Latest news with #Logan-based
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘Pawsome' news, pet lovers: Utah State's weeks away from launching state's 1st 4-year ‘animal doc' program
The opening of Utah's first-of-its-kind veterinary program is — in equine parlance — officially 'in the home stretch.' In August, Utah State University will welcome its inaugural cohort to the state's first four-year veterinary degree program. The Logan-based school's doctor of veterinary medicine program arrives at a moment when licensed vets are in high demand in Utah's rural ranching communities — and across the state where more and more people own cats, dogs and other so-called pocket pets. Forty-two future veterinarians are expected to report for the first day of instruction — including 27 Utahns. More than 300 applied for USU's maiden DVM program class. 'It's a very exciting time for not only those of us here at Utah State University in the College of Veterinary Medicine — but it's an important time for the state of Utah with the full four-year DVM degree program,' Dirk Vanderwall, dean of USU's College of Veterinary Medicine, told the Deseret News. The benefits of Utah having a fully accredited veterinary medicine program stretch beyond offering expanded educational options for would-be veterinarians, the dean added. All corners and segments of animal-loving Utah will be better served. 'There's a need for small animal veterinarians. There's a need for mixed-animal practice veterinarians. And there is a critical need for more ag/rural food supply veterinarians,' said Vanderwall. 'Our goal and our mission is to meet all of those needs.' Since 2012, the school has enjoyed a '2+2' partnership with Washington State University where USU students completed two years of foundational study in Logan before completing their final two years in Pullman, Washington. That regional partnership, which is expected to sunset in 2028 when the USU/WSU program's final cohort graduates, 'has given us a great foundation of experience in delivering the first two years of the veterinary medicine degree curriculum — and now to build upon as we launch our full four-year program,' said Vanderwall. The dean added USU has designed 'a completely new veterinary curriculum' that is 'systems-based and highly-integrated.' When asked why a state with a historically rich ranching and livestock sector has not produced fully trained animal docs in the past, Vanderwall gives a simple answer: money. More than a century ago, trustees of Agricultural College of Utah — as USU was then known — first envisioned a veterinary school headquartered in Cache Valley, according to USU. Then in the late 1970s, Utah State conducted a study that determined that establishing an in-state veterinary medical training program was not yet feasible 'from a financial and economic standpoint' — but that it would be in the future. Decades later, USU began its '2+2' partnership with Washington State University. Then, in 2022, the Utah Legislature approved funding of what would become the state's first four-year DVM degree program based at USU. Lawmakers, observed Vanderwall, recognized the success of the USU/Washington State partnership in training animal doctors who are now providing professional services in almost every Utah county. 'The '2+2' program has helped to produce and establish more veterinarians for the state of Utah — and that will be further expanded with the full four-year program at Utah State University, helping to fill the need for more veterinarians.' The curriculum at USU's doctor of veterinary medicine degree program will depart a bit from a traditional course-based syllabus. 'It will be a systems-based integrated curriculum. When we are, say, teaching the anatomy of the musculoskeletal system, our students will also be learning physiology,' said Vanderwall. 'We're connecting the structure and the function — all taught together in the same course, rather than in distinctly separate courses.' Expect AI to become an integral part of the USU's veterinary medicine education, the dean promised. Additionally, USU's future DVM students will have opportunities to work at community-level private practices — including in rural areas of Utah where veterinary care for food animals is in critical demand. Day-to-day clinical cases in the community will expose USU students to what they will encounter in private practice after they graduate, said Vanderwall. Additionally, USU's veterinary medicine students will be professionally networking in the local veterinary medicine community. 'It will be a great opportunity for essentially a working interview for practices that may be looking to hire an associate veterinarian.' Establishing a four-year program at a public institution is in harmony with state lawmakers' ongoing push to bring higher education in tighter alignment with industry needs. To prepare for its inaugural class, USU's College of Veterinary Medicine has hired several new faculty and staff members, with more expected to be employed in the near future. Additionally, USU is building a state-funded Veterinary Medical Education building on campus that will be home to the DVM program labs, classrooms, offices and study spaces. The new building, which is expected to be completed next summer, will allow the school to welcome scores of additional students into the veterinary medicine program — while offering flexible instruction. 