Calgary, Alberta — Thirty-four students have signed on for the University of Calgary veterinary school's inaugural class.

While the estimated $100-million-plus program temporarily operates without finished classrooms or curriculum, the 2012 graduating hopefuls reported yesterday for their first day of classes.

“This is a very exciting day for us,” says Dr. Alastair Cribb, dean.

The veterinary school joins four others in Canada offering DVM degrees and concentrates in large-animal medicine and food safety, officials say. According to a university news release, the program is based on a partnership with veterinary and animal-health communities in western Canada. Students will engage in off-campus, experimental learning activities in all semesters, with the majority of their fourth year spent working with veterinarians from the Alberta province and the Distributed Veterinary Learning Community, comprised of private and public practices as well as federal and provincial agencies.