Tuskegee's veterinary college gets nod for full accreditation

Tuskegee, Ala.

-- Tuskegee University's veterinary college nailed full accreditation from the American Veterinary Medical Association's Council on Education (COE).

The decision by COE grants Tuskegee this accreditation status for a normal five-year cycle. COE is described as a professional body charged with evaluating and accrediting all of the veterinary colleges in North America.

"I am proud of our faculty, staff and especially our students. The attainment of full-accreditation status for the School of Veterinary Medicine would not have been possible without their dedication," says Dr. Tsegaye Habtemariam, dean of Tuskegee's College of Veterinary Medicine, Nursing and Allied Health in a prepared statement.

The college reportedly was commended for increasing the small-animal and equine case loads, implementation of year-round clinical rotations, higher pass-rate scores for the national licensing examination and the school's commitment to student diversity.

Tuskegee is considered the most racially diverse veterinary school in North America. It has graduated more than 70 percent of the African-American veterinarians in the United States, according to school officials.