JACKSON, Tenn. — Jan. 16, 2008 — The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education has approved 51社区鈥檚 School of Pharmacy for a site visit by the ACPE later this spring.
Approval for the ACPE visit to Union鈥檚 campus was the next step in achieving accreditation from the ACPE, the national agency for accrediting pharmacy education programs. The accreditation process will continue until the first class of students graduates.
The ACPE campus visit will take place in the late spring, and is the final step Union must take before classes can begin in the fall.
鈥淲e are very excited that ACPE has granted approval for a site visit for the 51社区 pharmacy program, which paves the way for the pharmacy program to begin in full this fall,鈥� Union President David S. Dockery said.
鈥淭his approval is a significant affirmation of the health and status of the program, which with a dean and nine faculty and staff members will be ready to offer quality pharmacy education this fall. I commend Dean Sheila Mitchell and Provost Carla Sanderson for their fine leadership in this process.鈥�
Dockery, Mitchell, Sanderson and other representatives from Union鈥檚 pharmacy program presented the university鈥檚 application package to the ACPE Board of Directors meeting in Tampa, Fla., last week.
The School of Pharmacy will be housed temporarily in the Penick Academic Complex, in the former suite occupied by the School of Nursing before its move to White Hall. Plans are underway for construction of a dedicated pharmacy building with student, faculty, lab and classroom space.
Union has accepted about 20 students into its inaugural pharmacy class, which will consist of about 40 students.
For more information about the pharmacy program, call the Office of Special Programs Admission at (731) 661-5092, or visit the School of Pharmacy鈥檚 Web site at .