Council on Education Member Application

Candidate agreement to serve—I agree to serve on the council if selected, and I am professionally active in the area specified, if any, for the position to which I am applying. I agree to comply with the council’s statement on confidentiality and code of conduct in Section 4.1.2 Appendix C of the Accreditation Policies and Procedures of the AVMA Council on Education at:

https://www.avma.org/sites/default/files/2023-07/coe-pp-appendix_C.pdf 

Council on Education Open Positions:

• Small Animal Practice: an individual whose endeavor is exclusively small animal practice.

Candidates will be evaluated based on their:

• Demonstrated interest in the role and shaping the future of the veterinary medicine profession
• Demonstrates experience in the designated area of veterinary medical activity that will be represented on the council
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to communicate electronically
• Ability to critically evaluate data, formulate questions, and objectively evaluate outcomes
• Understanding of the role of accreditation in education
• Appreciation for the role of innovation in veterinary medical education
• Appreciation for the diversity in the form and delivery of veterinary medical educational programs
• Ability to effectively work in a group setting, respect the opinions of others, and support the decisions of the council

Candidate requirements:

• Must be an AVMA member in the appropriate professional activity code 
• Must be available to attend site visitor training and COE meeting September 27-29, 2026, at AVMA headquarters, Schaumburg, IL
• Able to invest 10-14 days per year away from home, with additional preparation time for meetings or other council business (More details about the council workload can be found in the COE Member Workload Document.)
  
• Able to travel nationally and internationally with a valid passport
• Provision of a signed statement of confidentiality
• Signing of an agreement to abide by the COE Code of Conduct

All candidates for positions on the COE must meet the following requirements:

1. Be available for a potential short electronic interview (May 4, 2026).

2. Submit the application and curriculum vitae.

3. Provide curriculum vitae:

a. No longer than two pages

b. Demonstrating experience in the designated area of veterinary medical activity that you will be representing on the council

c. Must include your current veterinary activities, education history, and service within and outside of the veterinary profession

4. No references, endorsements, or other supporting documentation should be submitted. If such documents are submitted the committee will not consider them.

5. Complete the following questions and sample Standard Evaluation Exercise.  

 

7.   Sample Standard Evaluation Exercise (Standard 7, Admissions).

Assume that you are a member of the COE and have the following information provided to you from the self-study from College X. The self-study is an evaluation of the college that is produced for COE review before accreditors visit the college (site visit).

For reference, see the elements of the self-study required to be addressed by the institution at

https://www.avma.org/sites/default/files/2025-07/coe-pp-appendix-E-self-study-guidelines-July-2025.pdf 

Using Standard 7, Admissions, as found in the current COE Policies and Procedures Manual below, and the excerpted sample of a self-study response from College X to this particular Standard, provide answers to the questions below, regarding the college's compliance with Standard 7.  

For guidance, some of the ways you might consider compliance include the following statements:

• The selection process is fair and free from unlawful discrimination.
• Candidates are recommended to meet the academic and other requirements defined in the college's formal admissions policy.
• Subjects for admission include courses prerequisite to the professional program in veterinary medicine. 
• Selected candidates meet academic and non-academic requirements as defined in the college’s formal admission policy.

   

  1. Based on the information available, do you feel College X is compliant with Standard 7?

  2. What additional information (i.e. questions you would like answered, evidence you would like presented, or documentation you would request to be shared) do you feel would clarify compliance with Standard 7?

  3. In answering the questions above, please be sure to include a rationale for your decision-making. 

 

Standard 7, Admissions

The college must have a well-defined and officially stated admissions policy and a process that ensures a fair and consistent assessment of applicants. The policy must provide for an admissions committee, a majority of whom must be full-time faculty members. The membership of the admissions committee should rotate regularly, except ex officio members (e.g., three to five-year terms with defined term limits). The committee must make recommendations regarding the students to be admitted to the professional curriculum upon consideration of applications of candidates who meet the academic and other requirements as defined in the college's formal admission policy.

 Participants contributing to the evaluation of applicants must have received training in how to recognize and address unlawful discrimination in the admission process.

The college must demonstrate its commitment to expanding opportunities for all students to enter the veterinary medical profession through its recruitment and admission processes, as consistent with applicable law. The college must review its admissions processes at least every seven years, including identifying and reducing barriers in the application process. The college's admissions policies must be non-discriminatory, as consistent with applicable law.

Subjects for admission must include those courses prerequisite to the professional program in veterinary medicine, as well as courses that contribute to a broad general education. The goal of pre-veterinary education shall be to provide a broad base upon which professional education may be built, leading to lifelong learning with continued professional and personal development.

Factors other than academic achievement must be considered for admission criteria.

Excerpt for College X’s Self-Study

The College of Veterinary Medicine takes pride in providing a significant amount of easily accessible information to prospective students on admissions requirements. The selection of students for admission to the professional DVM program is critical to the faculty and to the profession. It is approached with dedication and commitment by the faculty, staff, and practitioners involved in the process. Significant time and effort are committed to the fair review, evaluation, and selection of candidates for admission.

Minimum Requirements For Admissions

Students must satisfactorily complete 60 semester credit hours of college pre-requisites.  The minimum acceptable grade point average for consideration of admission for all applicants is 2.0 for both the required sciences and cumulative undergraduate/graduate coursework.

All applicants are required to take the CASPER Situational Judgement Test.  Submission of GRE scores are optional. 

All required coursework must be completed prior to matriculation with a minimum of 2.0 in all remaining coursework.

Applications are solicited from both in-state residents and out-of-state nonresidents.  

Core requirements 

• One year of general biology
• One semester of biochemistry
• One year of general chemistry
• One semester of systemic physiology
• One year of organic chemistry
• One semester of vertebrate embryology
• One year of physics
• One semester of genetics

Additional required courses:

None

Must complete a minimum of 10 hours of veterinary experience.

Student Selection Process 

As a method of assessing the large number of applications to the College, a quantitative evaluation procedure exists to rank applicant nominees and provide a mechanism to advise applicants of their strengths and weaknesses. Criteria considered in this evaluation process are:

A. College coursework:

GPA of all undergraduate/graduate coursework

GPA of required science coursework

GPA of the last 3 semesters of undergraduate work.

Non-academics

None

Evaluation of all qualified applicants 

The Admissions Committee consists of three tenured and three non-tenured faculty members from various departments/disciplines within the College.  An additional three outside non-faculty private practitioners participate in the interview process. Members are all required to undergo antibias training before serving. 

All in-state residents who meet the minimum requirements are invited to interview to clarify and supplement their written application.  200-250 nonresidents are also invited to interview.  Committee members will submit a non-academic score for each applicant they interview, and scores will be normalized and then averaged.  The top students from each applicant pool, based on total score (academic plus non-academic), are offered positions in the class. 

A small number of “uniquely” qualified candidates are admitted.  Recommendations on offers of admission are made to the dean for approval. 

Additional Notes: The college’s website clearly lays out all pre-requisite coursework, minimum GPA, and the requirement that students complete the CASPER exam.  The website states that each applicant will be scored by the admissions committee based on academic and non-academic factors.