The Kays Foundation, a nonprofit established to support Arkansas State University, has committed $534,000 to the university’s forthcoming College of Veterinary Medicine.
The Kays Foundation Endowment for Veterinary Excellence will be completed over 10 years, with the first installment already made, A-State said in a news release.
The endowment directs that the funds be used for unbudgeted materials necessary for instructional purposes.
“While all necessary materials and supplies for the CVM will be funded, monies generated from the Kays Foundation Endowment will allow for the purchase of items to take the veterinary school above and beyond what can be secured through state funding alone,” Lucinda McDaniel, president of the Kays Foundation board, said in a statement.
The Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Institutional Actions Council of the Higher Learning Commission have approved A-State’s plans for the veterinary college. The final step will be accreditation from the American Veterinary Medical Association.
The college in Jonesboro has a targeted opening date of fall 2026.
Heidi Banse was named dean of the college in May. She followed Dr. Glen Hoffsis, the college’s founding dean.
“Our plans are to use these funds to help purchase models that we will use in clinical and surgical skills training,” Banse said. “Models allow students to practice a procedure multiple times, ensuring students are confident and competent in performing a skill before they need to perform that skill on a sick patient.”
Currently, Arkansas does not have an in-state veterinary school. Lyon College in Batesville plans to open a veterinary school in Cabot, with the first class expected to enroll in the fall of 2025.
Sign up for Daily E-news
