The Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine is fully accredited again after adjustments were made to the curriculum, administrators announced Wednesday. The American Veterinary Medical Association’s Council on Education placed the college on probationary status following a 2013 site visit, a position the council reaffirmed in 2016. Details about what the council called a “major deficiency” in Tuskegee’s curriculum were not released. The council noted that “probationary accreditation is granted to a college that has one or more major deficiencies that have more than minimal impact on student learning or safety.” Administrators at the Alabama school celebrated the restored accreditation. “The removal of probation status … represents a cumulative effort between administrators, faculty, staff and students,” said university President Brian Johnson, MA, Ph.D. “We are grateful for the leadership of Dean Ruby Perry in guiding this effort. We are also grateful for the AVMA in affirming Tuskegee’s storied tradition but now also what promises to be its equally storied trajectory.” Minor deficiencies are more common than major ones. An update issued by the council in September reported that Michigan State University is working to correct a minor curriculum deficiency while Texas A&M University is fixing a minor problem in Standard 3, which covers physical facilities and equipment. Both veterinary schools have retained full accreditation during the process. The two newest U.S. veterinary colleges—Midwestern University in Glendale, Ariz., and Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tenn.—hold provisional accreditation status as they strive to meet all 11 accreditation standards within five years. Tuskegee, an independent, historically black university, awards a doctor of veterinary medicine degree, several master’s degrees and Ph.D.’s in interdisciplinary pathobiology and integrative biosciences. Forty-three women and 14 men make up Tuskegee’s 57-member Class of 2020.
