E-Insight

March 2004

Update from the Dean's Office

Dear Friends,

With a hectic schedule and lots of events, this year is going by all too quickly. It's hard to believe we are in March and spring break is just around the corner.

I'd like to start out with a bit of good news in this month's update. On February 23, 24, and 25, the University hosted the Higher Learning Commission for an accreditation site visit. I'm happy to report that the Commission has stated it will recommend a full 10-year accreditation for Colorado State University. The final report will be published in several weeks. This is a credit not only to the University, but to all those who worked so hard to compile an excellent report for the Commission.

Next, I'm pleased to announce that 12 members of our faculty have been invited to join two Executive Council meetings, one on March 4 and the other on April 15. As I mentioned in the fall faculty address, one of my goals is to improve communication at the College. Having faculty members at Executive Council will give us a better understanding of what is happening at each level of the College and lead to improved decision-making and a greater awareness among faculty and staff as to the what and why of College priorities and plans. Invited faculties include University Distinguished Professors, Distinguished Teaching Scholars, and directors of the College's Programs in Research and Scholarly Excellence.

In other activities, I recently was asked to give testimony to the Joint Agriculture Committee regarding the role of the College in the State of Colorado. In February, I visited the Western Veterinary Conference in Las Vegas where we had a good turnout at our alumni reception and an opportunity to discuss the South Campus plan with several of our graduates.

On March 5-10, we'll be hosting three additional candidates for the position of Vice President for Development and University Relations. Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to attend the forums for each of these candidates. The schedule is : Mark Lindemood, Friday, March 5, 3:30-4:45 p.m., Virginia Dale Room of the Lory Student Center; Donald Fry, Monday, March 8, 4:15-5:15 p.m., Room 207 of the Lory Student Center; and Stephanie Grinage, Tuesday, March 9, 4:15-5:15 p.m., Room 203 of the Lory Student Center. I'm very enthused with each of these candidates and am hopeful that our search will be successful and we will soon have a new vice president on board.

From March 12-15, I will be in Washington, D.C., to attend the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges. At this meeting, we will finalize the national academic veterinary medical agenda for the year, and begin work on a report that will be released in April.

Finally, it is with sadness that I must address the lay-offs at the James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital. To preserve jobs, we moved some individuals to other departments in the College and University, some open positions at the Hospital have been closed out, and other positions will remain unfilled. While we have done everything possible to reduce the impact on individuals, we still have eight people (5.6 FTEs) who will lose their positions. The loss of jobs is strictly because of a decrease in client revenue at the Hospital which seems to be a direct result of the economic slowdown in Colorado. We hope this year will see improved revenues at the Hospital and are working toward that goal.

Enjoy the rest of March and, for those traveling on spring break, enjoy your holiday and have a safe return.

Best Wishes,

Lance Perryman, DVM, PhD
Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences