DIMP 2.0

Part I: Education and Workforce

National Data To determine a realistic framework from which to make goals about the student body, faculty and the profession, we must first do a brief analysis of race and ethnicity within the nation and as we get further down the educational pathway. For the purposes of reporting the racial and ethnic categories referenced will be those delineated by the US Office of Management and Budget Standard for Race and Ethnicity, which are utilized by the US Census Bureau. 1 The population of the United States is 76.3% White alone, 18.5% Hispanic or Latino. 13.4% Black or African American, 5.8% Asian alone, 1.3% American Indian and Alaska Native alone, 0.2% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone and 2.8% two or more races present 2 . The percentage of total undergraduate student enrollment in degree-granting institutions by race/ethnicity in fall of 2016 is 56% White, 19% Hispanic, 14% Black, 6% Asian, 1% American Indian/Alaska Native and 4% two or more races. 3 Admission to optometry school requires a strong science background, thus many applicants major in science, technology, engineering and/or math (STEM). Of the bachelor's degrees achieved in 2015-2016, 18% were in STEM fields. Of the total STEM degrees awarded, 33% were awarded to Asian students, 18% to White students, 15% to each Hispanic and Pacific Islander, 14% to American Indian/Alaska Native, 12% to Black students and 20% to those who identified as being of two or more race. 4 The Association of Schools and College of Optometry (ASCO) is the main source for this demographic data in optometry schools. For the 2020-2021 school year the total full-time optometry students by race is 52.3% White, 29.4% Asian, 6.4% Hispanic or Latinx, 3.4% Black or African American, 0.6% American Indian or Alaska Native, 0.1% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander with 3.6% identifying as being from two or more races, and 4.6% unknown. 5 If we look at races that are traditionally underrepresented in optometry school, the percentage of Black or African American students has increased from 2.8% in 2016-2017 to 3.4%, while the percentage of Hispanic or Latino students has increased from 6.2% to 6.4% within the same timeframe. Overall, these percentages have remained stagnant. (Figure 1) Other healthcare professions have had similar challenges with URM enrollment, although gains have been made. Data from the American Association of Medical Colleges reveals that enrolment of Black/African American students has increased form 6.7% in 2017-2018 to 8.1% in the 2021-2022 cycle. 6 The enrollment of Hispanic/Latinx students has increased from 6.0% to 6.8% within the same time 2 US Census Bureau Quickfacts, retrieved from https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045219 3 Status and trends in the education of racial and ethnic groups: Indicator 20: undergraduate enrollment, retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/raceindicators/indicator_REB.asp 4 Status and trends in the education of racial and ethnic groups: Indicator 26: STEM degrees, retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/raceindicators/indicator_REG.asp 5 ASCO Classification of total full-time students in the professional OD programs.., retrieved from https://optometriceducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Race-Ethnicity-Students-Percent.pdf 6 Association of American Medical College. (2021). Total U.S. MD-Granting Medical School Enrollment . https://www.aamc.org/media/6116/download 1 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Standards, retrieved from https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045219

SUNY Optometry | Diversity and Inclusion Master Plan 2.0 | 9