2011-2012 AAVMC Admissions Committee

The Admissions Committee (AC) is a standing committee of the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC). The AC’s responsibilities are assigned by the AAVMC Board of Directors and the VMCAS Executive Committee (VMEC). In a broad sense, the AC is charged with addressing issues related to applying for admission to AAVMC member institutions. This charge includes, but is not limited to:

• Working with application service vendors, such as Liaison, or any other servicing agent with whom the AAVMC may contract, and the Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS) to design and maintain an application instrument.
• Collaborating with VMCAS personnel to monitor vendor performance, as well as other operational developments over the course of application cycles and to report their findings to the AAVMC Board of Directors.
• Entertaining recommendations from AAVMC institutions or its own membership to improve the VMCAS application or related processes on a needs basis or in response to operational performance data provided by VMCAS.
• Making recommendations to the VMEC and Board of Directors regarding application fee structure, fee waivers and financial requests, refunds, distribution of VMCAS funds, etc. The AAVMC will remain solely responsible for all financial issues pertaining to the expenditure of funds arising from the application service. The AC is responsible for submitting budgetary needs to the AAVMC for approval.
• Ensuring that VMCAS application policies are applied fairly and consistently. Exploring and then ruling on whether extenuating circumstances precluded an applicant from meeting an application deadline might be an example of such a policy determination.
• Planning and organizing Admissions meetings for general constituents and public at the annual AAVMC meeting.

Structure:

1. The Board of Directors, the VMEC, and the Executive director have oversight responsibility for the Committee.
2. The Committee is composed of a mixture of Admissions Directors and Associate Deans of Academic Affairs, in addition to an ex-officio liaison member that represents the National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions (NAAHP).
3. The AAVMC Board of Directors appoints Committee members to three-year terms. Members selected on the basis of their knowledge and understanding of the veterinary school application process and their interest in committing time to serve on the Committee. They may be reappointed and, in general, there is an attempt to maintain continuity of the Committee membership, i.e., no more than one third of the members will rotate off the Committee in any given year if possible.
4. The VMCAS director serves as an ex-officio member of the Committee. In this ex officio capacity, the VMCAS director is generally not a voting member of the Committee.
5. VMCAS personnel staff the Committee and are responsible for preparing materials to be distributed and for recording the minutes of the meeting.

Guidelines:

1. The Committee meets at least once a month via a telephone conference call at a mutually acceptable time. The Committee will convene more often as the need arises. In addition, the Committee assembles the evening before the annual meeting. If deemed necessary, the committee will meet at the AAVMC July meeting.
2. Before a proposal can be advanced to the Board of Directors and the VMEC for consideration, a quorum of four (4) Committee members must be established.
3. Each year, a chair will be elected from among the Committee membership. A chair may be re-elected.
4. The Committee shall seek the approval from the Board of Directors for all major changes within the system. The approval shall be sought in proposal form submitted to the AAVMC prior to a meeting of the Board of Directors.
5. An applicant may appeal a Committee decision by submitting a letter to the VMCAS Executive Committee.

2011-2012 Committee Roster