The Consortium of Western Regional Colleges of Veterinary Medicine established a Teaching Academy to develop and implement best practices and scholarship in veterinary medical education, consortium sponsor Pfizer Animal Health of Madison, N.J., reported today. The five member veterinary medicine colleges, including Colorado State University, Oregon State University, Western University of Health Sciences, Washington State University and University of California Davis, chipped in $10,000 a piece to kick-start the academy. Each school also chose two members to join the academy’s Steering Committee, which will meet during the second quarter of 2012 to complete governance design, identify strategic tasks and initial projects and assign working groups for each task. Committee members include: Peter Hellyer, DVM, M.S., and Ray Whalen, DVM, Ph.D., of Colorado State; Sue Tornquist, DVM, Ph.D., and Terri Clark, DVM, of Oregon State; Peggy Schmidt, DVM, M.S., and John Tegzes, VMD, of Western; Steve Hines, DVM, Ph.D., and Leslie Sprunger, DVM, Ph.D., of Washington State; and Jan Ilkiw, B.V.Sc., Ph.D., and Johanna Watson, DVM, Ph.D., of UC Davis. The academy’s specific goals include: Generating innovative concepts for the advancement of veterinary education, including adult learning, teaching methods, mentorship, scholarship and leadership; Developing, reviewing and disseminating best practices in veterinary education, such as defining competencies, assessing teachers, methods and rewards and incentives. Contributing to and promoting the development of instructional/teaching scholarships; Providing, promoting and developing educational/instructional leadership. The consortium, founded in October 2011, will reconvene at the American Veterinary Medical Association Convention in August to work on its midterm strategic goals. <HOME>
