quote:
If another state were going to have to two and be able to justify it with demand and need, I would think Texas could.
I understand why A&M fights it but it seems a vet school in that region could be a benefit for that area of Texas and New Mexico.
While the state could theoretically support 2 vet schools, the reality of the situation is that we have one that would be easy to expand in the near future and building a second would not be a cost effective solution.
Cost 1: The class size at A&M has not increased in quite some time due to space constraints of the largest lecture hall available for vet classes. That limitation is already being addressed with the building of new facilities. In other words, the facilities costs required for more vet students at A&M have already been spent. To add vet students at a tech vet school, you have to build new facilities. The whole plan is based on building a vet campus in Amarillo, not using existing facilities in Lubbock. Thus, the marginal cost to increase the # of vet students at A&M is significantly below the marginal cost of additional vet students at Tech.
Cost 2: faculty. Increasing the size of a lecture class does not require an additional faculty member, maybe a few TAs or assistants. Increasing a lab and/or clinical rotations may. Increasing the class size at A&M may require the addition of a few faculty members. Establishing a vet school at tech would require the duplication of the faculty at A&M, considerably more additional faculty members than needed to expand A&M. Faculty members cost money. Same with administrative costs.
Time/Accredidation: A&M is already accredited. Additional students would be attending an accredited vet school immediately. Tech is not accredited. They would need to go through the Accredidation process after building and establishing a vet school. It could easily take a decade for tech to build, staff and earn Accredidation.