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 Qualtricsm, 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 email 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. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.