from Dean Raylene Rospond

For many of us, summer means a time of rejuvenation. Although I am sure that the majority of the faculty and staff would have liked to have had more relaxation time, this summer was a time to contemplate the future direction for the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and to establish a base for its continued success.

To provide a secure foundation for the future, the administrative structure for the College is changing. Dr. Renae Chesnut will assume the position of associate dean for academic and student affairs. She will lead an expanding staff, including a new director of student programs, an academic support specialist (Beth Hudson) and an administrative assistant (Mary Jane Murchison). This will provide increased support for curricular management, assessment of student learning and student advising.

Dr. June Johnson, vice chair of the department of pharmacy practice, will assume the position of director of faculty and site development. Faculty recruitment and retention is a strategic initiative for the University and especially important as the CPHS is facing a current and future faculty shortage.

Alumni relations and development are a key strategic need for the College. Many of you have noted sporadic or nonexistent contact with the College and/or the University. Previously, annual fund giving was at an all-time low of 16 percent for the College as well as the University. This low rate of annual giving decreases our ranking in publications such as U.S. News and World Report. This year the CPHS’s annual fund giving increased to 20 percent, the highest in the University and a good start for new initiatives in this area. Dr. Brad Tice will be aiding me in this area as the College’s new director for corporate partnerships. His efforts will focus on developing partnerships that will mutually benefit the College as well as various corporations.

The College will also be re-evaluating how best to communicate with you in the future. Is this newsletter successful or are there better methods to keep you in touch with the College?

All of these structural and functional changes will strengthen the foundation for a fall faculty discussion on strategic planning and direction. This process of planning builds upon a number of successes on the part of the faculty, students and alumni. In this issue, you will read about many such examples — from students who have received national recognition to the Weaver Medal of Honor recipient — that demonstrate the current level of success and achievement among our constituencies. As we move forward, we are committed to increasing those successes to make you proud to be an alumnus of the College.