Background and Task Force

In 2020, the dean of the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy (UMSOP) appointed a task force to begin the work of institutionalizing the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) and UMSOP values of equity and justice. The task force’s work and the ongoing work of the newly established role of assistant dean is to develop priorities for UMSOP that centers around the themes of the UMB strategic plan. The task force — comprised of faculty, staff, and students and reporting to the School’s Executive Council and Administrative Board — conducted an internal and external environmental scan, developed priorities and goals, attended conferences, and hosted townhalls at the School. Their work culminated in the hiring of the first assistant dean to lead this work, Chanel Whittaker, PharmD, BCGP, FASCP, and the development of short- and long-term recommendations.

Inclusive Excellence Plan 2023–2026

UMSOP’s Inclusive Excellence Plan has five key perspectives that reimagine excellence and embracing the values of inclusive excellence by leveraging the talents, expertise, and leadership within the school community and institutional excellence. To promote organizational transformation around these values, these initiatives must be a priority:

  1. Accountability and sustainability
  2. Access and equity
  3. Engagement and belonging
  4. Responsive practice, research, and teaching
  5. Community partnerships and pharmapreneurism

Each of the three work groups developed short- and long-term recommendations. The short-term recommendations focused on developing PharmD curriculum that is responsive to student and societal health needs, developing a structure for affinity groups for all, creating a repository of resources for the School website, and offering innovative professional development opportunities to promote a growth mindset culture within the SOP community.

Longer term, the overarching goals are to engage in an ongoing process to identify and eliminate any form of discrimination in policies or practices within the School community and evolve our curricula to best support all learners. Four organizational priorities that emerged from the task force’s work to help guide this process include: community building, community competence, community accountability, and community engagement.

In June 2022, the School established the inaugural assistant dean role to enhance the organizational culture of the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy (UMSOP), aligning efforts with core values and institutional goals. The assistant dean has begun the strategic planning process by building upon the School's reputation for excellence in research, practice, and scholarship. UMSOP’s Inclusive Excellence strategic plan integrates the task force’s recommendations, evidence-based practices in higher education, and aligns with UMB’s strategic plan and core values with a focus on equity and justice.