The 2013–14 Argus Commission assessed the status of academic pharmacy with respect to diversity and inclusion in the broadest sense of these terms and in all elements of the academic mission. Two policy statements were forwarded for adoption by the House of Delegates and seven recommendations were made for a significantly expanded effort in support of our members’ goals in this area. The 2014–15 Strategic Planning Committee discussed this area as needing “a game-changer.” In order to address these recommendations and to further assess the successful practices of members and colleague organizations, the Special Task Force on Diversifying Our Investment in Human Capital will be appointed for the period 2015–17 to:
- Identify barriers to accelerating diversification of the people who comprise our human capital in colleges/schools of pharmacy.
- Identify game-changers in professional education, health care, or related areas in which substantial improvements in human capital diversification have been achieved.
- Examine and recommend short-term and long-term strategies (e.g., changes to the application information collected, a national research agenda). The task force is asked to vet strategies through the AACP Councils for input, with consideration to existing diversity plans at member institutions, and through external stakeholder organizations.
Special Task Force on Diversifying Our Investment in Human Capital White Paper