Officials at the College of Veterinary Medicine are undertaking a large construction project to upgrade the school’s facilities.

Because the College of Veterinary Medicine received only limited accreditation during its 2003 evaluation, the school has decided to renovate and expand the Veterinary Diagnostic Lab and Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

John Thomson, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, said the American Veterinary Medical Association’s granting the college only limited accreditation was a major factor in the decision to renovate.

“Deficiencies were identified in the accreditation that need to be corrected, and that’s what this project will address,” he said.

A lack of adequate facilities, mostly for large animals, and an inability to properly isolate infectious animals from the general public are some reasons for the renovation, said Mary Ann Nieves, associate professor of veterinary clinical sciences and interim director of the veterinary teaching hospital.

“We understand the limitations in our facilities, so we try to have other systems in play,” she said. “It’s just not the ideal.”

Usually, the veterinary colleges are reviewed for accreditation every seven years.

This provides a standard to maintain for the physical facilities and programs at veterinary college, Nieves said. If a college only receives limited accreditation, it is given a time frame to improve.

If the college loses accreditation, its students won’t graduate from an accredited school and will be unable to take the board exams, she said.

The College of Veterinary Medicine will be reviewed again in 2005.

An architect has been selected for the project, but Thomson said he would not release the name until after the program evaluation phase is completed.

The physical plans and financing still aren’t settled, but he said the project should mostly be financed through state bonds and private donations.

“After we go through it, we’ll have a better handle on the scope and budget for the project,” he said.

The project includes modernizing the facilities as well as planning for the future, Nieves said.

It may be another 20 or 30 years before the facilities are renovated again, she said.

“We need to think where we are going to be with modern medicine at that time,” she said.

Thomson said classes will continue through the construction.

The plan is to build the addition first. Then, Thomson said, the college will have everything concentrated in the new area while the original space is renovated.

“We’re trying to make it so we can keep our doors open to the public,” Nieves said.

Said Thomson,”It’ll be a real challenge.”

“It is going to require a lot of patience to all involved.”

He said people have to look at the long-term benefits.

Nieves said construction should begin in a year, and the renovation and expansion should be complete in 2011.