ACADEMIC UNIT CHANGES – IMPLEMENTATION REQUEST (name changes, mergers, transfers or disestablishment of existing academic units) I UNIT NAME A Current Academic Units Names Department of Animal Sciences Department of Veterinary Science and Microbiology B Proposed Academic Unit Name (if applicable) School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences II DEPARTMENT/UNIT AND COLLEGE A Current department/unit and college Animal Sciences: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Veterinary Science and Microbiology: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences B Proposed department/unit and college (if applicable) School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences III EFFECTIVE DATE – July 1, 2013 IV DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED CHANGES The Departments of Animal Sciences and Veterinary Sciences and Microbiology are proposing to create a new School within the College The three undergraduate majors, Animal Science, Veterinary Science, and Microbiology, which are currently offered by the two departments, will be maintained with some curricular adjustments to prevent duplication of teaching efforts For example, the Science and Pre-Professional subplan of Animal Science can be integrated into the Veterinary Science major By combining these two programs, not only we reduce duplication of some courses, but we can also offer all the students currently enrolled in both programs a more well-rounded compliment of courses The current graduate programs, Animal Science and Microbiology, will remain the same However, a recommendation has been made to have one graduate program in Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences with subplans of Animal Science, Microbiology and Veterinary Science, in order to maintain adequate graduate student and degree numbers If and when this recommendation is acted upon, a new proposal pertaining only to the graduate programs will be submitted for approval V REASONS FOR THE CHANGE Both departments have been challenged for the last several years due to loss of funding and faculty Funding losses include not just state budget cuts, but also loss of research revenue due to loss of faculty Each department has had to fill in program gaps due to death of faculty, retirement, and the hiring away of young faculty However, the undergraduate enrollment continues to grow Several years ago, the idea of a merger between Animal Science and Veterinary Science and Microbiology was approached, however, not all faculty were in support of the idea at that time Earlier in 2012, under new college leadership, the two departments resumed discussions to form a new school After several faculty meetings with and without the Dean of the College, the faculty voted 23 in favor with one abstention to create this new school After much discussion, the all-encompassing name of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences was agreed upon by the faculty This name was selected first, because of the diverse array of animals that are studied, and second, because many of the Veterinary Medical programs of other universities are often named with 'Comparative Biomedical Sciences’ in their title The new school is envisioned to help connect students with coursework deemed relevant to the Animal, Biotechnology and Biomedical industries and opportunities therein This line of thinking is in keeping with the University of Arizona's strategic plan for moving forward In addition, if a professional Veterinary Medical program (PVMP) comes to fruition at our institution, the School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences will align with the new program because students will have the opportunity to begin courses within the School that will be accepted by the PVMP The PVMP will be administered within, but separate from the School, because of AVMA accreditation requirements President Hart and ABOR have approved the funding for a feasibility study regarding this new professional degree program, which awaits further approval from the Arizona Legislature VI BENEFITS TO BE DERIVED The Department of Animal Sciences currently offers programs that focus on the animal industry Whether they be the livestock, dairy, race track or equine area, the courses teach students how to house, feed, promote, harvest, and process animals The Department of Veterinary Science and Microbiology has two majors that teach students the fundamentals of animal health management, comparative biology, and applied microbiology Currently, many students major in one department and minor in the other to reap the benefits of both programs Additionally, any duplication of coursework or emphasis can be eliminated With the establishment of the new school, the two departments can further complement each other, providing students a wellrounded education that will better align the curriculum with job opportunities in the animal, biotechnology and biomedical industries Other areas of study, such as Laboratory Animal Science, may be pursued at both the undergraduate and graduate levels There are already several collaborative research projects that are ongoing between faculty members of both departments The formation of a new school will lend increased strength to research efforts and open new doors for granting opportunities and graduate student recruitment Additionally, both departments have active extension faculty, which when combined, will be able to enhance outreach and extension programming, reaching a wider audience in the community VII IMPLICATIONS OF CHANGES FOR STUDENTS AND FACULTY With the formation of this new school, students will have a greater learning experience There will be more opportunity for hands-on learning with exposure to many areas that are currently not available in each department alone In addition, with some minor modifications, the advising and curricular experience for the students will be improved The change to a school will be as seamless as possible for the students, and attention will be given to insure that the appropriate academic plans will be maintained and updated accordingly Faculty will have strength in numbers, which both departments are currently lacking There will be greater opportunities for working together, sharing ideas and practices, and utilizing expertise gained through research to enhance the learning experience VIII IMPLICATIONS OF CHANGES FOR RESOURCES AND OTHER ACADEMIC PROGRAMS There should not be any implications of change to other academic programs or units within the College or University Current programs will be maintained, and although some courses may be updated or changed, care will be taken to accommodate any other programs that may be affected As for resources, the school will still have fewer than needed faculty numbers, but the hiring of a strong director for this school with rebuilding vision will be paramount Some savings will be created by combining administrative units, and by reorganizing space, some savings will be accomplished ... community VII IMPLICATIONS OF CHANGES FOR STUDENTS AND FACULTY With the formation of this new school, students will have a greater learning experience There will be more opportunity for hands-on... better align the curriculum with job opportunities in the animal, biotechnology and biomedical industries Other areas of study, such as Laboratory Animal Science, may be pursued at both the undergraduate... discussion, the all-encompassing name of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences was agreed upon by the faculty This name was selected first, because of the diverse array of animals that are