March 15, 2020

AAVMC Member Institutions Respond to COVID-19 Outbreak

AAVMC member institutions around the world are taking unprecedented action to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. AAVMC has established an online platform for the schools to share their response plans and learn from one another as they address the challenges associated with the outbreak in a rapidly changing environment.

The number one priority of our schools is to protect the health and safety of students, faculty and staff. Many universities have cancelled in-person classes and closed dormitories and dining facilities to slow the person-to-person spread of the virus. Non-essential personnel are being encouraged to work from home and nearly all domestic and international travel has been cancelled.

The second priority of our schools is to fulfill their missions of teaching, research and service. Veterinary schools and colleges worldwide will employ different approaches to managing the situation based on university policy; local, state and federal guidance; and variations in the spread of COVID-19.

Most schools have already shifted to remote learning platforms to allow students to complete their classes online. This is very effective for basic science classes and has been widely used for many years at nearly all schools.

Many clinical rotations are being cancelled and veterinary teaching hospitals are curtailing operations to enable social distancing. Schools are working with students who are in clinical rotations and externships on an individual basis to re-assign them or make alternative arrangements as needed. This is a very fluid situation and policies are being continuously updated as conditions change.

All of our schools are working with the Council on Education (COE) to ensure they maintain the highest quality of education during this crisis. The COE requires schools to report any disruption to the educational program lasting two or more weeks and to describe their plans to remediate the disruption. The COE is reviewing these plans to ensure they are in compliance with the standards of accreditation.