$66 million slated for UC Davis upgrades, construction

Sacramento, Calif.- More than $66 million of California Gov. GrayDavis' $1 billion economic stimulus package is earmarked to complete constructionon University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine's new $77million building.

State legislators have yet to consider the package, scheduled to be heardduring the normal budget process.

The construction, part of the school's long-range facilities plan, isdesigned to restore the veterinary program to full accreditation. In 1998,the American Veterinary Medical Association's accreditation committee downgradedthe school to limited accreditation status after citing improvement needswithin the school's teaching and research facility.

The expansion likely will allow for the enrollment of additional students.Currently, 122 students are accepted annually to the program.

"We're very excited about this," says Dr. Bennie Osburn, theschool's dean. "As soon as these facilities are completed, we'll moveto 131 students, and a university task force has projected we could go to150 students.

"We think that this will address many of the concerns brought upin the accreditation visit and hope that it will position us to come offlimited accreditation."

The 124,000-square-foot building will include an on-campus teaching,research and clinical facility with wet scientific laboratories, a necropsyfacility and office laboratories. It's scheduled for completion in 2005.

Several other construction projects also are pending or under way, includingthe $24 million Veterinary Medicine Instructional Facility, the 20,000-square-footEquine Athletic Performance Laboratory and the Center for Companion AnimalHealth.