20/20 Vision
The College of Veterinary Medicine has crafted a vision for the future, and a strategic plan to chart our course. Here are 5 Top Priorities for achieving our vision by the year 2020.
DVM Program
The professional veterinary degree program is the No. 1 priority of our College. With the completion of a comprehensive assessment of the professional curriculum, the faculty are making sure students receive knowledge to meet new needs and expectations of society. We are committed to producing competent entry-level professionals who are equipped to continue learning throughout their years in practice.
Translational Biomedical Research
"Translational biomedical research" - bringing basic research discoveries to bear in clinical applications for human and animal health - is our top research priority and the area where we see the greatest potential for making contributions at the campus and national levels. We envision the Veterinary Teaching Hospital and Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory as real-life laboratories for this work, the place of choice for campus researchers wishing to implement the practical health applications of biomaterials and other benchtop discoveries. An evolving graduate education program is preparing future researchers to operate in the highly interdisciplinary environment of biomedical research.
Building Community
Our comprehensive facilities plan maps out new buildings and infrastructure to support our programmatic growth over the next 20 years. We have reached the limits of our current facilities in terms of class size in the professional veterinary degree program. We also need new clinical facilities to provide services and research innovations consistent with our vision of leadership in clinical service and biomedical translational research.
Chicago Center for Veterinary Medicine
A strong presence in Chicago will enable us to better fulfill our mission of teaching, research, and public service and help us meet the needs of the population center of our state. It will reinforce several College programs already thriving in Chicago: the Zoological Pathology Program, the shelter medicine program at the Anti-Cruelty Society, and the Comparative Pathology Service. A new Chicago center, envisioned in the medical district south of the Loop, could include a primary care practice that will involve veterinary students as well as a focused specialty referral practice.
Illinois Center for One Health
We are proposing a new University-wide program that would help prepare society to address the animal and human dimensions of emerging public health issues, such as avian influenza and anti-microbial resistance. This program will support studies at the intersection of wildlife disease, sustainable agriculture, conservation medicine, and human and environmental health. Ultimately, this work will inform and improve public health policy.
What Can You Do to Accelerate the Plan?
If you have a personal connection with legislator at the state or federal level, please let us know. Call the Dean’s office at 217/333-2760.
Join the Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association in its lobbying efforts to support of the Veterinary Work force Enhancement Act at the federal level and to support higher education, and the College of Veterinary Medicine in particular.
Become a leader in the capital campaign by committing to a significant gift and to identifying and encouraging other donors. Call Brenda Betts at 217/333-2761.
Make financial contributions of any size to show your support for the future.
