ACOE_Self-Study

Standard VI – Students

6.1 The programmust have a fair and impartial process that results in the admission of students who possess the intelligence, integrity, and maturity necessary for them to become competent doctors of optometry. The process that is employed to admit a qualified student body is detailed in the Admissions Policy and Procedure document ( Appendix VI-1 ). The function of the Admissions Committee, descriptions of the interview process and Affiliation Program (3/4 program) and admission of advanced standing applicants are addressed in this document. Recruitment activity currently consists primarily of visits to undergraduate colleges; targeted mailings to undergraduate health professions advisors throughout the nation and to optometrists and high school counselors in the Tri-state area; the College Web site, which has a link to an online common application utilized by all schools/college of optometry; participation in National Association of Advisors to the Health Professions; webinars with selected pre- optometry and pre-health clubs in undergraduate colleges; a digital campaign to promote college events open to the public; and bi-annual open houses for students and advisors from local colleges. Examples of recruitment material can be found in Appendix VI-2a and VI-2b . The vice president for student affairs (VPSA), the associate director of admissions and marketing, and the admissions counselor have primary responsibility for visiting undergraduate campuses. These recruiting visits usually consist of meetings with the pre-professional advisor, pre- optometry club (if there is one) and interested students on a group or individual basis. In addition to visiting colleges in the New York City metropolitan area and Upstate New York, there has been an additional recruitment concentration on colleges in high yield states, including California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Florida, and in selected provinces in Canada. A list of campuses visited in 2016-17 and 2017-18 can be found in Appendix VI-3 . The College has historically made an effort to attract students from under-represented minority groups. While the Asian-American student population is substantial -- about 38% of the student body – it has been challenging to increase the enrollment of underrepresented minority students. In an effort to address this issue, the College continues to receive funding from the New York State Education Department to support a College Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP) that has as its primary objective to increase the number of historically underrepresented minority students in the profession of optometry ( Appendix VI-4a and http://www.sunyopt.edu/education/admissions/cstep or Appendix VI-4b ). The CSTEP coordinator works with the VPSA to determine marketing, communication, and recruitment strategies, and to recruit minority candidates at colleges and universities that have highly diverse student bodies. Key components of the CSTEP program are the Summer and Winter Internship programs, a two- week immersive shadowing experience at the College’s UEC , and Summer Academic Program that offers a credit-bearing course entitled Introduction to Vision and Optometry at no cost to participants. These initiatives have been effective. Enrollment of under- represented minority students in 2018 has doubled compared to 2012-2015. Further details are given under Standard 6.2.1.

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