ACOE_Self-Study

may be further customized as appropriate. As part of the admissions process, a track is proposed for an applicant by the director of the program based on his/her prior experience. This proposal is reviewed, approved or modified by Dean’s Council for each applicant accepted. Students enrolled in the program are monitored by the program director. Throughout the course of the program, several checkpoints have been placed to monitor success and progression. Appendix II-6 provides additional detail regarding the advanced standing program. 2.3 Each student’s achievement of curricular outcomes is assessed. Assessment of student learning with respect to program objectives occurs continuously and at all levels of the curriculum. The program learning objectives ( Appendix II-1 ) serve as a basis for course learning objectives, and students are assessed with respect to these learning objectives. At the course level, assessment of student learning occurs through multiple mechanisms, including: • Written examinations • Practical pre-clinical examinations • Evaluations of clinical performance by clinical instructors (evaluation form in Appendix II- 4b ) • Class participation (particularly in small group learning environments such as laboratories and integrative seminar) A central component of the optometry program is the development of clinical skills that enable the student to participate in patient care. Student attainment of these skills is continuously and rigorously evaluated in the four-semester Clinical Optometry course, which has lecture and laboratory components. To achieve a passing grade in each semester of this sequence, a student must pass practical examinations. Students participate in supervised patient care commencing in the first professional year and perform comprehensive exams starting in the spring semester of the second year. All student- patient encounters are supervised by licensed clinical faculty members who evaluate student performance. The forms used to assess student patient care at the UEC and externship sites can be found in Appendix II-4b . The same form is used for third- and fourth-year internal (UEC) rotations as well as externship sites (whether internal or external). Student patient encounters are self-reported and tracked at both the UEC and externship sites using the Meditrek system. Tracking of student-patient encounters is discussed further under Standard 2.8.1. Achievement of curricular outcomes is also assessed through analysis of NBEO results. Aggregate Statistical Performance Reports for all three parts of the exam provided by NBEO are distributed to the dean, vice president for student affairs, and department chairs. Summary data are shared broadly with the college community and are available on the college website. When indicated, a more detailed analysis is performed by the Office of Institutional Research and Planning. An example of such an analysis can be found in Appendices II-7a and II-7b .

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