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JONESBORO, Ark. — Arkansas State University marked a major milestone Tuesday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the opening of its new College of Veterinary Medicine.
The ceremony was held at the new 56,000-square-foot facility at 2517 Cherokee St. on the A-State campus. Dean Dr. Heidi Banse, ASU System President Todd Shields, interim Chancellor Calvin White Jr., members of the College of Veterinary Medicine team and special guests attended the event.
The opening comes after years of planning and development as A-State prepares to welcome the college’s inaugural class. Students began orientation Thursday, Aug. 6, with classes scheduled to begin Wednesday, Aug. 12.
“This is a transformational day for Arkansas State University,” White previously said. “After years of planning and preparation, we are welcoming students into a program that will strengthen our university, expand opportunities for Arkansans and help address a critical workforce need across our state and region.”
Shields has worked on the project since joining the university as A-State chancellor in 2022.
“What makes this accomplishment especially meaningful is that every decision was made with the goal of creating a program that serves students, meets workforce needs and highlights the unique strengths of Arkansas State University,” Shields previously said.
Dr. Len Frey, senior associate dean for the college, has been involved in the project for nearly a decade. He has described the creation of the veterinary college as one of the most significant strategic initiatives undertaken by A-State.
The facility was designed specifically to support hands-on learning through the college’s competency-based veterinary curriculum. Barns constructed for the program were completed this summer.
“We are thrilled with our progress to date in development of our program and are looking forward to training students to be practice-ready and contribute to the veterinary workforce in Arkansas, the Mid-South and beyond,” Banse previously said.
The college will begin with 19 faculty members delivering its first-year curriculum. A-State plans to hire another 15 faculty members during the next 12 months.
The program is intended to help address veterinary workforce needs in Arkansas and the surrounding region. Its ambulatory service already provides large-animal veterinary services to the community, with additional clinical services expected to be developed as the program grows.
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