International Higher Education, Fall 2004

Letter to the Editor
Alan L. Contreras’s article about Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine contained many inaccuracies (“Ross University: Cash Cow or Pig in a Poke,” IHE, no. 36, Summer 2004). Having awarded more than 1,300 doctor of veterinary medicine degrees since opening in 1982, Ross University offers comprehensive veterinary training modeled after U.S. programs. Ross students are held to the same standards and must pass the same national board licensing exams as graduates of U.S. schools. Our graduates are licensed throughout the U.S., including Mr. Contreras’s own state of Oregon, and are highly regarded in the communities they serve. The U.S. Department of Education recognizes Ross as an eligible institution for purposes of participating in federal financial aid programs. We have affiliations with 20 out of the 28 U.S.-based AVMA-accredited veterinary schools, which provide clinical training to our students—the same training they provide their own students. These relationships are a testament to the excellence of our basic science and pre-clinical programs, the strength of our faculty and the high quality of our students. Mr. Contreras has found us guilty by association with a geographical location and has not based his accusations upon factual investigation, which would show Ross University to be a respected higher education institution.

David J. DeYoung, D.V.M., D.A.C.V.A., D.A.C.V.S.
Dean, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine

Rejoinder from Alan Contreras:
Ross veterinary degrees are not legal for professional licensure and practice in every state. Oregon law requires that a degree, to be valid, must be issued by a college that has the foreign equivalent of U.S. accreditation. The same is true in some other states (e.g., North Dakota). Our concern is that because St. Kitts does not have an adequate postsecondary oversight process, it is not possible to determine whether entities based there meet customary academic standards. The degree supplier thus lies outside the norms of postsecondary education unless it undergoes state review and approval as a college, which is necessary in the absence of a pre-emptive federal law.

Alan L. Contreras
Oregon Office of Degree Authorization