School of Veterinary Medicine

January 31, 2003

The following message was sent by President Bacow to University trustees and overseers. A copy of this correspondence follows, and is being provided to all members of the Tufts community.

Dear Trustees and Overseers:

Yesterday, Governor Romney exercised powers to eliminate all of the state's funding - $3.6 million - for Tufts' School of Veterinary Medicine. We are both surprised and deeply concerned about the implications of this cut. We will need to work together as a community to address this situation.

As many of you know, the state appropriation for the Veterinary School decreased last year, from $5.3 million to $3.6 million. Although the governor had to make a number of difficult decisions to bring the state budget into balance, the $3.6 million he withheld from the Veterinary

School represents payment to Tufts for services rendered to the state under contract during the prior fiscal year. We already performed these services. We have not been paid. The total cut from our last year of full funding represents about 13 percent of the school's operating budget.

I believe - as I know you do - that our Veterinary School is worthy of the support of both the Commonwealth and Tufts. Please be assured we are pursuing a number of strategies to address this situation, including discussions with state officials, members of the legislature and others to restore funding. We are also examining our legal options with counsel. At the same time, we are reviewing contingency plans to reduce expenses and enhance revenue at the school to mitigate the reduction in state support.

Like you, I am enormously proud of the tradition of excellence in veterinary education and research that we have achieved at Tufts over the past 25 years. However, we cannot sustain this tradition if we do not identify alternative means of support, either from the state or elsewhere. I look forward to working with you in the coming days and weeks as we identify solutions to this urgent problem.

I have included on the following page a short background piece on the Veterinary School for those of you who may be less familiar with the school's history and achievements. As leaders and major supporters of the University, it is important that all of us fully understand the importance of the Veterinary School to the strategic direction of the University. The school also is an important asset for the Commonwealth, especially as the state seeks economic development opportunities in the biotechnology sector.

Sincerely,
Lawrence S. Bacow
President

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	v 2003 Memos > School of Veterinary Medicine > The 2003 Issam M. Fares Lecture > The War in Iraq > Supreme Court Rulings > Hancock Announcement > New Dean of Tufts' School of Medicine > President's Marathon Challenge > December Holiday Announcement	Home » Community Memos » 2003 Memos » School of Veterinary Medicine School of Veterinary Medicine January 31, 2003 The following message was sent by President Bacow to University trustees and overseers. A copy of this correspondence follows, and is being provided to all members of the Tufts community. Dear Trustees and Overseers: Yesterday, Governor Romney exercised powers to eliminate all of the state's funding - $3.6 million - for Tufts' School of Veterinary Medicine. We are both surprised and deeply concerned about the implications of this cut. We will need to work together as a community to address this situation. As many of you know, the state appropriation for the Veterinary School decreased last year, from $5.3 million to $3.6 million. Although the governor had to make a number of difficult decisions to bring the state budget into balance, the $3.6 million he withheld from the Veterinary School represents payment to Tufts for services rendered to the state under contract during the prior fiscal year. We already performed these services. We have not been paid. The total cut from our last year of full funding represents about 13 percent of the school's operating budget. I believe - as I know you do - that our Veterinary School is worthy of the support of both the Commonwealth and Tufts. Please be assured we are pursuing a number of strategies to address this situation, including discussions with state officials, members of the legislature and others to restore funding. We are also examining our legal options with counsel. At the same time, we are reviewing contingency plans to reduce expenses and enhance revenue at the school to mitigate the reduction in state support. Like you, I am enormously proud of the tradition of excellence in veterinary education and research that we have achieved at Tufts over the past 25 years. However, we cannot sustain this tradition if we do not identify alternative means of support, either from the state or elsewhere. I look forward to working with you in the coming days and weeks as we identify solutions to this urgent problem. I have included on the following page a short background piece on the Veterinary School for those of you who may be less familiar with the school's history and achievements. As leaders and major supporters of the University, it is important that all of us fully understand the importance of the Veterinary School to the strategic direction of the University. The school also is an important asset for the Commonwealth, especially as the state seeks economic development opportunities in the biotechnology sector. Sincerely, Lawrence S. Bacow President
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