AVMA News — COE Revised Accreditation Policies and Procedures
April 1, 2025
Dear veterinarians and members of the veterinary community, We are sending this communication at the time of posting the AVMA Council on Education’s revised Accreditation Policies and Procedures of the AVMA Council on Education, January 2025, revised March 2025 (manual). In January of 2025, the AVMA Council on Education (COE) submitted a formal request to the United States Department of Education (ED) to include distance education in its scope of recognition, and this request was approved. This decision was made after careful consideration and consultation with ED, as the best approach to minimize disruption to education and to support student learning and programs. This revised version of the manual contains the newly approved Section 2.6 Policy on Distance Education.
The COE is committed to maintaining and enhancing the quality of veterinary medical education for students and future veterinarians. To inform its approach to distance education, the COE gathered input from nearly 1,400 educators, students, and veterinarians, carefully considering the questions, concerns, and endorsements from the veterinary community regarding the use of technology to support student learning. Additionally, the COE consulted experts in policy, accreditation, and higher education beyond veterinary medicine to identify best practices for the use and oversight of distance education.
The resulting distance education policies are designed to ensure that, when utilized in veterinary schools, student education meets or exceeds the long-established quality expectations outlined in the Standards of Accreditation. Notably, these policies prohibit clinical training from being delivered via distance education. While online learning can supplement laboratory and clinical skills instruction, it cannot replace hands-on training.
As distance education continues to evolve, the veterinary educational community is expected to adapt along with it, and future policy revisions are anticipated. However, the central goal remains unchanged: ensuring that technology enhances student learning while maintaining an educational experience that prepares students for professional practice in a collaborative, in-person environment.
For those who are interested, more information can be found by reviewing: The Distance Education Policies, available online here An online module posted on the COE website providing an overview of the new policies and their application
An Appendix of Resources is below to share additional information
Appendix of Resources 21st Century Distance Education Guidelines Quality Matters United States Distance Learning Association WCET – WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies Code of Federal Regulations – Definitions of Distance Education
The COE recognizes the value of the veterinary community’s engagement in these important discussions and looks forward to your ongoing perspectives in helping to shape veterinary education.
KVMA News | Spring 2025
35
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