Inside Iowa State

March 30, 2007

Vet Med returns to full accreditation

by Tom Ligouri, Vet Med Communications

The College of Veterinary Medicine has been granted full accreditation status by the Council On Education of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

The accreditation covers the complete academic program, including the addition of a new professional program in veterinary medical education being offered with the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. The accreditation was awarded following an evaluation completed in 2006 that included programs and facilities at both universities.

The college was placed on "limited" accreditation status following a 2003 site visit and 2004 evaluation report that cited needs for upgrading the veterinary teaching hospital and animal isolation facilities. Since then, the college has undertaken intermediate steps to address those needs and has begun a two-phase construction and renovation project of the teaching hospital. Phase one is a new food animal and equine hospital scheduled for completion in August 2008. Phase two includes renovation and expansion of the small animal hospital, with completion anticipated in late 2010.

"Earning full accreditation is truly a major step in our efforts to continually improve the quality of the college, the education we provide, the facilities we have, and to make Iowa State a leading center in veterinary medicine," said Dr. John Thomson, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine. "The progress we have made reflects the support provided by the Legislature, university administration and supporters who understand the important role this college plays in meeting society's needs for the veterinary medical profession and endorses our plan for the future."

The program will be reviewed again in 2010 as part of the regular Council On Education reaccreditation cycle.

"Earning full accreditation is truly a major step in our efforts to continually improve the quality of the college, the education we provide, the facilities we have, and to make Iowa State a leading center in veterinary medicine."

Dr. John Thomson