Economizing the curriculum as a strategy for mitigating increased workload caused by enrollment-induced faculty downsizing

Abstract

From 2001 to 2014, pharmacy enrollment increased 78 %, but it has decreased 29 % since 2018. Almost 60 % of pharmacy schools experienced a drop in enrollment of more than 25 % in only 5 years.

Faculty attrition is a natural consequence of declining enrollment, as programs reduce expenses in response to falling tuition revenue. Pharmacy faculty decreased 11 % from 2018 to 2023, causing heavier workload demands. Increased faculty workload can be addressed by retooling curricular content and delivery, to make it more efficient.

The situation calls for innovative thinking and new approaches toward solving old problems. Visionary academic leadership is needed to guide the academy through an era of declining resources by fundamentally changing the design and delivery of pharmacy education.