Veterinary Medicine School Misses Fall 2019 Start

By Jada Butler

Co-Editor-In-Chief

The long anticipated College of Veterinary Medicine that was announced to begin during the fall 2019 semester is behind schedule. The school, which was announced at the beginning of the 2018-19 academic year, is still undergoing the process of obtaining a letter of reassurance from the national accreditation body.

The university must obtain this letter before they can begin recruitment for the program, start construction for the new facilities, lecture halls and labs, and publicize in any media outlets, according to Carmen Fuentealba, dean of the college of veterinary medicine.

The accreditation body granted the university a site visit in 2018, the Pioneer reported in the Oct. 17, 2018 issue. According to several professors who were on campus this summer, the accreditation body made a second visit in August.

Fuentealba did not confirm whether or not those visits occurred and gave no further updates, but promised to share details about the program once the letter of reassurance is received.

The projected cost of the vet school is $40 million, the Pioneer also reported in October 2018. Governor Andrew Cuomo promised $12 million in state transformative funds, and the university hosted several fundraisers, including a polo match on Sept. 15, 2018, to raise additional funds.

The Pioneer will continue reporting on the process as new information arises.