New $120 Million Classroom Building Approved for Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents approved the addition of a $120 million classroom building and small animal hospital expansion project to the system's capital plan today in their meeting in Corpus Christi, Texas. The capital project represents a major expansion for the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVM).

The new building will house state-of-the-art classroom and teaching laboratory space that will enhance the learning environment for students. Combined with the expansion of the small animal hospital, the new facilities will provide opportunities for innovations in teaching and will nurture collaboration and creativity. In addition, they are expected to be a notable factor in recruiting the best faculty, staff, and students.

"Our goal is to build a premier teaching and research facility that complements our world-class faculty in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and the far-ranging impact they have on both animal and human health," said Texas A&M President R. Bowen Loftin. "At this point, the building will be one of the largest construction projects in the history of the university, which speaks volumes about the importance veterinary medicine plays in our state's economy, as well as in our daily lives."

Site visits from the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education and Texas A&M administrators noted the need for improvements in the college's teaching facilities, especially to keep pace with the dynamic growth in the veterinary profession.

"The new facility represents a tremendous opportunity to bring the latest in teaching technology to the CVM and to Texas A&M University," said Dr. Eleanor Green, Carl B. King Dean of Veterinary Medicine. "We are very excited that the Board of Regents and the administration of Texas A&M University have decided to invest in the future of our college, our faculty, and our students. The impact of having state-of-the-art teaching and clinical facilities will be felt not only by those who receive their education here in the future, but also by those that we serve."

The $120 million needed for completion of both facilities will be funded solely from the Permanent University Fund (PUF), which was established in the Texas Constitution of 1876 as a public endowment contributing to the support of the institutions of the Texas A&M and University of Texas Systems.

Now that the new facilities have been added to the capital plan, the administrative team of the CVM will begin the planning and design process with a completion date to be predicted in the near future.

"In 2016, we will be celebrating our 100^th anniversary," said Green.  "It would be outstanding if we were able to step into our new facilities as we step into a new century."

Contact Information:
Angela G. Clendenin
Director, Communications & Public Relations
Ofc - (979) 862-2675
Cell - (979) 739-5718