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1) Institutional Accreditation
An accredited veterinary technology program in the United States must be part of an institution of higher education accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Non-US programs must be part of an institution of higher learning recognized by the appropriate national, provincial, or regional agency with that authority.
2) Finances
Sustainable financial support must be adequate for the program to attain the educational goals and support its mission.
3) Organization and Communications
3a. The program must develop and follow its mission statement.
3b. Roles of the administrators and the lines of communication between the institution and the program director must be clearly defined.
3c. Program relationships with students, faculty, administrators, and the public must be conducted with integrity. Policies and available educational services for veterinary technology students must be clearly defined.
3d. The CVTEA must be apprised of changes in administration, organization, association with the parent institution, and major changes in the curriculum, faculty, or stated objectives. All changes must be reported to CVTEA within sixty (60) days of implementation with an explanation of how the program will continue to comply with accreditation Standards.
3e. The program must have an advisory committee that meets at least annually to provide counsel regarding equipment, curriculum, demographic trends and other matters pertaining to the veterinary technology profession. Membership must include veterinarians and veterinary technicians with diverse professional interests, and should include veterinary technician students, industry representatives, and public members.
3f. Programs with agreements between two or more institutions are recognized. The institution accredited by CVTEA is declared the parent (home) institution and grants the degree or certificate.
3g. Communication and interactions with veterinary technician educator associations, veterinary medical associations, and veterinary technician associations should be maintained.
4) Physical Facilities and Equipment
4a. All aspects of the physical facilities must provide an environment conducive to learning and the achievement of the educational goals. Classrooms, teaching laboratories, and other teaching spaces shall be clean, maintained in good repair, adequate in number, appropriate in capacity, and provided with sufficient equipment to meet the instructional need and the number of students enrolled.
4b. Clinical facilities must emulate contemporary veterinary facilities. Standard types of laboratory and clinical equipment, consistent with those used in contemporary veterinary facilities, shall be provided and shall comply with the Equipment and Instructional Resource List, Appendix H.
4c. Office space must be sufficient for the instructional, advisement, and administrative needs of the faculty, staff, and program.
4d. Animal housing must be consistent with accepted humane standards and federal and state regulations. See 5b.
4e. Safety of students, program personnel, and animals must be of prime consideration. (Refer to Statement on Safety, Appendix A.
4f. Drugs, biologics, reagents, and other materials used in conjunction with animal care shall be currently dated and appropriately labeled. Materials used for demonstration purposes must be appropriately identified and stored. Controlled substances shall be stored and logged in accordance with state and federal regulations.
4g. Waste management shall be appropriate for the needs of the program and consistent with regulatory agency requirements.
4h. Storage must be sufficient for program needs.
5) Resources for Clinical Instruction
5a. Animals of various common domestic and laboratory animal species must be available for use in teaching. Adequate numbers of animals are required to provide the necessary quantity and quality of clinical instruction to meet curriculum requirements without overuse of the animals or violation of standards of humane care (see Guidelines for the Use of Animals in Veterinary Technology Teaching Programs, Appendix B).
5b. Programs must follow all applicable federal and state regulations and guidelines for the care and use of animals utilized by the program. CVTEA endorses the principles of humane care and use of animals as stated in the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) and requires programs to apply AWA guidelines to all animal use. All animal activities conducted by a program must be reviewed and approved by an animal care and use committee whose structure and functions are in accordance with AWA requirements.
5c. The use of models and other alternate methods of teaching should be considered, as long as the goals and requirements of the curriculum are met.
5d. Records and logs for animals used by the program must be comprehensive and accurately maintained.
5e. Off-campus providers of instructional support must meet objective requirements set by the program with respect to the physical facilities, staff, and available equipment. A memorandum of understanding or contractual arrangement must be established with all off-campus sites including, but not limited to, externship, preceptorship, and distance learning sites. (See Guidelines for Off-Campus Clinical Instruction, Appendix C.)
5f. CVTEA discourages providing clinical veterinary services to the public by programs educating veterinary technicians. If clinical veterinary services are offered, programs must stress that student instruction is the primary purpose of clinical resources and that all animals, regardless of ownership, are used as teaching resources and not primarily for revenue.
6) Library and Informational Resources
6a. Libraries and information retrieval are essential to veterinary technician education and continuing education. Timely access to current information resources germane to veterinary technology through print, electronic media, and/or other means must be available to students, faculty, and staff. Students must have access to a qualified resource specialist.
6b. Knowledge of quality information resources, library use and development and application of information retrieval skills must be included in the educational experience.
7) Admissions
7a. The institution and program admission policies must be well defined and documented.
