Press Release – Veterinary Schools Accreditation Advisory Committee (VSAAC)
Melbourne – 25 May 2022
Professors Jennie Hodgson and Rosanne Taylor were appointed as Co-Chairs of AVBC’s Veterinary Schools Accreditation Advisory Committee by Council last week. Professors Hodgson and Taylor submitted a joint expression of interest for the role after the announcement that Professor Tim Parkinson would be retiring from the role after fouryears as Chair and over fifteen years’ involvement with VSAAC.
The Committee supports the AVBC in its important role in international accreditation by advising on, developing and applying accreditation standards, an integral part of the quality assurance process for veterinary education. VSAAC also manages on-site inspections of Australasian veterinary schools and liaises with international accrediting agencies such as the American Veterinary Medical Association Council of Education, requiring the Chair of VSAAC to provide both local and international leadership.
Dr Julie Strous, Executive Director of AVBC said: “AVBC is very privileged to have not just one, but two highly esteemed veterinarians Co-Chairing one of the Council’s key standing committees. Between them, Professor Hodgson and Emerita Professor Taylor have over 60 years of experience in veterinary education and accreditation in both Australia and overseas. Rosanne and Jennie have also each worked directly with VSAAC in the past, so I’m confident they will have no problem steering the Committee through what is shaping up to be a very eventful few years.”
AVBC’s Chair Dr Peter Gibbs added: “Whilst having joint Chairs may be a new concept for AVBC and VSAAC, Professors Hodgson and Taylor have a very successful history of collaboration. Not least through their work with the American Association of Veterinary Medical College’s Competency Based Veterinary Education Advocacy Group.”
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Professors Jennie Hodgson and Rosanne Taylor’s biographies can be viewed here.
VSAAC is a standing committee of the AVBC which plans and advises on the accreditation process for the nine veterinary schools AVBC currently accredits. As part of this role, VSAAC conducts on-site inspections of Australasian veterinary schools and regularly liaises with veterinary accreditation bodies in the UK, USA, South Africa and Europe.