The official minutes of the University of South Carolina Board of Trustees are maintained by the Secretary of the Board. Certified copies of minutes may be requested by contacting the Board of Trustees’ Office. Electronic or other copies of original minutes are not official Board of Trustees' documents.
The Health Affairs Committee of the University of South Carolina Board of Trustees met on Thursday, October 2, 2003, at 1:15 p.m. in the Carolina Plaza Board Room.
Members present were: Mr. John C. von Lehe, Jr., Chairman; Mr. Arthur S. Bahnmuller;
Mr. Mark W. Buyck, Jr.; Mrs. Helen C. Harvey; Mr. Toney J. Lister; Mr. James
A. Shuford, III; Mr. Eugene P. Warr, Jr.; and Mr. Mack I. Whittle, Jr., Board
Chairman. Mr. M. Wayne Staton and Mr. Herbert C. Adams, Board Vice Chairman,
were absent. Mr. William C. Hubbard was also present.
Others present were: President Andrew A. Sorensen; Secretary Thomas L. Stepp;
Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Jerome D. Odom; Vice
President and Chief Financial Officer Richard W. Kelly; Vice President for University
Advancement T.W. Hudson Akin; Vice President for Human Resources Jane M. Jameson;
Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer William
F. Hogue; Dean of the College of Pharmacy Farid Sadik; Vice President for Medical
Affairs and Dean of the School of Medicine Larry R. Faulkner; Dean of the College
of Nursing Mary Ann Parsons; Associate Dean for Research, The Norman J. Arnold
School of Public Health, Russell R. Pate; Coordinator for Information Technology,
College of Pharmacy, Michael Dollar; Director for the Office of Research, The
Norman J. Arnold School of Public Health, Pam Weiss; Administrative Assistant
in the Office of Research, The Norman J. Arnold School Public Health, Jane Benton;
Public Information Officer, Office of Media Relations, Karen Petit; University
Legislative Liaison John Gregory; and Director of the Office of Public Relations
Russell McKinney, Jr.
Chairman von Lehe called the meeting to order and welcomed those present. He
invited Board members and others present to introduce themselves. Mr. McKinney
indicated that no members of the media were in attendance.
Chairman von Lehe stated that the agenda had been posted and the press had
been notified as required by the Freedom of Information Act; the agenda had
been circulated to Committee members; and a quorum was present to conduct business.
Chairman von Lehe directed the attention of the Committee to the first agenda
item and called on Dean Sadik.
A recent study conducted by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy had projected a national shortage of 157,000 pharmacists by the year 2020. Various factors which influenced this number included: (1) aging population; (2) increasing use of pharmaceuticals; (3) increasing complexity of medications; (4) growing national concern regarding medication errors; and, (5) the increased number of females who were earning degrees in pharmaceutical education (after two years of full time employment within the field, many females were choosing to leave or work part time).
During the past 5½ years, the budget had been streamlined and revenues had increased in the College of Pharmacy. Within the first year, a $20,000 staff position was eliminated, as well as three lab faculty positions for a total of $350,000. In addition, by reducing the graduate student support and hiring retired pharmacists to assist, the College had realized another cost saving of $194,000; Dean Sadik was pleased to report that approximately 90 percent of all graduate students were currently supported through grant money. Other cost saving steps included the cancellation of teaching agreements with other schools ($20,000); reduction of travel expenditures from the "A" funds ($20,000); reduction of preceptor fees ($268,000); and the elimination of the PharmD Distance Education program ($60,000). As a result of the various measures, annual savings had totaled more than $1 million.
To increase revenues, the College of Pharmacy had invested in a continuing education program; maximized the summer school offerings so that students could graduate in December rather than May; increased enrollment; and slightly increased student fees for a total increased revenue stream of $710,000.
This generated revenue was used to hire a budget manager, Director of Development, and Information Technology Officer; renovate that area in the Coker Life Science Building housing the College of Pharmacy; establish Research Labs; provide start-up funding for new faculty; purchase state-of-the-art equipment; and hire five new research oriented faculty. Dean Sadik indicated that these individuals had generated all of the College's research funding.
