The university proposes breaking up the Faculty of Vet and Ag Sciences and closing its animal hospital

VC Duncan Maskell tells the university community, there is “a compelling academic case” for moving the two faculty schools, Vet and Agriculture and Food, into Science. The Vet school will stay as is in Science but Ag and Food will merge with the School of Ecosystem and Forest Science.

There will be no “discontinuation” of teaching and research, the VC states, nor mention of any job losses, apart from Vet-Ag dean John Fazakerley who finishes on Friday and will take leave prior to exiting the university.

The end of the animal hospital means switching to “:a distributed delivery model for clinical teaching,” which is recognised by accrediting bodies.

However the animal hospital closure involves job losses. Although Professor Maskell does not mention how many, he adds the Equine Care centre at Werribee continues and that the university is looking for a “a third party commercial veterinary business” to operate from the hospital.

The proposal to close it follows staff shortages and a doubling in net costs.