UC-Davis secures full accreditation

DAVIS, CALIF. — The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) restored the University of California at Davis' (UC-Davis) School of Veterinary Medicine to full accreditation after almost seven years. The school had been on limited accreditation since the summer of 1998, when the AVMA cited inadequate facilities for teaching, research and clinical care.

The institution mended its facilities shortfalls with five new buildings, some of which will not be completed for a couple years. About $140 million in public and private funds were secured for the first phase of its projected $354-million building projects.

Dr. Bennie I. Osburn

Public support and donations helped secure not only private funds, but it helped persuade lawmakers meet the needs of the school's building projects, says Dr. Bennie I. Osburn, dean of the veterinary school. A public relations campaign — targeted at clients as well as the general population — helped drive popular opinion in the state, and the groundswell helped generate funding from a stretched state budget that doles out funds to dozens of public universities, 11 of which are part of the University of California system. Gray Davis was the governor at the time the school petitioned for building aid.

"It's important that the public understand the role that veterinary medicine plays in the state and the region," Osburn says. "We're involved in animal well-being and public health, and it takes a continual effort to get that message out, but it was very important for us. It was also important that the legislature and the governor's office is aware and willing to confront problems that we are facing."

DVM Newsbreak

New facilities at UC-Davis include:

• The 63,000-square-foot, $12.5-million Veterinary Medicine Instructional Laboratory Facility, which includes instructional surgery suites, animal-holding facilities for large and small animal, a facility for canine blood donors, an instructional lecture hall, an exercise run for small animals and a pasture for large animals.

• The $14-million Center for Companion Animal Health houses oncology, pharmacy, genetics and physical rehabilitation units, administrative offices, faculty offices, laboratories, exam rooms, chemotherapy treatment rooms and $2.4 million in major equipment, all of which was funded by private donations.

The school's building program also includes three buildings still under construction:

• The $27-million Veterinary Medicine Instructional Facility houses 55,000 square feet of classrooms and is slated for completion in late 2006.

• The six-story, $77-million Veterinary Medicine 3A Building will include 98,000 square feet of teaching and research laboratories, research support services, academic offices, clinical services and administrative offices. It is scheduled for completion in 2007.

• A $4.3-million Equine Performance Laboratory also is underway.

The UC-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine currently enrolls 488 students; each incoming class now includes 122.

UC-Davis isn't alone in its battle to revamp its facilities; Iowa State University was designated a limited accreditation school more than a year ago for its aging facilities, says Don Simmons, AVMA director of education and research. Western University operates under provisional accreditation until the review process can be completed at the new school. Each veterinary college undergoes review every seven years.

"The accreditation process is very important for us to maintain the quality of veterinary education," Osburn says. "We're the envy of the world."