A proposal to reconstruct several departments in Iowa State’s College of Veterinary Medicine is on top of the state Board of Regents agenda for their June 18-19 meeting in Okoboji.

The proposal involves combining the departments of veterinary anatomy, veterinary physiology and pharmacology into a new Department of Biomedical Sciences.

It also merges the Production Animal Medicine and Services Section of the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences’ Veterinary Extension and the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory to create a new Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine.

According to the meeting’s agenda, the proposed changes will “address the changing environment in which veterinary science is practiced and achieve improved effectiveness of the overall enterprise.”

Richard Ross, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, said that the changes grew out of recommendations from several external program review teams and a vet-med college vote.

Creating a Biomedical Sciences department will “improve flexibility and stature” for the college, Ross said. He called the proposed change “a stronger effort for the college in biomedical science.”

Ross said that the Department of Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine will “provide state-of-the-art referral services for veterinarians and livestock producers in the state of Iowa.”

Changes like these, Ross said, have become common at many schools across the country. He expects the regents to approve the proposal.

In other business:

* The regents will revise ISU’s preliminary general fund operating budget for the 1997-98 fiscal year. The proposed budget is set at $346.4 million, which is a 4.4 percent increase over last year’s amount.

* The regents will review the post-audit report for the major in advertising. The review is required for all new programs five years after they have been initiated to ensure the program has met its original objectives.

* The regents will vote on a new master of science in agronomy, geared towards people already employed in in an agronomy-related field who desire additional training for career advancement.

The major would be available to these “non-traditional” students using multimedia technology, including interactive courseware.

* The regents will consider discontinuing the master of engineering in industrial engineering, since most graduates obtain a master of science degree instead.

* The regents will vote on the Register of Capital Improvement Business Transactions.

Projects on the register include furnishing and finishing the Administrative Services Facilities Office building, repairing walls in Gilman Hall, revising the budget for the construction of the Palmer Human Development and Family Studies Building, and repairing the orchestra pit in C.Y. Stephens Auditorium.