The Field

During the past two decades, with the advent of board certification of specialties in veterinary medicine, the nature and character of veterinary practice have changed. There has been a proliferation of multiple-veterinarian private practices, often encompassing a variety of specialties. These large group practices have provided a rich, challenging environment for well-trained and educated veterinary technicians. Also, these practices have created a demand for technicians who are not only knowledgeable about veterinary medicine, but also capable of managing the business aspects and lay personnel of a practice. With increasing economic pressure, even smaller, more routine veterinary practices have come to recognize the benefits of having a competent veterinary technician who also has management capabilities on staff. Such technicians free their employers from the day-to-day management of the practice, enabling the employers to function more fully as practicing veterinarians.

Industrial veterinary medicine, consisting of the commercial pharmaceutical industry, private and academic biomedical research institutions, and purely academic facilities, also has great demand for well-trained veterinary technicians and for technicians who can also function as animal resource managers. On-the-job training is not providing enough adequately trained managers to meet the needs of this aspect of veterinary medicine. Laboratory animal resource managers face many challenges, including rapidly changing technology, regulations, and institutional policies. Managers that can effectively address these challenges are in tremendous demand.

The Instructional Program

The primary educational and career objective of the SUNY Delhi Bachelor of Business Administration in Veterinary Technology Management program is to graduate technicians who possess business management capabilities. The semester-by-semester curriculum layout below indicates how this goal has been integrated to provide the technician with the knowledge and skills necessary to compete successfully as a technician manager in the exciting, evolving world of veterinary and laboratory animal medicine.

Curriculum

SUNY Curriculum Code: 1742

Upper Division

First Semester

Second Semester

Third Semester

Fourth Semester

Upper-Division Requirement: 61 credit hours

Veterinary Technology Management Core

Upper Division

Veterinary Technology Management Core

Lower Division

Arts and Science Core

Upper Division

Business Management Core

Lower Division

Upper Division

Electives

Total Credit Hours: 61

Admissions Requirements

Prerequisites

1. Completion of an AVMA-accredited program of Veterinary Technology with a minimum grade point average of C (2.00 on a 4.00 scale) or better and be a licensed Veterinary Technician; or be licensed eligible (having passed or qualified to sit for the VTNE/LVT exam; or be a certified Laboratory Animal Technologist (LATG) with a two-year degree; or be a certified Surgical Research Technician (SRT) with a two-year degree.
2. Completion of 3-credit-hour prerequisite courses for the higher-level Liberal Arts and Business Management courses including Economics, Psychology, Public Speaking, Accounting, Advertising, and Marketing.
3. A grade of C (2.00 on a 4.00 scale) or higher for Veterinary Technology courses is required for transfer; only grades of C or higher for all other courses will be accepted for transfer.
4. Completion of an on-campus or phone interview to discuss the program.

Program Objectives

A graduate of the Veterinary Technology Management: Distance Learning B.B.A. program will be able to do the following:

1. Demonstrate skills in leadership, team building, problem solving, conflict resolution, organization, and time management.
2. Demonstrate communication skills including verbal, written, listening, and public speaking. Create a simple mission statement that is effective in communicating the facility purpose and direction, providing a framework for facility and employee performance, customer information, marketing strategies, and planning direction.
3. Manage human resources including skills in hiring, scheduling, training, motivating, evaluating, disciplining, and discharging employees. Create job descriptions and employee manuals.
4. Manage and oversee facility finances including accounts receivable, accounts payable, general ledger, and payroll. Prepare financial reports for supervisors, external financial institutions, and legal entities. Organize, analyze, and compare facility financial data. Create future projections and budgets to assist in short- and long-range planning.
5. Measure, modify, and improve client and customer satisfaction. Respond to customer complaints. Educate clients and customers about facility services.
6. Develop, distribute, and evaluate grief management program.
7. Manage a cost-effective inventory-control program including consideration of rollover; sales representatives; cost-saving opportunities; ordering, storing, recording, pricing, and dispensing products and medications.
8. Maintain facility equipment and physical space. Establish and evaluate protocols for operation and maintenance of facility equipment. Develop cost-effective replacement and improvement plans. Create, coordinate, and evaluate a facilities maintenance plan.
9. Assist in creating and maintaining a safe working environment. Manage MSDS forms; manage medical and hazardous material procurement, storage, use, and disposal. Develop emergency, disaster, hazard, and safety communication plans for the institution.
10. Create, manage, and evaluate a cost-effective risk management program.
11. Maintain an appropriate program for safe and cost-effective purchase, storage, handling, use, recording, and disposal of controlled substances reporting to local, state, and federal agencies.
12. Assist in facility planning. Develop strategies to evaluate and measure demographics, predict needs for new services and products as well as predict changes in the amount of need for services and products currently provided.
13. Assist in developing a marketing plan to inform clients and potential clients of products and services, both new and current, that your institution offers. Develop marketing strategies that take advantage of websites, e-mail, and other forms of advertisement.
14. Create and communicate SOPs (standard operational procedures) for all procedures of the facility's operation including Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee compliance.