'It's being designed for a lot of hands-on clinical training such as clinical communication,' said Vanderwall. 'We will have mock examination rooms in the new building where students will be interacting with simulated clients who play the role of the pet owner, interacting with our students in a mock exam room.' Immediately adjacent will be observation rooms for faculty and fellow students to evaluate and learn together. For a growing number of Utahns, enjoying access to well-trained veterinarians is essential. In recent years, Vanderwall has witnessed 'a huge increase' in pet ownership — a trend accelerated by the pandemic. Those increased connections and dependencies between humans and companion animals are elemental to today's society. 'All of that ties into why there is a tremendous need for more veterinarians across the entirety of the veterinary profession — including small animal/companion animal practice, mixed-animal practice and ag-rural food supply veterinary practice,' said Vanderwall.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Reinvestment plan: Utah State University to consolidate several colleges
A pair of 'global structural changes' are part of Utah State University's evolving strategic reinvestment plan mandated by the Legislature. In a recent message sent to USU faculty and staff, the school's interim president, Alan Smith, announced the mergers of several existing colleges at the Logan-based campus. The first will be a merger of the Caine College of the Arts, College of Humanities and Social Sciences and College of Science. 'This will result in a new college at USU that aligns common arts and sciences models nationally,' wrote Smith. Joe Ward, the current dean of the school's College of Humanities and Social Sciences, will lead the new college. The second structural change calls for merging the S.J. & Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources and the College of Agricultural and Applied Sciences — forming a new college, according to Smith, 'that aligns with those found at several thriving land-grant institutions.' The dean of that new college is to be determined. 'In both cases, these mergers will strategically enhance academic programming, foster interdisciplinary scholarship, and significantly improve our ability to meet the evolving needs of our students and the state of Utah,' wrote Smith. In light of the mergers, USU faculty and staff can expect department consolidations, moves and reconfigurations. 'Crucially, these adjustments are part of our reinvestment strategy, aimed at enhancing strengths, creating synergies, and exploring new directions enabled by our updated academic structures,' wrote Smith. 'Our task includes phasing out less productive or declining programs while actively pursuing areas of growth and future potential.' The new colleges at USU, added Smith, will be tasked over the coming academic year to form 'strategic plans, governance structures, novel curricular initiatives' and other infrastructure elements to ensure long-term success and impact. In an earlier message to USU employees, Smith noted that job layoffs are inevitable, adding 'personnel are the primary cost of an institution like ours.' USU is also offering a university-wide voluntary separation incentive program for eligible employees as a method of campus force reduction. 'A pressing task will be to address roles and responsibilities tied to leadership and some support functions,' wrote Smith in his most recent message. 'Any associated personnel reductions – which would be applied July 1 or later — will depend on VSIP uptake and the administrative and operational needs of the new colleges. 'I know personnel impacts are of particular concern to our community and we will work to communicate as quickly and clearly as possible to those affected when decisions are made.' The evolving restructuring happening in Logan reflects similar efforts developing at all of Utah's public degree-granting institutions in order to comply with House Bill 265 — the recently passed legislation requiring schools to reallocate millions to programs determined to be of highest value. In the coming weeks, USU and the state's other public institutions of higher education will present their strategic plans to the Utah System of Higher Education and, later, to state lawmakers. If their recommended reallocations are approved, they can reclaim the 10% of their annual budget that was cut earlier this year as part of the strategic reinvestment process. Leaders at USU are tasked with absorbing a $4.8 million budget cut from the 2024 Legislature even while addressing the $12.5 million being withheld, at least temporarily, through HB265. 'If our proposal is accepted, we will then recover these dollars, but they must be spent in the proposed new ways,' wrote Smith last month. 'These ways will naturally align with our mission and various strategic priorities yet will only be achievable by pivoting away from some of our previous structures, programs, and people. 'This will be incredibly hard for us even if in the interest of the long-term health and success of USU.' Smith concluded his most recent message with praises for USU's academic community: 'You are heroically meeting the needs of our students and the communities we serve during a time of unusual disruption for higher education as well as personal concerns about future changes at USU.'
