When philanthropy becomes a transaction There is an important distinction between two seemingly similar phrases: "in recognition of" and "as a condition of." “In recognition of” expresses gratitude. “As a condition of” establishes an obligation. In philanthropy, particularly when public universities are involved, the difference is more than a matter of semantics. It goes to the heart of what it means to give, what it means to receive, and what a public institution may be expe

The fine line between protecting information and avoiding accountability. Confidentiality and secrecy are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same thing. Both involve withholding information, yet there is an important distinction between them. Confidentiality serves a legitimate purpose. Secrecy can serve to conceal information from those who have a legitimate interest in knowing it. The distinction becomes particularly important in institutions that claim to emb

An examination of transparent communication, respectful collaboration, and efficiency in the decision to rename the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine The University of California, Davis, proudly identifies shared governance as one of the foundations of its academic excellence. On its official website, the Davis Division of the Academic Senate explains that faculty, administrators and the Regents work together to fulfill the university's missions of teaching, research and

Oscar W. Schalm. This is an original artistic likeness based on a historical photographic reference. This illustration is not a photograph. Oscar Schalm died in 1982. I never met Oscar Schalm. I arrived at UC Davis in 1978, and although I do not recall meeting him, his reputation and contributions were on display in every corner of the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. Anyone who has spent much time at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine knows his name. Sc

I recently published an essay that generated some spirited disagreement. That was precisely what I had hoped it would do. The essay was titled Greed: When is Enough Enough? https://www.ricklecouteur.com/post/greed-when-is-enough-enough-732 I write because I enjoy exploring ideas, questioning accepted wisdom, and encouraging conversations about subjects that matter to me. I do not expect everyone to agree with my opinions. Indeed, I often learn more from people who disagree w

There is a phrase veterinarians hear frequently at moments of crisis. I want you to do everything possible. I understand it. Behind those words is love. Fear. Hope. And sometimes guilt. The person standing beside the examination table is terrified of losing an animal that may have shared their life for 10 or 15 years. Do everything possible sounds like the ultimate expression of devotion. But after a lifetime in veterinary medicine, I have come to think that those words deser

In Part 1, I argued that bringing an animal into our lives involves a financial commitment as well as an emotional one. Pet owners need to understand that veterinary expenses are inevitable. Fair enough. But responsibility works both ways. If we expect pet owners to prepare for the cost of veterinary care, then the veterinary profession should be prepared to answer an equally reasonable question: Why does veterinary care cost so much? It is tempting to respond with a familiar

There is a moment most pet owners remember. You pick up the puppy. The kitten climbs into your lap. The shelter dog looks at you through the bars of the kennel. And the decision is made. This one is coming home with me. It is an emotional decision, and perhaps it should be. Our relationships with animals are built on affection, companionship and trust. But hidden inside that moment is something considerably less romantic. A financial commitment. A recent article in the New Yo

There is a certain irony in gathering hundreds of people together for the quintessential corporate ritual. The corporate group photograph. Only to discover that some are experiencing the moment through a screen. While the official camera records the group, dozens of smaller cameras compete to record the recording. Perhaps this is the modern group portrait. Everyone together. Everyone connected. And some looking somewhere else. I happened to walk past a corporate rally on the

Two major veterinary neurology books have appeared within a relatively short period: Canine Neurology, edited by Luisa De Risio and Gualtiero Gandini, and the fifth edition of the BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Neurology, edited by Simon Platt, Natasha Olby and Elsa Beltran. At first glance, they appear to occupy much the same territory. Both are contemporary. Both are written by respected veterinary neurologists. Both emphasize clinical application. Both make extensive us

We were sitting outside La Maison, having dinner in the little square in the 17th arrondissement of Paris. It was one of those wonderfully ordinary Paris evenings. Tables spilled onto the pavement. People talked over one another. Glasses clinked. Waiters threaded their way between chairs carrying plates and bottles of wine. Dogs lay under tables. People came and went. The square had that particular Parisian quality of being busy without seeming hurried. And directly across fr

We spend a great deal of time trying to understand dogs. Perhaps we should spend a little more time appreciating how extraordinarily dogs have become at understanding us. Blog At A Glance Point Key Idea Take-Home Message 1. Domestication changed the dog brain Over roughly 15,000 years, humans selected dogs not only for physical traits and useful behaviors, but indirectly for neural systems that helped them live successfully with us. We did not simply change what dogs look l

Universities are filled with intelligent people. That is what makes one of their most persistent problems so interesting. How can institutions populated by scholars trained to question assumptions, challenge evidence, expose weak arguments, and demand intellectual rigor sometimes make enormous decisions with remarkably little visible dissent? Quick Read: Five-Point Blog Summary Point Key Idea Take-Home Message 1. Silence is not the same as agreement Universities can make majo

In a previous blog, AI Detection, Authorship and Academic Integrity: The Strange New Science of Detecting AI, I considered an increasingly uncomfortable problem. (https://www.ricklecouteur.com/post/ai-detection-authorship-and-academic-integrity-the-strange-new-science-of-detecting-ai-685) Universities want to know whether students are using artificial intelligence to produce academic work. So, they have turned to artificial intelligence to detect artificial intelligence. The

Accreditation matters. It matters enormously. When a student graduates with a veterinary degree, the public has every right to assume that the graduate has received an education that meets rigorous professional standards. Employers need that assurance. Licensing authorities need it. Students investing years of their lives and hundreds of thousands of dollars need it. And, most importantly, our patients need it. Few would seriously argue that veterinary schools should simply b

The $327 Million Question Facing the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Complex This is the third essay in this three part series: Bigger, Better & Already Outdated? What If the Future of Veterinary Medicine Isn't a Building? (https://www.ricklecouteur.com/post/bigger-better-already-outdated-what-if-the-future-of-veterinary-medicine-isn-t-a-building) The Modern University: Who Decided to Build the Future? Consultation, stakeholders and the decision before the decision. (https://www.

This essay follows the earlier blog titled Bigger, Better & Already Outdated? What If the Future of Veterinary Medicine Isn't a Building? (https://www.ricklecouteur.com/post/bigger-better-already-outdated-what-if-the-future-of-veterinary-medicine-isn-t-a-building) UC Davis is building an extraordinary new veterinary medical complex. Its planned Small Animal Hospital alone is projected to cost $327 million. It will expand clinical capacity, incorporate sophisticated technology

Is the New Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital being built for yesterday's veterinary medicine? UC Davis is planning an extraordinary new veterinary hospital. The proposed Small Animal Hospital will be large, technologically sophisticated and expensive. Current university plans put the project cost at $327 million, with completion anticipated in 2029. It is intended to increase annual patient capacity dramatically while expanding specialty medicine, emergency and critical ca

Every so often, an issue arises that reminds us of a simple but profound truth: Possessing legal authority does not eliminate the need to listen. Consider energy. Canada supplies a substantial proportion of the crude oil refined in America's Midwest. Pipelines, refineries, governments, manufacturers, transport companies, farmers, and millions of consumers form an interconnected system. No single participant operates in isolation. Canada may own the resource. American companie

Last week, I attended the annual Prize Night at the University of Sydney School of Veterinary Medicine. It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening. I was invited to the event as a donor, having contributed a scholarship in 2016 (The LeCouteur Family Scholarship - https://www.sydney.edu.au/scholarships/d/lecouteur-family-scholarship.html). Scholarships and prizes were presented to students who had distinguished themselves through academic achievement, leadership and service. Of the