advanced practice experiences (clinical rotations). Elective courses offered by the College of Pharmacy for Pharm.D. students that address global health care issues include:
46:126 International Perspectives: Xicotepec (2 s.h.) Introduction to providing service to a community in a less developed country; student projects intended to improve community life in Xicotepec (Mexico).
046:127 Pharmaceutical Management for Underserved Populations (3 s.h.) Students will be guided to analyze problems and develop strategies based on real world drug management issues including regulations, manufacture, procurement, distribution, safety, policy, financing and the unique aspects international pharmaceutical trade, the role of the World Trade Organization - Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (WTO-TRIPS), government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and individuals/programs in the in the selection and use of pharmaceutical products. Course materials are drawn from both developed and developing countries so that the student will be knowledgeable about the role of Essential Medicines and the formation of a National Drug Policy. The course will use a multidisciplinary approach to provide students with an operational understanding of factors influencing access to and use of pharmaceuticals and other health commodities. Collectively, these materials and approaches are intended to stimulate critical thinking on how to improve access to and the use of pharmaceutical products.
For more information about global health care initiatives and study abroad opportunities in the College of Pharmacy see http://www.pharmacy.uiowa.edu/globalhealth.
Student Organizations and Resources
The University of Iowa has over 400 recognized student organizations, supported through the Office of Student Life (OSL). The OSL maintains a list of student organizations by category through its “Find a Group” feature, including approximately 50 multicultural student organizations.
One College of Pharmacy student organization, the Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) is the student branch of the National Pharmaceutical Association (NPhA). SNPhA is an educational service association of students who are concerned about pharmacy and healthcare-related issues, and minority representation in pharmacy and other healthcare professions. The purpose of SNPhA is to plan, organize, coordinate and execute programs geared toward improvement of the health, educational, and social environment of the community. The University of Iowa chapter of SNPhA encourages membership from pre-pharmacy, Pharm.D. and graduate students in pharmacy who care about these issues. Recent activities include participation in the 9th annual “Chili Dog Fair” in Iowa City to support Kidsneeds, a local non-profit organization that supports children with a rare kidney disease; sponsoring a toiletries drive for a local women’s shelter; and providing free HIV testing for the University of Iowa community on World AIDS Day in conjunction with the Iowa City Free Medical Clinic. For more information about the University of Iowa SNPhA chapter please see http://www.pharmacy.uiowa.edu/doctorof/org-sn-ph-a.htm or email chapter advisor Dr. Christine Catney.
The College of Pharmacy is home to several other student organizations that participate in a wide variety of community service activities. Activities include Mobile Clinic, Katy’s Kids poison prevention program, Operation Immunization, no-smoking presentations at local schools, heartburn awareness, bone-density screenings, and involvement in several local health fairs. For more information about student organizations in the College of Pharmacy see http://www.pharmacy.uiowa.edu/doctorof/orgs.htm.
In addition to many student organizations, The University of Iowa has four cultural and resource centers on campus: the Afro-American Cultural Center (AACC), the Asian Pacific American Cultural Center (APAC), the Latino Native American Cultural Center (LNACC) and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Resource Center (LGCTRC). All of the centers are located in houses on the west side of campus, very close to the Pharmacy Building. The centers sponsor a wide variety of programs in response to student interest.
Research Opportunities
Several opportunities exist for high school and undergraduate college students from diverse backgrounds who wish to obtain research experience with faculty in the College of Pharmacy. Some of these programs include:
Iowa Biosciences Advantage (IBA) for current University of Iowa undergraduates
Iowa Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP) for eligible undergraduate students
Secondary School Training Program (SSTP) for high school students
Recent faculty sponsors of these programs include Dr. Horacio Olivo of the Division of Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry and Dr. Aliasger Salem of the Division of Pharmaceutics.
Outreach
Each year College of Pharmacy faculty, staff and students participate in numerous outreach and community service events, both on- and off-campus, that impact the broader community. Recent visitors to the College of Pharmacy include students from the Life Science Summer Program, Iowa First Nations Summer Program, “100 Black Men” through the Center for Diversity and Enrichment, and West Liberty (Iowa) High School students though a College of Education program entitled “A Future in Iowa: Career Development Program”. Other programs that College of Pharmacy faculty, staff and students have participated in include “Community Conversations” at the Jane Boyd Community House in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the Belin-Blank Center Information Fair, and Next Generation Iowa, a program to introduce Iowa high school students who are minorities or who will be first-generation college students to The University of Iowa.
Campus Resources
Center for Diversity and Enrichment
Diversity Resources
Employment
Family Services Office
Multi-Cultural Calendar
Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity
Special Assistant to the President for Equal Opportunity & Diversity/Associate Provost for Diversity
The Iowa Edge
The Iowa Promise
Off-campus Resources
Cedar Rapids|Iowa City Professional and Technical Diversity Network
Diversity Focus
Diversity Iowa
Iowa Center on Health Disparities
Iowa City Human Rights Commission
Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance
CONTACT US
For more information about diversity initiatives in the College of Pharmacy, please contact Dr. Christine Catney, Diversity Committee Chair, at christine-catney@uiowa.edu.
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