Accreditation of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the School of Veterinary Medicine

Accreditation of the University of Wisconsin-Madison:  Accreditation of U.S. schools and colleges consists of two types, institutional and specialized.  Institutional accreditation of the University of Wisconsin-Madison is provided by the North Central Association for Higher Learning Commission (http://www.ncahlc.org/).  As noted by the Higher Learning Commission, http://www.ncahlc.org/download/Overview07.pdf , “Accreditation provides both public certification of acceptable institutional quality and an opportunity and incentive for self improvement in the accredited organization. The Commission reaches the conclusion that a college or university meets the Criteria only after the organization opens itself to outside examination by experienced evaluators familiar with accrediting requirements and with higher education.” 

Current University of Wisconsin-Madison accreditation status: Accredited

Accreditation of the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison:  Within the University of Wisconsin-Madison, specialized accreditation is sought by such units as the School of Veterinary Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, and others.   The accreditation review of the School of Veterinary Medicine is conducted by the Council of Education (COE) of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) (http://www.avma.org/).  As noted by the COE (http://www.avma.org/education/cvea/default.asp), “The AVMA Council on Education accredits DVM or equivalent educational programs. The AVMA COE assures that minimum standards in veterinary medical education are met by all AVMA-accredited colleges of veterinary medicine, and that students enrolled in those colleges receive an education which will prepare them for entry-level positions in the profession.”
The AVMA further notes that:
“In brief, AVMA accreditation of veterinary medical programs and institutions assures:

• prospective students that they will meet a competency threshold for entry into practice, including eligibility for professional credentialing and/or licensure;
• employers that graduates have achieved specified learning goals and are prepared to begin professional practice;
• faculty, deans and administrators that their programs measure satisfactorily against national standards and their own stated missions and goals;
• the public that public health and safety concerns are being addressed; and
• the veterinary profession that the science and art of veterinary medicine are being advanced through contemporary curricula.”

The COE develops and publicizes a series of standards that must be met by a program of veterinary medical education in order to be accredited (http://www.avma.org/education/cvea/coe_standards.pdf ), and conducts reviews of such programs to determine their accreditation status.  The COE may, after accreditation review of an educational program, confer several levels of accreditation, as described in detail at http://www.avma.org/education/cvea/coe_classification.asp.  In brief these levels of accreditation include:
“Reasonable Assurance” (for a new veterinary medical school or college seeking its initial accreditation);
“Provisional Accreditation” (for a new veterinary medical school or college, at the time the initial class is admitted);
“Full Accreditation” (granted to veterinary medical schools and colleges that meet all of the COE accreditation standards. Full accreditation may be granted for a period of up to seven years, contingent upon satisfactory review by the COE of an annual report from the school or college);
“Limited Accreditation” (granted to a veterinary medical school or college that has specific deficiencies in one or more standards that affect student outcomes or safety. The deficiencies are ones that can be expected to be corrected within two years. At the end of the two-year time period, deficiencies have been corrected, followed by the award of Full Accreditation.  Alternatively, the school or college may provide justification, acceptable to the COE, for its lack of full compliance with the standards and receive an extension of its Limited Accreditation. If the reasons for non-compliance are not considered by the COE to have merit, the COE will place the school or college on Terminal Accreditation.
“Terminal Accreditation” (granted when a program fails to comply with the COE Standards for reasons considered to be of insufficient merit, or when an educational program takes steps to voluntarily cease operation).

Current UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine accreditation status: Full Accreditation. Full accreditation status was most recently re-affirmed in 2009 following a full accreditation review by the Council on Education. The Council, on the basis of that review, granted full accreditation status for a period of seven years, subject to annual approval of reports submitted to the Council by the SVM. The next full accreditation review is scheduled for 2015.

Performance of SVM graduates on examinations for licensure
Following the award of the degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (or equivalent), the new veterinarian must receive a license in order to engage in the clinical practice of veterinary medicine.  An important step in that process is successful completion of an examination prepared and delivered by the National Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners (http://www.nbvme.org/). That examination is the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (http://www.nbvme.org/?id=12&page=NAVLE), or NAVLE®.  The examination is administered twice annually in November/December and in April.  The success rate, or pass rate, of the graduates of a veterinary medical educational program on the NAVLE examination is one of the factors considered by the COE in its annual consideration of the accreditation status of a school or college.
The summary of the performance of UW-Madison SVM Class of 2011 graduates, as compared with all veterinarians taking the examinations in Nov/Dec 2010 and in April 2011 is as follows:
Summary for all candidates, Ultimate Performance