Currently, 303 students were enrolled in the Professional program (the last four years of the six-year program); 333 students were enrolled in the Pre-Pharmacy program (freshmen and sophomores) which constituted a 33 percent increase of the freshman class. Approximately 70 percent were female; 23 percent were minority; and 95 percent were in-state residents. Consideration of out-of-state students required a minimum GPA of 3.9. In 1996, 60 students were admitted into the program; that number had increased to 70 in 1998. For Fall 2003, 80 students had been admitted, and it was anticipated that 100 students would be admitted into the program beginning Fall 2004. That number was projected to increase to 120 by Fall 2006. The College of Pharmacy will not request additional funding to handle these increases. The final figure will reflect totals from other colleges of pharmacy at the University of Georgia; the University of Tennessee; and the University of North Carolina. Dean Sadik was confident that the University of South Carolina had the capability, space, and faculty to educate a larger class size.
In the year 2000, approximately 100 applications for admission to the College of Pharmacy were received; in 2001, that number had increased to 150. Dean Sadik noted that the 2004 application process was made available on line for the first time; currently 850 applications had been received.
For this year, the College of Pharmacy had awarded $183,000 in scholarships. Approximately 60 percent of the students appeared on the Dean's List and President's List. And, for the last four years, the College of Pharmacy had been listed in the top 10 U.S. colleges of pharmacy for incoming students' GPA score.
Dean Sadik commented that since the year 2000, 239 students from the University had taken the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX); of that number, 235 had initially passed this required licensing exam. Nationally, the passing rate was 91.8 percent as compared to the University's rate of 98.3 percent.
For the Fall 2003 semester, 80 students with an average GPA of 3.68 had been admitted into the PharmD program. Of that total, 80 percent were females; 95 percent were South Carolina residents; 75 percent came from within the USC system; 25 percent had earned prior degrees; and 22 percent were minorities. Currently enrolled were 19 graduate students with an average GRE score of 1310, the 3rd highest at the University. Also numbered in the program were 7 Post Doctoral fellows.
Dean Sadik briefly addressed physical facilities explaining that the College of Pharmacy was housed in the Coker Life Science Building; the Palmetto Poison Center was also located there. Available to the students were two large enhanced classrooms (150 student capacity), 3 medium sized classrooms, and a 40 station computer lab.
A wide variety of pharmacy continuing education programs had been offered since its inception two years ago; program offerings included diabetes pain management, infectious diseases, and dementia. More than 2,000 South Carolina pharmacists had attended the sessions during the past year.
Dean Sadik hoped that the University would consider a tuition increase for the College of Pharmacy. He reviewed tuition and fees from other institutions noting that the University of South Carolina's ($7,570 for in-state and $19,140 for out-of-state) was ranked as one of the lowest in the Southeast.
Future goals for the College of Pharmacy included tripling federal funding support in 5 years by employing 8 additional research faculty within that timeframe and replacing the expected 5 retiring faculty with research oriented individuals within 3 years; increasing the number of students enrolled in the professional program to 125 in 3 years; enhancing fund raising efforts; and doubling the revenue generated from Continuing Education programs.
Chairman von Lehe stated that this report was received as information.
Biomedical Research Initiative: Chairman von Lehe recognized Dr. Russ Pate who explained that approximately one year ago, Dr. Harris Pastides, as Interim Vice President for Research, had asked him and Dr. John Baynes of the College of Science and Mathematics to coordinate a biomedical research initiative at the University. The primary goal as established by Dr. Pastides was to make recommendations to the University's central administration which, if implemented, would hopefully have the effect of markedly increasing the University's research productivity in areas related to human health.
The initiative was established in April 2003 and was largely an extension of a project from the previous academic year in which representatives from the five health science units (medicine, public health, nursing, pharmacy, social work) had developed a set of recommendations related to a similar issue. The units involved in this effort had been increased to include the five health science units as well as applicable sub units of the Colleges of Science and Mathematics, Liberal Arts, and Engineering and Information Technology.
Initially, a steering committee comprised of the University's most outstanding biomedical scientists was formed; all members had garnered extensive records of extramural funding to support research in the biomedical domain. This committee was charged with the responsibility of identifying special opportunities and subsequently making recommendations regarding the elimination of barriers or impediments which would limit the University's growth in biomedical research.
