Veterinary school retrieves lost funding

North Grafton, Mass.-

Tufts University officials have succeeded in restoring $3.6 million in funds from the state of Massachusetts to the university's veterinary school following negotiations with the governor in early March.

The state was to have allocated the funds for 2003. University officialssay they do not know exactly when the money will be released.

"We have worked hard to get to this point through a number of discussionswith legislative leaders, Governor Mitt Romney and his team," TuftsUniversity president Lawrence Bacow says. "As a result, I'm pleasedto report that the governor signed the supplementary budget that will restorethe $3.6 million originally slated for 2003."

Although the university may have secured funds for 2003, Bacow says theschool was not yet funded in the governor's fiscal year 2004 budget proposal.

"So we are continuing to work with the Massachusetts Legislatureto restore funding for the veterinary school in the fiscal year 2004 Houseand Senate budgets," Bacow says.

In fiscal year 2001, the state supplied the veterinary school with 15percent of its funding, approximately $5.6 million dollars. The fiscal year2002 appropriation of $3.6 million was only 9 percent of funding.

Over the years, the university reports that Bacow and previous administrativeofficials have worked to emphasize the importance of the veterinary schooland to educate both the state's House and Senate about why it is worthyof state support as a private institution.

"(The veterinary school) is a key component of the state's researchinfrastructure that supports biomedical research and the biotech and pharmaceuticalindustries in the commonwealth," Bacow says.