The University of Arizona has hit a brick wall with plans to establish a veterinary school in Oro Valley, a project that recently received an $8 million infusion from state taxpayers.
The American Veterinary Medical Association, which accredits veterinary schools, rejected the UAโs proposal, saying it has substantial flaws that show it isnโt ready yet to take the first step toward accreditation.
The proposed veterinary school is one of President Ann Weaver Hartโs signature initiatives. She recently persuaded state lawmakers to provide $8 million to retrofit the Oro Valley site, work that already has begun, according to a UA news release.
The money is being spent to install classrooms, laboratory space and veterinary operating suites at the 33,000-square-foot site near North Oracle Road and North First Avenue.
The accreditorโs finding, which the UA plans to fight at a potential cost of $10,000, would put the project at least a year behind schedule. Once turned down, a school must wait 12 months before restarting its accreditation effort.
The veterinary associationโs Council on Education conducted a site visit and reviewed documentation submitted by the UA to support its request. In April, the council delayed its decision to obtain more information from the university.
The council cited five areas of deficiency in rejecting the UAโs application. They include lack of proof of the veterinary schoolโs long-term financial viability, inadequate staffing and recruiting plans, lack of a high-quality research program and unanswered questions around student access to learning opportunities.
โThe council found that the schoolโs plan, when implemented, will not permit the school to be in complianceโ with accreditation standards, the notification letter said.
The UA says the information provided to the accreditor so far should have been enough to merit initial approval. Officials will make that argument on appeal, the UA news release said.
โThe UA has provided a detailed plan for a novel year-round veterinary medical program that will provide a faster path to a DVM degree for less moneyโ Hart said in the news release.
โWe will demonstrate that we have addressed all of their concerns,โ she said of the accreditor. โWe are absolutely committed to earning AVMA accreditation.โ
The UA has known about the accreditorโs decision since July 12 but didnโt make it public until Tuesday. The UA had a 30-day window in which to appeal with a deadline of Aug. 11. The appeal letter is dated Aug. 8.
The university has 60 days in which to resubmit documentation and must also provide a $10,000 deposit to cover the appeal costs. The accreditor then will have 120 days to schedule the hearing, to be held in Illinois where the group is based.
When the UA announced the Oro Valley site at a news conference last fall, officials said they hoped to obtain accreditation in 2016.
State lawmaker Bruce Wheeler, a Tucson Democrat who supported the recent $8 million state contribution for the veterinary school, said he is โflabbergastedโ the UA didnโt have a better grasp of its eligibility for accreditation before seeking public funds.
He blamed Hart for not paying close enough attention to the accreditation process and said he plans to call on the Arizona Board of Regents โto expedite her departure.โ
โThis is another black eye for the University of Arizona,โ said Wheeler, who also has clashed with Hart over her service on the board of for-profit DeVry University.
Hart already has said she plans to retire as president when her contract expires in 2018. The UA is planning a national search for her replacement.
Shane Burgess, interim dean of the UA veterinary school, said in the news release that the UAโs proposal is intentionally different from traditional veterinary schools. It relies heavily on partnerships with the Reid Park Zoo, Pima Animal Care Center and other local entities to provide veterinary students with training opportunities.
โItโs not the traditional vet school model, and itโs not intended to be. We need a model for the 21st century and for Arizona,โ he said.