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Utah State University now in ‘substantial compliance' with DOJ agreement over Title IX violations
LOGAN, Utah () — About six months after the Department of Justice found Utah State University 'non-compliant' with a 2020 resolution over violations of Title IX, the Logan-based university announced it is now in 'substantial compliance.' USU said the DOJ made its determination in . The DOJ confirmed that the university also had satisfactorily in August 2024. With the latest assessment, the DOJ indicated that it would be issuing a partial termination of its settlement agreement but would still keep a few provisions in effect. 'The outstanding issues under USU's agreement with the DOJ include terms related to USU's relationship with local law enforcement and addressing educational climate issues,' the university said in a statement. 'The DOJ has also reserved the enforcement term in the event these issues are not fully addressed.' Antelope Island State Park Visitor Center on track to open in 2026 The DOJ did not disclose a deadline to USU to address its remaining concerns, saying only, 'We look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with USU as it strives to comply with the remaining requirements in the Agreement.' Utah State University has been on the DOJ's radar since 2017 when stories broke of sexual assault by some in the USU football program as well as in fraternities and sororities at the school. The DOJ reviewed the university's response to these allegations between 2013 and 2017 and found 'numerous system-wide failures.' The review led to , where the University would update policies, provide training, build relationships with local law enforcement, and build a better environment on campus. As USU continues to address the DOJ's remaining concerns, the institution is in the middle of its biennial campus climate survey on sexual misconduct. The confidential survey, which started on March 31 and will end on April 21, reportedly helps USU gain insight into the community's perspectives on sexual misconduct at the school. Key takeaways from the Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez rally in SLC 'Our campus climate survey has been, and continues to be, invaluable in helping the Office of Equity to develop an informed and comprehensive approach to sexual misconduct prevention and education,' said USU's Title IX coordinator Cody Carmichael. The University said its 2025 survey will focus on experiences since the last survey was completed in April 2023. Questions will also reportedly focus on experiences of retaliation related to sexual misconduct. Students can access the survey at , and employees can access it at . The university said the survey only takes about 15 to 30 minutes to complete and all responses are anonymous. What position will Travis Hunter play in the NFL? Minor league baseball team ditches alternate identity after one day: 'Approach was wrong' What is the Kármán line that Blue Origin's newest astronauts crossed? Trump sued over 'Liberation Day' tariffs Utah State University now in 'substantial compliance' with DOJ agreement over Title IX violations Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump foes breach security of 13-story Ogden building, fly signs critical of the president
Apparent foes of Donald Trump somehow skirted the security of one of Ogden's tallest structures over the weekend, entering the building and hanging large signs atop it blasting the president. Ogden police are investigating while a representative from Cache Valley Bank, owner of the 13-story building, says he's not sure how the culprit or culprits breached security. 'I have no idea on the people that did that, what their motivations were, anything like that,' Curtis Beutler, who handles treasury management for the Logan-based bank, said Monday. 'The building is alarmed and has security and we're not sure, at least I'm not sure at this point, how they gained access.' Ogden police said several 'makeshift banners containing politically charged messaging' were placed atop the building sometime Friday night. 'They have since been removed, and we are now actively investigating the incident. Should the individuals responsible be identified, they will face prosecution for all applicable crimes committed,' reads a statement police posted Saturday. Police reps reported no new information Monday, though Mike McBride, spokesman for Mayor Ben Nadolski, said the investigation into the matter continues. An alarm system has sounded during other apparent attempts by people to clandestinely get into the vacant building at 2380 Washington Blvd., which Cache Valley Bank is renovating, prompting them to flee, Beutler said. But the system didn't give any sort of warning after the recent breach and officials didn't learn about the banners until they were already up. Bank representatives removed them late in the morning or early in the afternoon on Saturday. Whatever the case, the large signs, one reading 'Americans/Trump betrays/You!', caused a stir on social media. They had been hung up over the large 'Cache Valley Bank' signs on the roof of the building, located near the city center. In the comments to the Ogden police post about the incident, commenters variously praised and criticized those who put up the anti-Trump signs. Police, for their part, took pains to remain neutral. 'We are dedicated to ensuring that all voices can be expressed in a safe and lawful manner. However, this right does not permit the commission of crimes in the facilitation of such expression,' the police post reads. Local participants in 50501, a loosely formed national coalition of foes of the Trump administration that took shape after he was inaugurated to his second term, held a demonstration on Feb. 8 outside the Ogden Municipal Building. Cameron Shirts, the main organizer of the Ogden event, said 50501 was not involved in placing the sign. 'We are a peaceful movement, 50501, and this has become a bit of a public image disaster for us,' he said. In fact, during last Saturday's rally, Shirts said he addressed participants, stressing the importance of steering clear of violence and vandalism. 'We condemn illegal acts of vandalism such as this,' he said. 50501 is hosting another demonstration this coming Saturday, March 15, in Ogden, to start at the Ogden Municipal Building at 1 p.m. Other organizations and federal workers have also held anti-Trump demonstrations in Salt Lake City since his inauguration. Ogden police ask anyone with information about the signs placed atop the Cache Valley Bank building to call 801-395-8221.
