LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Plans to build a dental school and the state's first veterinary school at Heifer International are officially on hold.
However, Lyon College still plans to open the schools despite the building sale falling through.
"The thing for me is to keep laser-focus on making sure that we are creating the curriculum and the clinical experiences that our students need," Lyon College President Melissa Taverner said.
Although Lyon's affiliated buyers, OneHealth Education Group and Heifer International, did not complete the sale of its downtown Little Rock headquarters, Taverner said it is just a hiccup within the bigger picture.
"We are still committed across the board," Taverner said. "Our partners in Little Rock are committed to helping us do this."
As Lyon navigates this process, Taverner said Heifer is still their first choice, but they've been looking at some alternative sites.
"We are committed to the East Village," Taverner said. "We also know that we have to be realistic and say, 'Well, we have some alternate sites in the East Village, but there may be other ones as well.' We're trying to be very deliberate and careful about determining what will be the best place for our schools."
No matter where the dental and veterinary schools end up, Taverner said they still plan to open in the summer and fall of 2025.
According to Heifer International, OneHealth could not complete the purchase within their agreed timeline, but Lyon still plans to continue working with OneHealth to purchase a site.
"I'm always concerned because I want all the pieces to fit," Taverner said. "I am confident that we will make that happen."
For now, Lyon is working on accreditation for the schools. Taverner said they're getting a lot done despite the sale falling through.
"The accreditation at this point is not... dependent upon location," Taverner said. "Even though the deal is not going through at this point, it doesn't mean our process of developing the schools will be slowed down."
Lyon has selected two founding deans for the respective schools and is starting to hire their associate deans and faculty.