7b. Applicants must have a high school diploma or its equivalent. Consideration of the qualifications of applicants for admission must include aptitude for, and interest in, a career in veterinary technology.
7c. CVTEA recognizes that some institutions must perform under open admissions policies that prohibit selective entry into veterinary technician education programs. However, the development and consistent application of selective admissions standards may be helpful in admitting more qualified students, reducing attrition, and producing graduates who are most likely to succeed, and therefore should be encouraged.
7d. Catalogs or other official publications must contain the institutional and programmatic purposes and objectives, admission requirements and procedures, academic offerings, degree granted, and program requirements for completion of the degree, including the existence of any technical standards. This information must include the length of time necessary for completion; policies with respect to satisfactory academic progress; tuition, fees, and other program costs; refund policies; and national and state requirements for eligibility for credentialing or entry into the field of veterinary technology.
7e. The institution and program must demonstrate integrity and responsibility in student recruitment practices. Personnel who are knowledgeable about the program and its requirements should conduct student recruitment.
7f. The program director or appointee should participate in the deliberations of the admissions committee and selection of students.
8) Students
8a. The number of students must be consistent with the mission of the program and must not exceed the available resources or the number of faculty and support staff needed to meet the educational goals of the curriculum. An appropriate instructor-to-student ratio must be maintained to ensure adequate delivery of instruction in a variety of teaching environments.
8b. Student support services must be available within the institution for program students. Interactions between students and faculty/staff must be sufficient to communicate expectations for successful academic performance, provide feedback for improvement of skills or knowledge, and encourage professional growth and development.
8c. Throughout the curriculum, students must be exposed to veterinary team concepts and appropriate modeling of ethical and professional behavior.
8d. Students should be encouraged to form a student organization, and this organization should become an affiliate of the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) and appropriate state veterinary technology associations. Students should be encouraged to be active in local, state, and national veterinary technician organizations.
9) Faculty and Staff
9a. Faculty and staff numbers must be sufficient to deliver the educational program and meet the instructional goals of the program.
9b. Instructors in the program must have knowledge and expertise in the topics they teach and promote the appropriate role of the veterinary technician in the veterinary health care team. Instructional duties must not violate state laws regarding the practice of veterinary medicine.
9c. The program director must be a licensed veterinarian or a veterinary technician who is a graduate of an AVMA-accredited program and/or is currently credentialed as a veterinary technician with the educational background and occupational experience appropriate to understand and fulfill program goals. The position of the program director should be full time with the institution.
9d. The director must have the responsibility, authority, and support necessary to manage the program successfully. This shall be documented in a written job description that also shall clearly define the position of the director within the institutional hierarchy. The program director's appointment must include sufficient time for administrative and teaching responsibilities as well as opportunities and support for professional development.
9e. Each program must have a minimum equivalent of one full-time licensed veterinarian and a minimum equivalent of one full-time veterinary technician who is a graduate of an AVMA-accredited program and/or is currently credentialed as a veterinary technician.
9f. Academic positions must offer sufficient compensation, incentives, and employment security to attract and retain qualified personnel in order to maintain program stability. Faculty and staff must have sufficient time for development and delivery of instruction, curriculum development, student evaluation, student advisement and counseling, and professional development.
9g. The institution must provide evidence that it evaluates faculty regularly and assists and facilitates professional growth. Faculty members should be participating members of local, state, and national professional associations.
9h. For off-campus clinical experiences, students and faculty should seek progressive contemporary facilities that employ graduates of AVMA-accredited programs in veterinary technology and/or are credentialed as veterinary technicians to act as professional role models and mentors.
10) Curriculum
10a. The curriculum must prepare graduates who will be fully capable of performing in a wide variety of professional roles within the veterinary field. At the completion of the curriculum, graduates must have attained entry-level skills needed to support companion animal, equine, and food animal practice, biomedical research, and other veterinary medical activities. The curriculum shall provide a foundation in veterinary technology that will inspire the student to continue life-long learning.
10b. The specific courses shall teach basic medical science, communication, critical thinking, decision-making, and clinical application skills. Integration of nursing, technical, and medical skills within the curriculum must use live animals. Whenever possible, animal nursing skills should be developed in a setting and under conditions that are a reflection of the manner in which graduates will use these skills.
10c. The curriculum must include general education and specific veterinary technology course content. Required materials can be offered as complete course offerings or be integrated into courses involving more than one area of recommended material. Course objectives must be clearly communicated to the student through syllabi or other course documents. Course offerings to meet curriculum requirements typically take a minimum of 18 months to 2 years to accomplish.
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= AVMA/SAVMA Members Only
