CHSU College of PharmacyMoves Closer to Accreditation

CLOVIS, Calif. — California Health Sciences University in Clovis learned today that it is a step closer to accreditation for its Doctor of Pharmacy program by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE).

CHSU received the good news following the ACPE annual meeting. The university now moves from “pre-candidate” status to “candidate” status, the second of three steps to full accreditation. ACPE is the national agency that accredits all Doctor of Pharmacy programs.

“We’re proud to achieve this critical milestone with ACPE, which grants our students the same rights as full accreditation allowing them to take the pharmacy board exams upon graduation,” said Florence Dunn, founding president at CHSU. “With the leadership and guidance from Dr. Wendy Duncan, Provost and Interim Dean of Pharmacy and her amazing team of administrators and faculty, we are providing our students with an excellent pharmacy education. This achievement also gives incoming students the reassurance they need to select our new, innovative pharmacy program right here in the Valley.”

CHSU initiated the accreditation process with the ACPE shortly after the university was founded in 2012. ACPE granted the CHSU College of Pharmacy pre-candidate accreditation in January 2014 – the first of three steps leading to accreditation by the ACPE – allowing CHSU to welcome their first class of pharmacy students in August 2014.

Wendy Duncan was appointed to Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Provost and Interim Dean of Pharmacy at CHSU last June, previously serving as Dean in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and Professor at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. She has demonstrated her comprehensive understanding of accreditation procedures through the successful completion of self-studies resulting in accreditation and reaccreditation at four institutions at both the programmatic and regional level and by serving as a site evaluator for the American Council for Pharmaceutical Education since 2007.

“We are creating a culture of student success at CHSU through our lifelong learning and leadership development programs to enable students, especially those from underserved communities in our region, to be successful in our program and have a great career as a pharmacist,” said Wendy Duncan. “We are preparing our graduates to perform at the top of their licenses through team-based learning and an innovative curriculum that includes physical assessment and delivery of primary health care services to meet the demand for health professionals in this region.”

California Health Sciences University received notice last July that the university advanced from “eligibility” status to “candidate” status, the second of three steps to full institutional accreditation by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).

Both achievements with ACPE and WSCUC were made possible by support from the entire campus community — from the Board of Trustees and Administration to the faculty, staff and students at CHSU — many of whom served on committees to help prepare the accreditation self-evaluations, Dunn said.

The university and the Doctor of Pharmacy program will be eligible for full accreditation by WSCUC and ACPE upon graduation of the first class in 2018.

About California Health Sciences University

California Health Sciences University was founded in 2012 and is the only university of its kind in the Central Valley. Envisioned by the Assemi family, CHSU offers a local option for health care professionals seeking doctoral and post-graduate education programs and to help remedy the shortage of health care services offered in the Valley. Students can enjoy the unique combination of high quality of life, affordable cost of living and plentiful career opportunities the Valley provides.

The College of Pharmacy was the first program offered because of the demand for pharmacists in the region and employs more than 50, mostly faculty, and intends to train over 300 student pharmacists within the 4-year program at full capacity. The current campus is located at 120 N. Clovis Avenue near Herndon Avenue and freeway 168. Plans for a master campus in the Clovis Research and Technology Park near Clovis Community Medical Center are underway and construction on the 70,000 s.f. College of Pharmacy building is scheduled to begin in 2017.

The fall 2017 admission cycle for the CHSU College of Pharmacy will begin July 15 and applications for the Doctor of Pharmacy program will be accepted through PharmCAS, the centralized application system utilized by most pharmacy schools in the nation. Visit the Admissions page on the university website for details.