The College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences and the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have formalized a new partnership that will streamline operations at the university’s horse farm while ensuring both colleges have access to the herd for teaching and experiential learning.
Under a new memorandum of understanding, the resident horse herds of the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Department of Animal Sciences within the College of ACES will be consolidated at the St. Mary’s Road horse farm location, enhancing hands-on learning opportunities for students in both units.
The College of Veterinary Medicine, which has historically maintained the larger herd, has assumed day-to-day management of all horses and related facilities to improve operational efficiency. Faculty and students from both colleges will continue to use the herd for teaching, research, and experiential learning.
“This agreement allows us to bring the university’s horses together in a way that makes the best use of the horse farm and the resources we share across colleges,” said Dan Shike, head of the Department of Animal Sciences. “Most importantly, it ensures that students from both Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine will continue to benefit from the hands-on equine learning experiences made possible by the horse farm and herds.”
“By aligning our resources across the two colleges, we are able to strengthen the educational experience for students while using our facilities more effectively,” said Dr. Jim Lowe, executive associate dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine. “Together, our colleges envision the horse farm serving as a shared campus resource that supports veterinary training, undergraduate instruction, and experiential learning opportunities for years to come.”
In the featured image, a University of Illinois student leads a horse at the St. Mary’s Road horse farm,.
