PROJECT ABSTRACT Applicant Name: Address: Project Director: Target URM: Xavier University of Louisiana, College of Pharmacy Drexel Drive, New Orleans, Louisiana 70125 Kathleen Kennedy, Pharm.D Telephone: (504) 520-7421 African American Target Audience: Faculty and Students Xavier University is an historically Black Institution (HBCU) dedicated to the education of African Americans The Xavier University of Louisiana Center of Excellence (COE) in Pharmacy Education aims to increase the number of African American pharmacists who assume roles of leadership in healthcare practice, academia and research and to provide leadership development for faculty Ultimately, Xavier’s College of Pharmacy (COP) will serve as a model to other Colleges across the country in the efforts required to build a diverse workforce to impact healthcare on a national and global level The collaborative partnership with our partner HBCUs will importantly reinforce this effort and allow through the sharing of best practices, opportunities for other institutions to replicate our successes The following objectives are outlined: 1) To establish a Pharmacy Partnership Consortium to increase the number of qualified African American students who enroll in the COP by 25%; 2) To establish an Academic Support Center to increase the percentage of African American students who are successful in historically difficult (high-risk) courses from 84% to 90%; 3) To increase the percentage of African American Chemistry/Pre-Pharmacy students in Risk Category who enroll in the COP in two years from 11% to 20%, while continuing to increase those in Risk Categories and from 39% to 45%; 4) To increase the competitiveness of a select group of African American students for post-graduate studies through a structured program of research, mentorship, and leadership development such that at least 50% are successful in the application process; 5) To provide a “bridge to academia” for four post-graduate African American pharmacy residents such that at least 50% become clinical educators within years of completion; 6) To ensure that all African American pharmacy students obtain clinical training experiences in interprofessional settings and community-based clinics in high need areas; 7) To integrate cultural competency training throughout the curriculum while providing resources for collaboration with the HBCU-COE partners through the Inter-Institutional Resource Network; 8) To provide the information and the technological infrastructure necessary to assist faculty, staff and students with knowledge and training to mitigate health disparities and promote health equity via clinical practice, research and service; 9) To enhance and maintain an interinstitutional resource network to foster collaboration between HBCU COE partner institutions for the recruitment, retention and training of underrepresented minority students and faculty; and 10) To develop and maintain a network-wide Faculty Development Leadership Program The activities that will be used to accomplish the objectives of the project can be divided into three themes: 1) student development, 2) faculty development, and 3) use of information technology Student development activities for African American students include the establishment of a partnership consortium to identify qualified students for the annual Summer Enrichment Program (50 high school students with an interest in health careers), a Contingent Admit Program for 50 students, a Pre-Pharmacy Admissions Program for 105 African American students admitted to the Xavier Chemistry/Pre-Pharmacy Program, a Pre-Matriculation Program for 50 students admitted to the College, health disparities research for 20 students and an increase in interprofessional clinical experiential training for all fourth year African American students These activities will increase the number of African Americans who enter the College of Pharmacy, successfully matriculate through the program, pursue post-graduate studies and become licensed practitioners Faculty development activities for 21 African American faculty members include teacher and board certification programs, grant and manuscript writing workshops, a post-graduate/residency training program for future faculty, and the establishment of an inter-institutional Faculty Development Leadership Program Information technology activities include the maintenance of an inter-institutional resource network among the partner HBCUs to facilitate the sharing of best practices in recruitment and retention of students and faculty; interprofessional training in cultural competence for faculty and students; and shared mentoring and faculty development workshops