Insight/Report on Private Giving

Spring 2003

25-Year Plan Takes College Into the Future

What will the world look like 25 years from now? Today's young professionals will be approaching their 50s, babies born today will have graduated from college and might be starting families of their own. It's hard to imagine that far ahead and how things will change, but the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences has formulated a comprehensive 25-year plan to help project it into the future and be prepared for whatever comes our way.

"We asked our faculty members to look ahead to 2025 -- to temporarily set aside their own short-term goals -- and help develop a vision for the future of the College based on current societal trends and the future potential of technology," said Dr. Lance Perryman, Dean of the College. "The task was challenging, often requiring great imagination and a suspension of preconceived notions, but the results of this exercise were very rewarding. We now have a plan that will help us acquire the resources we need, preserve the space necessary for expansion, and serve as a roadmap as we make our way through the next quarter century."

Dr. Martin Fettman, Associate Dean for the Professional Veterinary Medical Program, took the lead in developing the 25-year plan, which focuses primarily on the College's South Campus, including the James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital. The plan details how the 85-acre site will be developed and what types of facilities will be needed. The national architectural firm, Flad & Associates, working with Fort Collins-based company Aller-Lingle Architects, developed the overall plan based on site visits and the College's future needs as presented by the faculty and staff.

"When Dr. Perryman came on board last year, the development of a 25-year plan was one of his primary objectives for the College," said Dr. Fettman. "It was an all-out effort, but well worth going through the process. We now have a clear view of the direction in which we are heading."

A master planning committee for the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences met extensively with various user groups within the College to determine present conditions and future needs.

"The easiest part was identifying what we have," said Dr. Fettman. "The hard work was projecting our space needs over the next 25 years. We used historical growth to help us determine what our future growth would be, as well as input from the user groups at the hospital. Something quite interesting that came out of this was the fact that the College has built a new veterinary hospital every 27 years. Construction began on the last one in 1977, so we are about due. Of course, we won't be building a new hospital from scratch, but we will be expanding and extensively renovating."

The new wing of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, which houses the Robert H. and Mary G. Flint Animal Cancer Center, Argus Institute for Families and Veterinary Medicine, and the Shipley Natural Healing Center, was the first step in the new plan.

After identifying existing facilities, the next step in the planning process was to determine space and location for each function. The last step was prioritizing projects so that the College's most urgent needs would be met in a timely manner.

Below are some of the College's construction priorities as detailed in the 25-year plan:

• Construct a new building for the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, to be located on the north end of the existing hospital facility, and build a new facility to house second-year Professional Veterinary Medical students.
• Expand the Small Animal Critical Care Unit to include an intermediate ward and emergency medical services.
• Build a new and/or expand the existing equine and food animal facilities (barns, procedure rooms, and surgeries) paying particular attention to biosecurity issues and functionality.
• Expand Small Animal Surgery
• Develop additional teaching laboratory space for Professional Veterinary Medical Students and continuing education.
• Build a new Community Practice/Dentistry structure as a southwest wing on the VTH.
• Build a new research facility, moving Laboratory Animal Resources out of the VTH.
• Build new small animal wards and procedures area.
• Expand business offices and reception area.

Dr. Fettman said all expansions take into account the need for research and teaching, incorporating one into the other where possible, as well as grouping together complementary research and teaching groups.

"Priorities detailed in the plan are what we would like to see happen in an ideal world," said Dr. Fettman. "These priorities will guide our capital construction requests as well as our development program with private donors. But the fact of the matter is, what we build first is what we get the money for first. And then it becomes a giant game of dominoes with one change or remodel or new building leading to the next logical project."

The College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences' 25-year plan will be available to view online later this spring. You can check it out at www.cvmbs.colostate.edu.