by Mary Rupert
The Kansas Board of Regents is taking a look at building a new dental school at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas.
Regents recently moved forward a plan to approve up to $2.5 million for architectural construction designs to convert the old Dykes Library on the KUMC campus in Kansas City, Kansas. The vote was not unanimous as some regents thought it was premature, given that two other steps are needed.
The regents’ action was mentioned at a UG meeting recently by Regent Ann Brandau-Murguia, who is also a Unified Government commissioner.
She said the next step would be to get the Legislature to allocate an estimated $6.9 million to pay for the annual operations of the dental school. The third step would probably be a capital campaign with a cost of about $40 million, Murguia said.
“I don’t think either of the hurdles are insurmountable,” she said. “I’m very excited we made it over the first hurdle.”
It’s a good step for Wyandotte County and the KU Medical Center campus, which is exploding with development, she added. She added the KU Medical Center campus is in her UG district.
Murguia said studies have been done that show there is a need, and there is a shortage of dentists in Kansas. Some areas of Kansas, including some rural areas, are so underserved that there is no preventive dentistry going on there, she added.
Board of Regents’ agenda information stated the proposal is for a four-year doctor of dental surgery program.
According to the Board of Regents’ agenda information, $800,000 in funding for preliminary planning for a school of dentistry at KU Medical Center was included in the governor’s 2018 budget, but was removed by the Legislature.
Currently, a reciprocity agreement is in place with the University of Missouri at Kansas City dental school, where Kansans are allowed 85 slots, with about 20 students entering the program each year.
The regents’ staff stated in the agenda information it does not think a new dental school would breach the current agreement between the two states.
The regents’ agenda information broke down the estimated costs as $32 million to remodel the Dykes library building; $8.9 million for equipment and information technology costs; and $2.1 million for start-up faculty, administrative and accreditation processes.
Tuition was estimated at $43,000 per year for in-state students. About $6.5 million would be needed in state support for the operating costs, according to the regents’ information. The state would contribute $27,083 per student when the program had 240 students.
The total of estimated annual operational costs and revenues was $25.2 million, according to regents’ information.