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Accreditation Policies and Procedures of the AVMA Council on Education (COE)
Revised April 2008

38. Foreign Veterinary Colleges

The COE believes that accrediting foreign veterinary colleges supports and encourages the achievement of high standards of veterinary medical education world wide thus improving animal and human health.

It is the objective of the AVMA COE to ensure that each graduate of an accredited college of veterinary medicine is firmly based in the fundamental principles, scientific knowledge, and physical and mental skills of veterinary medicine.

Foreign veterinary colleges are defined as colleges of veterinary medicine located outside the United States or Canada.

To initiate the process for a foreign college to be accredited, a written request must be received by the AVMA COE from the dean of the college and the president/provost of the university. The Council and AVMA staff respond to all inquires regarding accreditation, and provide the Accreditation Policies and Procedures (P&P) of the AVMA COE to foreign colleges requesting such information.

Accreditation is voluntary; the AVMA COE does not solicit applications. AVMA COE accredited US and Canadian, and AVMA COE-accredited foreign colleges will be given site visit scheduling priority over nonaccredited foreign institutions seeking accreditation.

Guidelines for site visits to foreign colleges are contained in the COE P&P manual, which is revised annually.

The COE consults with existing accreditation and licensing agencies in countries holding/seeking international accreditation.

38.1. General Information
The Council reserves the right to deny a request for a site visit to a college in a country where conditions exist that might place the safety of site team members at risk. The judgment of the Council will prevail in such decisions.

The cumulative number of all site visits (US, Canadian, and foreign) in a 12-month period shall not exceed 12.

If a foreign college is denied initial accreditation, the institution will not be re-evaluated for a period of at least two years. Assurance must be provided to the Council that deficiencies have been corrected before a succeeding site visit is scheduled.

Enrollment demographics will not be considered in the accreditation process, or in decisions related to accreditation.

Although cultural diversity is recognized, the standards for accreditation are applied in the same manner for all institutions in the accreditation process.

Language is not considered a barrier to accreditation; however, all matters and information related to the accreditation process must be in English.

Accredited foreign colleges that do not conduct all instruction in English are considered to produce graduates whose English language skills are unknown to the COE. State boards of veterinary medicine in the United States and Canada (provinces) will be notified of this fact as appropriate.

Initial or continued accreditation of a foreign veterinary school/college will be contingent upon:

1. the licensing body of that foreign country recognizing that graduates of US and Canadian AVMA COE accredited veterinary schools/colleges have met the same educational standards as graduates of the AVMA COE accredited foreign veterinary school/college, and
2. the foreign country conferring licenses to graduates of AVMA-accredited US and Canadian veterinary schools/colleges that are identical to those given to graduates of that country's AVMA COE accredited veterinary school/college, by a licensing process no more difficult than that required of graduates of that country's AVMA COE accredited veterinary school/college.

The expressed desire of foreign veterinary colleges for input and evaluation of their programs by the AVMA COE is in recognition of the high standards of veterinary medical education in the US and Canada. It is further recognized that the AVMA COE plays a significant role in setting the standards for international veterinary education.

Should a foreign college decide to challenge in a court of law an adverse accreditation decision made by the COE, the filing must be done in a US court of competent jurisdiction seated in Illinois.

38.2. Opportunity
There are a number of methods through which the AVMA and its COE can assist in the improvement of education and/or accreditation of foreign veterinary colleges including:

1. The provision of copies of the standards used for accrediting US and Canadian programs, to serve as guidelines for standards
2. A consultative site visit* to evaluate a college's preparedness for accreditation. If a college seeks AVMA COE accreditation, a consultative site visit and appraisal of the program must be conducted. The site visit is conducted at a time to avoid conflict with the COE's role in the US and Canada.
3. A comprehensive site visit* for accreditation and recognition of the program. The site visit and evaluation is conducted using the same processes as employed for US and Canadian colleges. The evaluation is conducted only at the convenience of the Council and its members.
4. Comparative Value. COE accreditation of a foreign veterinary college confirms that the program complies with AVMA COE standards for accreditation. Accreditation is not an endorsement that replaces or overrides international rules and regulations, or state, provincial, and national licensing and practice act guidelines.

The participation of the COE in these accreditation activities helps to ensure AVMA's role in international veterinary education.

38.3. Procedures
Foreign veterinary colleges may seek accreditation status from the AVMA COE through procedures established by the COE. Accreditation may be of value to foreign colleges for purposes of recognition of program quality and/or as a means to assist graduates who choose to practice veterinary medicine in the United States.

