Marshall pharmacy school gets OK to enroll students

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- Marshall University can begin enrolling the first class in its School of Pharmacy, after getting approval from a national accreditation body.

The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education granted the new pharmacy school "precandidate" status, which Marshall University President Stephen Kopp said was a major step in gaining national accreditation status.

"This achievement is a momentous one, one that is on the level approaching that of the founding of the School of Medicine," Kopp said in a news release. "It should be a source of great pride for all who care about Marshall and the future of those we serve."

Marshall expects to enroll up to 80 students in the new program. In March, nearly 350 students had submitted applications to the new pharmacy school.

Marshall's pharmacy school's "precandidate" accreditation extends until June 30, 2013. The national accrediting body will then conduct an on-site evaluation of Marshall's program during the 2012-2013 academic year where they will decide whether to advance the program's accreditation to "candidate" status.

The Marshall University Board of Governors voted in December 2009 to begin the process of offering a doctor of pharmacy degree. The university expects 40 new high-paying faculty and staff positions to be created at the school within the first four years.

The Accreditation Council denied Marshall's first request for an on-site visit last July, but Marshall officials said at the time that the denial wasn't a major setback.

Marshall is in the midst of a $9.3 million renovation project to construct a 76,000 square-foot learning, research and pharmacy practice facility. They expect to complete the project in time for the start of the fall semester.

See the original post here:
Marshall pharmacy school gets OK to enroll students