Second New York veterinary college moves forward with COE approval

By Kaitlyn Mattson
Published on November 14, 2019
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Long Island University College of Veterinary Medicine will begin accepting students to its program in fall 2020 after having received a letter of reasonable assurance of accreditation from the AVMA Council on Education. That brings the total number of U.S. veterinary colleges to 32, including the University of Arizona, which also recently received a letter of reasonable assurance from the council (see story).

The COE made the decision regarding LIU during its fall meeting Sept. 22-24 at AVMA headquarters in Schaumburg, Illinois, after performing a comprehensive site visit Aug. 12-17, 2018, in Brookville, New York.

“The launch of our veterinary school further elevates LIU as we clearly continue on our path to status as a nationally recognized teaching and research institution,” said Kimberly R. Cline, EdD, president of LIU, in an Oct. 21 press release.

A letter of reasonable assurance is not a pre-accreditation action, but indicates that the LIU veterinary college may gain accreditation in the future if the program follows through with all the plans it presented to the COE.

The veterinary college will be one of four programs in the Northeast, including the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in Philadelphia; Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in Ithaca, New York; and Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in North Grafton, Massachusetts.

Artist's rendering of LIU CVM building
An artist's rendering of the Long Island University College of Veterinary Medicine building (Courtesy of LIU)

LIU is a private university founded in 1926 that offers 320 academic programs. The university, which has another main campus in New York City, has recently suffered from enrollment decline and financial issues, according to media reports, but despite this, has moved forward with plans for the veterinary college. Entering student enrollment is up this year, and the university’s overall retention rates have continued to improve, according to LIU.

The veterinary program will be housed in a 47,000-square-foot facility that is expected to be completed in the next year and cost $40 million. LIU is ahead of schedule on construction of facilities for the new veterinary college, including remodeling and construction of laboratories and classrooms, with construction projected to be finished before classes begin in September 2020. LIU was awarded $12 million by the state of New York in 2018 to help build facilities to house the veterinary college.

The veterinary college plans to accept 100 students, and its curriculum will include a distributive model for fourth-year clinical training along with supervised clinical experiences provided throughout the four years of the program through partnerships with more than 50 organizations in the area.

“LIU College of Veterinary Medicine faculty, selected based on their strong reputation as scholars and educators, are prepared to offer the highest quality education to the next generation of globally competent, practice-ready and entrepreneurial veterinarians,” said Dr. Carmen Fuentealba, dean of the veterinary college, in the press release. “With our extensive network of research and clinical partners—including pet hospitals, zoos, and animal rescues—the entire region has been enthusiastically anticipating approval of the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program.” 

At this time, tuition for veterinary students is expected to be $55,000 per year, which will be among the top 10 highest tuition rates among U.S. veterinary colleges.