Arkansas’ College of Veterinary Medicine Opens its Doors at A-State
JONESBORO – A historic moment for the state was witnessed today at Arkansas State University when the doors officially opened on Arkansas’ College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM).
“The future of veterinary medicine will be shaped by the students who study here, the faculty who teach here, and the research that emerges from this college,” said Interim Chancellor Calvin White Jr.
The Doctor of Veterinary Medicine students come from many different backgrounds and from different places.
“In that inaugural class, we have 46 Arkansans. We have another 76 out of state that represent 35 states and two countries in our class,” said Dr. Heidi Banse, dean of the CVM.
The students will start their first day of classes tomorrow. They have been on site for the past week, becoming familiar with the campus where they will spend the next four years learning, working, and growing in the field of veterinary medicine.
“It takes a pioneer spirit when you are the inaugural class to join a new program and trust us to support you to become a competent veterinarian, and I am so grateful that they have trusted us with their futures,” Banse added.
“We are not just a group of students starting a new semester. We are the answer to a long-standing need, the realization of years of planning, and the very first veterinary class in the history of the state of Arkansas,” said Katie Kasserman of Paragould.
She said for students like her, who have grown up in the state, this moment hits closer to home.
“We know what it is like to look at our family farms, our local clinics, our rural communities, knowing that we want to serve them, but thinking that we had to leave them behind to get our education. Today, that changes. We get to drive down the same roads we grew up on and get a world-class education right here in Jonesboro,” Kasserman added.
In a move that has been years in the making, the faculty, staff and students of the new facility were honored on this day of celebration.
ASU System President Todd Shields said this is significant not only for A-State, but for the entire state.
“Today marks the realization of an ambitious idea that became possible through the dedication and perseverance of countless individuals,” Shields commented. “Universities are extremely fortunate when they reach defining moments, and many never do. When bold aspirations become reality, this is one of those moments for Arkansas State University.”
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders attended the event and spoke of the ways veterinarians trained in Northeast Arkansas at A-State will benefit the entire state in the future.
“As we walk through this facility, we will not see just classrooms and laboratories, but we will see people,” said Bishop Robert G. Rudolph Jr., chair of the ASU System Board of Trustees. “I think it is about the young person somewhere in Arkansas who has always dreamed about becoming a veterinarian. Maybe they are from a small town. Maybe they are the first person in their family to pursue a professional degree. Maybe they wonder if there was a place for them. Now we can say there is a place for them here at Arkansas State University.”
White said this moment is a broad step in the right direction.
“As a public research university, we have the responsibility to address the needs of our state and to prepare graduates who will make a meaningful difference where they are needed most. This college was an intentional investment by our Board of Trustees and executive team to strengthen agriculture, support rural communities, address a critical workforce shortage, and contribute to the economic vitality of the state of Arkansas. This is what public universities should do. We should educate. We should innovate. We should solve problems that matter to the people we serve.”
Following the entry of the class of 2030, the next class, which will be selected in 2027, is just around the corner.