Throughout the process of seeking AVMA COE accreditation status, the Accreditation Policies and Procedures of the COE manual will serve as the basis for all procedures and decisions. Standard requirements described in the manual will be applied to all programs seeking accreditation. The Council will acknowledge social, cultural, and educational diversity in a fair and equitable manner; but veterinary medical education program quality as measured by the standards is non-negotiable.

Site visits are initiated by the college seeking or renewing accreditation. In cases where conditions at an accredited college have changed dramatically, jeopardizing the institution's ability to meet the standards as noted in an annual report, or when third party comments are received from faculty, students, staff, or the public, the Council may conduct a focused or comprehensive site visit to determine whether the conditions or reports have validity which might negatively impact the accreditation status of the college.

The AVMA COE has no process to assist developing foreign colleges. Accreditation may be sought only by established foreign colleges.

Four types of site visits may be conducted by the COE:

Consultative - If an established foreign veterinary medical college desires consultation and advice on its readiness for attaining accreditation status, the college must request a consultative site visit. The consultative site visit team is composed of COE members and AVMA staff who provide an unofficial appraisal of the program as related to compliance with the standards. A foreign college seeking accreditation status must provide the COE with five (5) copies of a video (DVD format) detailing the physical facilities and educational programs of the college. The video is limited to 30 minutes' duration and shall be provided to COE at the time the self-study is submitted. The college must submit a detailed self-study report 12 weeks in advance of the site visit, and after the visit, the COE will provide an unofficial written report of evaluation noting the readiness for a comprehensive site visit.

In order to proceed with a comprehensive site visit, the school must submit a detailed response to all points raised by the consultative site team to the COE within five years after receipt of the consultative report.

Consultation with an Accredited College - An accredited foreign college may request consultation from the COE by inviting a consultative site team to visit the college. A request should focus on a specific item(s) wherein the college wishes advice. The advice provided is not an official recommendation from the COE.

Comprehensive - An established foreign veterinary medical college seeking initial accreditation may request a comprehensive site visit. The process is the same as for a US or Canadian college.

Comprehensive site visits are required at least once every seven (7) years to retain accreditation status. The college must provide a complete self-study report, and after the site visit is conducted, the college is apprised of its status.

Focused - A focused site visit can be requested by an AVMA COE accredited foreign veterinary college, or be initiated by the COE based upon the contents of the college annual report or third party (faculty, student, or public) comment. The focused site visit is usually conducted by one or two individuals, one of whom served on the original, comprehensive site visit team. The college is requested to provide information regarding the concerns prompting the site visit; the COE will assign an accreditation status based upon evaluation of compliance with the standards.

As a college is seeking initial accreditation and a consultative site visit has been scheduled, the consultative site team and the chair of the COE Evaluation Committee, in consultation with COE staff, will review the self study and determine if the college appears to meet all or most of the standards. In the event it is believed that the college falls short of meeting one or more standards, a consultative site visit will not be conducted and the college will be notified of the perceived deficiencies.

A consultative site team composed of two experienced COE members appointed by the Chair of the Evaluation Committee and one AVMA staff member will conduct the consultative site visit. The consultation generally takes three to four days. Appropriate college personnel and the site team chair will prepare an agenda that ensures evaluation of all areas of the program.

The report from the consultative site visit is the responsibility of the team chair and consists of the following sections:

Section I - an introductory paragraph providing the name and location of the college, the identity of the chief academic officer of the college and of the parent institution, and a brief history of the college.

Section II - the eleven standards for accreditation and a short description of perceived deficiencies.

Section III - program strengths in numerical order, without priority.

Section IV - an appraisal of the preparedness of the college for a comprehensive site visit.

Section V - other comments that may assist the college in improving its self study, designing the agenda for the site visit, or other matters.

The report is based upon the evaluations of the site team and is not approved by the COE. A final report is sent to the chief academic officer of the college and the chief academic officer of the parent institution. Questions related to the report should be directed to the chair of the site team, who reports the findings from the consultative visit as information only, to the Council during the next regularly scheduled meeting.

No further action is taken by the COE following a consultative site visit unless identified deficiencies are corrected, the Council determines that a comprehensive site visit is warranted, and a formal request is received from the college. If a comprehensive site visit is conducted, the procedure followed is identical to that for evaluation of US and Canadian colleges. COE members may serve on both the consultative and comprehensive site visit teams for foreign veterinary colleges.

Visits to foreign veterinary colleges may require slight alterations in several areas of standard operating procedure, but not in interpreting the standards.

Selecting Site Team Members. The site team selection process for US colleges is used, with the following exception:

Accredited Graduates
Students enrolled in and completing the professional program in an AVMA COE accredited foreign veterinary college will be considered graduates of an accredited college if they graduate after the date of the site visit resulting in accreditation status. Persons receiving a diploma, certification, qualification, or other designated degree prior to the date of the site visit resulting in AVMA COE accreditation will not be considered graduates of an AVMA COE accredited college.

