ROANOKE, VA (FEBRUARY 28, 2025) — Appalachian College of Pharmacy (ACP) has entered into a lease agreement with the Roanoke Higher Education Center (RHEC) in Roanoke, VA, marking the official start of a partnership which will see ACP classes offered at the Roanoke center in addition to being offered at the college’s Oakwood campus.
ACP officials, including President Mickey McGlothlin and Provost and Dean Susan Mayhew, were in attendance for the official signing at the center on Friday, along with RHEC Executive Director Kay Dunkley and RHEC Senior Director of Academic and Student Affairs, Dr. Carla L. James. ACP offers the Commonwealth’s only accelerated three-year program leading to a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. Additionally, ACP offers a Doctor of Public Health program and a pharmacy technician program.
A cohort of approximately 10 students will be chosen to participate in the distance learning initiative provided through the partnership with RHEC. A similar partnership exists between ACP and Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center in Abingdon, VA.
As a result of the new partnership with RHEC, current ACP students completing their first year of pharmacy school will be given the opportunity in the future to apply for the distance learning option in Roanoke and if selected, will begin classes at the Roanoke, Va.-based facility in the Fall of 2025, pending accreditation authorization.
“We are excited to partner with the Roanoke Higher Education Center on this initiative,” said ACP Provost and Dean Susan Mayhew. “The center was selected as a location for ACP’s off-campus site because of its successful record of serving higher education, as well as for its proximity to numerous undergraduate colleges and universities.
“Both Appalachian College of Pharmacy and the Roanoke Higher Education Center (RHEC) are committed to providing training opportunities that meet the workforce needs of today and tomorrow making this partnership a win-win,” said Kay Dunkley, Roanoke Higher Education Center executive director. “RHEC welcomes ACP to Roanoke and together we can address the shortage of pharmacy workers in our region.”
Mayhew noted the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) will conduct a site visit at the Roanoke center in May. Once the ACPE board meets following the site visit, it is expected formal approval for the off-campus offerings will be made. The ACPE board authorized a focus visit at its January board meeting.
“As a native Roanoker and Cave Spring High School graduate, bringing pharmacy education to the greater Roanoke Valley has been a professional dream of mine for decades,” said Dr. Andy Bowman, ACP assistant dean of strategic partnerships and engagement, who will also serve as the RHEC site coordinator. “With the surge of available health science programs in the region, Appalachian College of Pharmacy (ACP), in partnership with the Roanoke Higher Education Center (RHEC), is uniquely positioned to add the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) and Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) to the ever-growing list of healthcare education options for aspiring students.
“The already well-established healthcare degree programs at Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM), Virginia Tech, Carilion, Radford University and others, provide an excellent opportunity for partnership, collaboration and interprofessional education,” Bowman continued. “This move is a huge win for Southwest Virginia, Appalachian College of Pharmacy, the Roanoke Higher Education Center and pharmacy education.”
Mayhew noted the implementation of a distance site at the Roanoke center aligns with goals outlined in ACP’s Strategic Plan.
The new program will see all ACP students complete the first three terms of the curriculum in person on the Oakwood campus prior to matriculation to the Roanoke Higher Education Center for completion of the didactic curriculum.
“This format will allow incoming students the opportunity to get to know their classmates, campus-based faculty and staff; as well as the opportunity to be oriented and engaged with student support services, student organization and outreach initiatives prior to the transition,” Mayhew said.
A set of criteria to select students as eligible to participate in the program has been developed and takes into account, among other things, academic standing, faculty recommendations and geographical need or interest of the student.
Curriculum will be delivered to students at both the center and on the Oakwood campus using in-person and synchronous video conferencing that allows for real-time interaction between students and faculty. The majority of the content will continue to be delivered in person from the Oakwood campus. Faculty will provide skills training to students at both sites, while pharmaceutics laboratory training will occur at the Oakwood campus.
“The distance site will provide students within the Appalachian region more flexible learning opportunities, a broadened footprint for outreach activities and expanded inter-professional education opportunities with other health disciplines currently at the center,” Mayhew said.
She noted the implementation of a distance site at the center aligns with goals outlined in the ACP’s Strategic Plan.
“We look forward to beginning this new chapter with the higher education center and to all the opportunities for growth it affords to ACP and to the higher ed center,” Mayhew said.
ABOUT THE APPALACHIAN COLLEGE OF PHARMACY: The Appalachian College of Pharmacy is the only three-year Doctor of Pharmacy program in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Founded in 2003, the college accepted its first students in 2005. It is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Its mission is to cultivate a learning community committed to education, community outreach and the professional development of pharmacists. Its graduate pharmacists are now practicing throughout the United States.
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