2016_SUNY_Optometry_PRR

Mission and Goals of PhD Program in Vision Science The PhD program in Vision Science aims to recruit and train bright and motivated students who will go on to do groundbreaking research. As part of their research training, students participate in thinking of:  Significant questions  Innovative ways of attacking these questions  Systemic ways of analyzing and modeling the results  Drawing broader theoretical implications

Objectives To meet the program’s mission and goals, students:  Are broadly educated in vision science  Obtain research skills by rotating through multiple research laboratories

 Obtain specialized knowledge through participation in specialized seminars and tutorials  Practice and receive feedback on oral and written presentations, including grant proposals  Execute a significant research project and have its results published  Learn the practices and norms of the scientific community and how to win grants to fund scientific work Assessment Student learning at the course level is assessed through multiple mechanisms, including:  Written course examinations  Assigned papers

 Oral presentations in seminar courses  Class participation in seminar courses  Faculty review of performance in research laboratories  Annual oral research presentations to faculty  Graduate advisors’ assessments of student progress  Specialty examinations  Dissertation committees’ reviews of research proposals  Public doctoral defenses  Presentations at annual meetings of scientific organizations  Dissertation committees’ reviews of research publications

Assessment of student learning at the program level occurs through multiple mechanisms and data sources, including:  Key performance indicators o Current positions held by graduates o Place of employment of graduates o Work effort of graduates o Number of external students who enroll in SUNY Optometry graduate courses o External support for graduate and post ‐ graduate research training programs, including ODs enrolled in PhD program o Average time to completion for ODs and others enrolled in PhD program  Other sources of information o Review of PhD thesis and papers by the thesis examination committee with oversight by the graduate faculty Committee on Graduate Program, Policy, Admissions and Standing