Page 13 - VHSA - Onderstepoort 100 Years - Part 2

ONDERSTEPOORT 100
Fusion of the student bodies in itself was a challenge. The two faculties had different cultures and ethnic compositions; the Onderstepoort faculty being essentially white,
and the Medunsa faculty black. The student bodies from both faculties made a major contribution to the process that led to the fusion of the two groups and only minor problems cropped up during the course of time. Over time the composition of the student body changed to predominantly white and female, the intake during some years being up to 70% female while the number of black students never surpassed 10% of the annual intake, this in spite of a major drive to create awareness and to attract black students into the course.
University of Pretoria, and a four year BVSc professional course on the Onderstepoort campus.
Ironically, at the time of implementation, the funding formula was changed and no financial benefit was obtained by this exercise that attracted major criticism from the veterinary profession because the course was deemed too long and too expensive. During this time, increasing societal pressure questioned the relevance of current veterinary curricula internationally, specifically as they pertain to
Anatomy and Physiology, Paraclinical Sciences, Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Companion Animal Clinical Studies, and Production Animal Studies. These changes were linked to a system of participatory management of the Faculty ensuring a common vision and mission structured within the context of that of the University of Pretoria. At the end of amalgamation, the Faculty staff comprised 350 people of which 100 were academics. This was an increase in numbers compared to the
the needs of society; the indications being that the increasing emphasis on companion animal medicine was not addressing the needs in the fields of public health, global trade issues, zoonoses, and emerging and re-emerging diseases. This matter was taken up by the South African Veterinary Council but progress was agonisingly slow.
The visitation by the Royal College
of Veterinary Surgeons in 1999 under
the chairmanship of Prof Lance Lanyon
identified a number of critical issues in the
Faculty that impacted on its future activities,
including the training of veterinarians and
veterinary nurses. The major issues that
they identified were over-investing in and
over-training of aspiring veterinarians and
veterinary nurses, a totally inadequate research output, and iso- lation from the main stream of veterinary science compounded by a process of in-breeding. The outcome of this visitation did ensure continuation of the recognition of the BVSc degree for registration purposes with the RCVS, and, for the first time, recognition of the degree for registration purposes by the Australasian Veterinary Boards Council and by the Malaysian authorities.
In keeping with international trends, the number of academic departments in the Faculty was reduced to five:
previous Onderstepoort Faculty, but within
the context of the size of faculties interna- tionally it remained a small to medium-sized
faculty and probably inadequate for the
needs of the country and the sub-region
given the scope of veterinary problems in 73 South Africa, its marked diversity of climate
“The visitation by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in 1999 under the chairmanship of Prof Lance Lanyon identified a number of critical issues in the Faculty that impacted on its future activities, including the training of veterinarians and veterinary nurses.”
and ecosystems, and range of wildlife. Clinical training at the Faculty remained strong and the activities in Diagnostic Imaging, Small Animal Medicine, and Re- production were considered adequate for training for the purposes of the European Speciality examinations. Similarly, the Sec- tion of Pathology was recognised as a training centre for candidates wishing to sit the examination of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists. A strategy was designed by which the research output of the Faculty would be more focused and increased, and the qualification profile of the academic staff improved. This process was linked to strengthening the quality criteria applicable to promotions of
the academic members of staff.
The new political dispensation in South Africa allowed free
movement and association not possible during the previous decades. Networking with other faculties and research institutions was established and formalized and included the School for Veterinary Medicine in Oslo, Norway, the Faculty of
Amalgamation and achievement (1999-2008)
1908-2008
Years