Students enrolled in accredited schools/colleges/faculties of veterinary medicine may or may not be permitted to transfer to another AVMA COE accredited program. Transfers are at the discretion of each institution. Many of the foreign accredited programs follow the European system of education (five years post-secondary education [high school]) that results in a Bachelors degree in veterinary science (medicine). The United States/Canadian systems require several years of "pre-veterinary" education (many enrolled students already have a Bachelors or higher degree upon admission) where humanities, sciences, languages, mathematics, and animal sciences are taught. The degree awarded by US/Canadian schools/colleges is the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (or equivalent). Further, the curriculum of each US/Canadian school/college varies widely, from traditional didactic delivery to all problem-based learning. These modes of delivery also will affect the ability for student transfer. The Council encourages transferability, but leaves the matter to each institution.

Each AVMA COE accredited foreign veterinary college is required to provide an annual report to the AVMA COE. This report is used to assess its progress and to identify major changes in the college or its support units regarding the standards.

All correspondence and conversation with the AVMA, including the self-study document, must be in English. If any portion of the veterinary educational program is conducted in a language other than English, the AVMA COE may employ a translator of its choosing. The cost of the translation will be charged to the college.

In summary, all matters pertaining to accreditation of foreign veterinary colleges are presented in the Accreditation Policies and Procedures of the AVMA COE manual. This document is adhered to as the COE assesses the progress of the college in meeting the standards.

38.4. Guidelines for Site Team Visitors to Foreign Veterinary Colleges
Site team members and AVMA staff are the guests of the host foreign veterinary college. Cultures and customs may differ from those in the United States and Canada.

Regarding travel, the host institution is responsible for all expenses. However, the COE has established limitations to enable each site team member to understand the process and avoid misunderstanding. The following guidelines should be followed:

1. Travel
   Air transportation is in business class. Should you choose to use first-class, the additional charges will not be paid by the host institution. The host institution is responsible for ground transportation to move the site team during the visit.
   
   
2. Lodging
   The host institution is responsible for arranging lodging for the site visit. There may be those who want to combine the site visit with personal vacation or business, which is permissible. However, lodging charged to the host institution will be limited to the following:
   
   
   1. Those traveling only for the site visit. In allowing for adjustment to time zone changes, two nights of lodging before the site visit are permitted. At the end of the site visit (generally mid-week at mid-day) air flights may not be available for immediate or convenient departure. In that case, one additional night is permitted. Please use good judgment in choosing the proper options.
      
      
   2. Extenuating circumstances may arise (weather, aircraft maintenance, etc.) which might delay departure on any leg of the flight. The host college is responsible for the cost of lodging during these rare occurrences. Changes resulting from injury or illness of the site team member causing delay in departure is the responsibility of the team member.
      
      
   3. The host institution is not responsible for charges associated with spouses, significant others, or dependents of a site team member.
      
      
3. Meals and miscellany
   The host institution is responsible for all meals and other related incidentals for the team during the site visit, with the same time limitations as lodging.
   
   
4. Telephone Calls
   Telephone calls made by site team members for family or business reasons are not paid by the host institution. Calls, if made, are billed directly to the site team member. Use careful judgment related to any other charges.

In many countries where special guests are being hosted, it is customary to provide or be provided with gifts. It is AVMA policy that official gifts will not be presented to the host institution. If a host institution wishes to provide a small gift to each participant, acceptance is allowed. However, gifts offered to individuals (and not to all members of the site team) must be refused. It is the desire of the AVMA that no gifts be presented; however, it is not the intent to disregard customs of a given society. It is permissible for site team members (as individuals or as a group) to provide a gratuity for some special services (chauffeur, hotel employees, etc.), but this voluntary gesture should not be charged to the host institution.

Consultative site visit – $10,000

Consultation with an accredited college – $2,000

Comprehensive site visit – $15,000

Focused site visit – $2,750

Review of the annual report – $1,000

The fees represent recovery of the actual cost to the AVMA, including charges for personnel, office space, communication, materials and supplies, and business office support. Sixty days before arrangements are made for any visit or consideration of the annual report to evaluate the accreditation status of the college, the applicable fee must be paid in full, and the college requesting the visit must confirm in writing its commitment to pay all associated costs for the site visit team.

The administrative fees are reviewed annually and subject to change based upon the rate of US inflation and/or other factors.

Failure to pay any fee indicates a desire to discontinue the accreditation process. If payment is not received within 60 days of the time indicated, the process will be discontinued and accreditation status withdrawn.