UC Davis breaks ground for $27 million instructional facility

Davis, Calif.-University of California Davis (UC Davis) officials announce construction started last month on the veterinary school's new instructional facility to be named Gladys Valley Hall.

The $27 million project kicked off with UC Davis Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef calling the development "an important benchmark in our shared efforts to expand and modernize the School of Veterinary Medicine."

The veterinary medical program's facilities have been slated for renovation since the late 1990s, when the American Veterinary Medical Association's national accrediting body downgraded UC Davis' accreditation status due largely to needed building repairs. Funding for the project has been slow due to the state's economic status. The Council on Education is returning for re-inspection later this year.

Building specs

The proposed two-story, 55,000-square-foot building will consolidate instructional programs in one location. Features include four auditoriums, a computer classroom for the Master of Preventive Veterinary Medicine program (MPVM), seminar rooms and study areas. The building also will house an alumni conference center, specialized teaching areas and office/work space for student organizations and the Pet Loss Support Hotline. Other special spaces include a student commons, homerooms and an alumni gallery, school officials report.

The facility will provide a contemporary professional environment for DVM and MPVM students, meeting learning needs while serving as a home base for lifelong learning. Students, alumni and practitioners will use the facility for large-scale lectures, classroom discussions, computer-based study sessions, volunteer activities, alumni gatherings and continuing education conferences, officials add.

Public and private resources back the project. Campus and university funds have provided $24.5 million for the structure. An additional $2.5 million in gifts will provide additional space and facility-wide upgrades.