UArizona PharmD Students' Knowledge about Land Grant Universities and Attitudes about Land Acknowledgment for Development of a Land Acknowledgment Statement for UArizona R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy

Abstract

Many institutions in the United States (U.S.), including The University of Arizona (UArizona), bear the status “land-grant university”. These institutions stand on land that was sequestered from Native Americans/Indigenous peoples. Today, institutions desire to show gratitude for the land where they reside, often through the creation of land acknowledgement statements, holding ceremonies, and/or raising awareness through on-campus events. Recognizing and honoring the people who previously occupied the land is a desire of the R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy (RKCCOP) constituents through the development of a land acknowledgment statement for use, education of land-grant status, and raising awareness. Specific Aims: We first aimed to discover how well land-grant colleges/universities are honoring the lands and history upon which they are built. Next, we aimed to gather attitudes, perceptions, and knowledge of Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students regarding land-grant colleges/universities, and how UArizona specifically recognizes its status. Lastly, we desired to increase awareness at the RKCCOP through the creation of a land acknowledgment statement for use by RKCCOP students and faculty. Methods: We created a resource document (Table 1) from our research of 112 land-grant colleges/universities in the U.S. We analyzed each institution’s website to evaluate their practices. We also formed and distributed an original survey, modeled after the methods of Everett and Barham et al., to PharmD students of the RKCCOP.1,2 Lastly, we created a land acknowledgement statement specifically for the RKCCOP to be added to UArizona’s statement. Results: Of the 112 land-grant colleges/universities in the U.S., 31 have a college of pharmacy (COP). However, only 7 COPs honor the tribal lands upon which they stand through a land acknowledgement statement. One hundred PharmD students at the RKCCOP completed the questionnaire. Results revealed that 40% of students correctly answered both knowledge questions, and 15% of students answered neither question correctly. The survey also highlighted that while most students were unaware of how land-grant colleges/universities were established, many supported the importance of acknowledging tribal land, and the necessity of the RKCCOP to participate in such acknowledgement. Conclusion: Since so few COPs at land-grant colleges/universities have their own land acknowledgement statement, there is a great need for further representation and recognition of land-grant status at COPs nationwide. Survey respondents were in support of land acknowledgment practices through the RKCCOP that will raise awareness of the college’s land- grant status. A RKCCOP-specific land acknowledgement statement is a small but necessary step toward advancing inclusivity at our college.