OSU recently announced it had matriculated its largest class ever into the College of Veterinary Medicine. Simultaneously, a mass exodus of faculty and staff has reduced its capacity to educate that class.
CVM was forced to double the number of non-resident students and raise tuition revenues 22% as a result of being put on probation by the American Veterinary Medical Association in 2017, and it has maintained high enrollment ever since regardless of the declining ratio of resources-to-students.
Faculty and staff opinions shared with us were generally excited about the large incoming class, but some expressed concern about the college's ability to meet student expectations and burnout among the team.
"I don't see it as a problem that we have a large class," said one person. "The industry needs more veterinarians, so OSU is just doing our part. That's a big deal for everyone long-term. But it will catch up to us someday if we don't change how we run things here. How much more can you ask people to do?"
Most felt confident in the classroom experience offered to students, regardless of class size, and expressed pride in the most recent NAVLE pass rate. But they shared significant concerns about the practical education offered to such a large class at the Teaching Hospital.
"It's a disaster over there," said another person. "All we teach the students at VTH is how to do most things wrong. Most of the time they sit on their hands doing nothing because there are no patients. I don't see that improving anytime soon."
Some were concerned about students experiencing the negativity they say pervades CVM, mostly in the Teaching Hospital, according to one person. "Students get caught up in between fights between people and departments and faculty or staff. There's no hospital I've ever seen that they will practice in after graduation that operates like our hospital does, and that's a shame."
One person put it this way: "Our students get a good education in the classroom, and then we blow it when we send them to the Teaching Hospital."