Meeting & Agendas

Meeting was called to order at 7:15 pm by Suzanne Williams. New members were welcomed and introduced.

Minutes were reviewed and approved for April and May. Minutes for June were reviewed and approved as amended – ACC Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) will consist of three members.

Department Chair- offer has been made and in process and waiting for response. No applications from the Austin area. Adjunct- One adjunct faculty has been hired to teach the Husbandry class: Courtney Liermann. Clinical Coordinator Position-Staff Position RVT, LVT-will help with setting up labs. Nine applicants from out of state. There is a concern with licensing in the state of Texas. Next RVT state exam will be in June 2014. Amend Job Description to require current Texas LVT or RVT status. Elizabeth Warren will check to see if we can acquire a mailing list of RVTs in Texas so that ACC can recruit from current Texas RVTs. This position will be open in spring of 2014.

Admissions Requirements for the program were reviewed and finalized. Rabies: The committee discussed the pros and cons of requiring rabies immunization versus allowing students to decline the immunization. Elements of the discussion included: risk/benefit, existing community practices and a summary rabies immunizations policies of other Vet Tech programs, local practices related to employee immunizations, costs and options for mitigating costs to students such as using the health department or exploring community sponsorship of immunization clinics. Action: The committee approved the recommendation that all students desiring to decline rabies immunization will be provided with educational information related to risks prior to signing a declination form – see attached. In addition, the committee approved that the program will gather data about numbers of student electing immunization, declining immunization and any exposure incidents for a one year period of time which will be reviewed by the committee. Finally, the committee’s recommendation related to rabies will be reviewed by the ACC legal counsel for input and recommendation. Hepatitis B Discussion: The committee reviewed Hepatitis B transmission risks from animals to humans which primarily involves non-human primates. At this time the program has no clinical affiliation agreements with primate facilities and no immediate plans to include care of primates in the curriculum. Action: The committee approved that Hepatitis B not be required for students at this time. Tetanus Discussion: There is a risk of tetanus exposure due to an animal bite or scratch. Action: The committee approved that tetanus immunization should be required at the time of entry into the program. Meningitis Discussion: As an information item, the committee was apprised that all college students under the age of twenty-two are required by law to document immunization to meningitis. Compliance with this requirement is communicated to students upon admission and is tracked by the college. Drug Screens and Criminal Background Checks: Discussion: There is access to controlled substances in veterinary practice sites so screening processes for students should be in implemented. Health sciences programs already have guidelines and criteria in place for other programs that will be applied to Veterinary Technician students – see links to requirements. http://www.austincc.edu/health/background.php http://www.austincc.edu/health/drug_screen.php Elizabeth will check to see if existing ACC requirement are consistent with state board licensing and registration requirements. Action: The advisory committee approved that mandatory drug screening and criminal background checks as a condition of admission for students. CPR Discussion: CPR training for humans is not applicable for animal resuscitation. Action: Current CPR certification will not be required for program students. Health Data Form (Medical History and Exam Form) Discussion: Students entering the Veterinary Technician program will be provided with a list of technical standards/essential functions needed in this career choice. In alignment with other health sciences programs, students are required to review the technical standards and acknowledge receipt via signature that they are able to meet the standards with or without ADAAA accommodations. Students will also be provided contact information to the ACC Office of Students with Disabilities should the student request accommodations. The program will provide additional health related information to students regarding the veterinary practice environment such as pet and latex allergies that may impact their career choice. Action: The advisory committee approved that a health data or medical history form will not be required as part of the program admission process. OSHA and safety training: Discussion: Some of the committee members raised the question of ensuring that students received required OSHA and safety training prior to placements in veterinary practice sites. Clinical affiliation agreements delineate the responsibilities of the college, program and clinical site and include a stipulation specific to students meeting any regulatory requirements of the facility. The committee suggested that the program explore developing an on-line safety module to meet this clinical requirement and provide an update at the next meeting. Action: None required Radiation Dosimeter Badges Discussion: The committee discussed the need for students to have dosimeter badges for students involved with assisting with x-ray procedures in clinical. The program will explore options for securing the badges including contacting –Radiation Detection – http://www.radetco.com/ and report back at the next meeting. Action: None required at this time.

The proposed plan to establish a Google group for the committee was not feasible since it requires ACC employee status for access. Therefore, the program will continue to use an email listserv for communications. Program Updates: Effective as of October 29, 2013, the college has completed all of the regulatory requirements with the Southern Association of Colleges accrediting body and is now approved to begin marketing the program to the public. A press release and an aggressive marketing plan are in place. Although the program did not have sufficient students to offer the Husbandry course during the fall semester, the program has a list of fourteen interested applicants. A survey of the applicants was conducted to determine the best days and times for course offerings for the spring semester. Students will be advised to work on program pre-requisite courses during the spring and summer 2014 semesters with plans to admit the first cohort of students to the program in fall 2014. The program has secured several affiliation agreements and is confident that there are sufficient clinical sites for the initial courses in the program.

Next Meeting Date April 10, 2013 from 7-9 p.m. Eastview Campus Adjourned: 8:53 pm