Committee seeks autonomy in accrediting veterinary technology programs

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The AVMA Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities, which accredits veterinary technology programs, seeks to gain more autonomy via an AVMA Bylaws amendment going to the House of Delegates for consideration in January 2015.

The committee aims to gain independent oversight of its accreditation policies and procedures and the accreditation standards for veterinary technology programs. The CVTEA would continue as an AVMA program.

In September, acting on a recommendation from the CVTEA, the AVMA Board of Directors approved initiating a bylaws amendment that would allow the CVTEA to revise its accreditation policies and procedures independently.

Amber Crutchfield completed an externship at the Dallas Zoo while a student with the Veterinary Medical Technology Program at Joliet Junior College in Joliet, Illinois. (Courtesy of Joliet Junior College)

The board currently approves policies and procedures for all AVMA committees and councils except the accreditation policies and procedures of the AVMA Council on Education, which accredits veterinary colleges. The board also currently approves the accreditation standards for veterinary technology programs but in 2011 approved giving the COE oversight of the accreditation standards for veterinary colleges.

According to background materials, the CVTEA “is committed to abide by the best practices for accreditation” and, as such, looks to the practices of the COE, the recognition requirements for accrediting agencies from the United States Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation’s Committee on Recognition, and the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors’ Member Code of Good Practice. The USDE and CHEA recognition requirements state that accrediting agencies should demonstrate that they have the authority to independently reach accreditation decisions and develop policies and procedures, and the ASPA member code includes a statement that members should maintain autonomy.

Recognition requirements and the ASPA member code also direct accrediting agencies to solicit, analyze, and act on stakeholder feedback on a regular basis.

If the House of Delegates grants oversight of CVTEA accreditation policies and procedures to the committee, the committee plans to revise the policies and procedures to gain independent oversight of the accreditation standards for veterinary technology programs.