BRISC (Biomedical Research Initiative Steering Committee) objectives as delineated in Dr. Pastides charge to the committee included the following: (1) to describe the University's current biomedical research activities and to identify areas of existing strength; (2) to recommend a 5-year goal for increased extramural funding of biomedical research; (3) to make recommendations concerning investments and other actions which would support attainment of the recommended goal for increased extramural funding of biomedical research; and finally, (4) to establish a procedure which would ensure continued faculty input in areas related to biomedical research.
Strategies of the steering committee included the identification of specific areas of biomedical research which should be targeted for investments. During the summer, the committee had carefully reviewed the University's current funding in biomedical research areas; it was hoped that those identified areas would be particularly productive. In addition, the committee had been discussing new or modified policies and procedures which would support enhanced biomedical research in the future. And, the committee was attempting to identify infrastructure improvements which would also support the enhancement of this effort.
During the previous three months, the steering committee had met with Provost Odom and Interim Vice President for Research Harris Pastides as well as the deans of the eight major biomedical units to outline goals and to discuss objectives. The committee had also met with other administrative personnel "thinking that our activities in biomedical research are impacted by many other elements of the University's functions." Phasing in of value-centered management had been discussed with Chief Financial Officer Rick Kelly; Dr. Stan Fowler, Associate Dean for Research at the School of Medicine, had reviewed the research enhancement plan; the bioterrorism report overview and related research activities had been discussed with Dr. Madilyn Fletcher, Director of the Baruch Institute; possible development activities had been examined with the Vice President for University Advancement Hudson Akin and Tony Boccanfuso, Director of the USC Research Foundation. The steering committee had also been working with units within the Columbia community which would have an impact on biomedical research for the University including Palmetto Health and the Dorn VA Medical Center.
Five working groups in areas that the committee had identified as requiring special effort had been formed. Included were cancer with Dr. Frank Berger, principal investigator on the COBRE project, and Dr. Mike Wargovich of the South Carolina Cancer Center and the School of Medicine as coordinators; neuroscience coordinated by Dr. Rose Booze of the Department of Psychology; bioengineering/regenerative medicine coordinated by Dr. Mike Matthews from the College of Engineering and Information Technology; reduction of health disparities across racial and ethnic groups coordinated by Dr. Beth Mayer-Davis from The Norman J. Arnold School of Public Health; and clinical research coordinated by Mr. Don Powell from Dorn VA Medical Center and Dr. Lucia Pirisi-Creek from the School of Medicine.
The objectives of those working groups were: (1) to identify the strengths in each of the focus areas; (2) to identify the limitations or barriers to growth; and, (3) to make specific recommendations for investments which would increase productivity. In addition, each group will include a listing of the key faculty currently working in those identified areas and a listing of the external research awards received in each area.
Dr. Pate commented that the steering committee was in the process of preparing a solicitation for "seed funding" to support a particular project; Dr. Pastides had committed funding which will be made available in the current fiscal year. "We are looking at issuing as many as four awards with each funded up to a level of $250,000." These awards would be very focused on the development of external research grant applications of a particular type (referred to as program projects or center-level research grants). Program project grants from the National Institutes of Health were multi-study projects ordinarily with three or four or more independent but well coordinated and related investigations built around a particular research theme; the University had never been awarded one. "We are hopeful that with this type of support we can bring together our strong investigators for the purpose of developing competitive applications for PO1 (program project grants) or comparable center-level research grants from federal agencies such as NIH."
Working groups will continue to meet through the month of October; recommendations were due to BRISC in early November. This steering committee will then prepare a comprehensive report of the biomedical research strengths and weaknesses at the University for submission to the Interim Vice President for Research in December. "We still have a lot of work to do, but I am confident that we will complete this phase of the project by the holidays."
President Sorensen saluted Dr. Pate and the other individuals listed in this report for their work in conjunction with the biomedical research initiative. This research effort was addressing two critical areas - other funding sources to maintain rigor and excitement in the University's research and teaching activities and collaborative activities involving multiple disciplines. He referenced a meeting which he, Provost Odom, and Dr. Pastides will attend on the following day to continue discussions with President Greenberg of the Medical University of South Carolina regarding possible collaborative efforts between the two institutions.
Since there were no other matters to come before the Committee, Chairman von
Lehe declared the meeting adjourned at 2:35 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Thomas L. Stepp
Secretary