Diversity and Inclusion Master Plan

- Females are currently the new majority in optometry schools and soon will be the majority in the workforce 9 . Females are not at a disadvantage compared to males in access to and success in optometry school. - URM students are underrepresented in optometry schools nationwide, including at SUNY Optometry. URM applicants are at a disadvantage during the application process with significantly lower GPAs and OATs. After enrolled, however, they persist and graduate at the same rate compared to other racial/ethnic groups. - Dental, medical, and pharmacy schools have been able to attract and enroll URM students at higher rates compared to Optometry schools. This is a refreshing finding indicating that with a consistent and thorough strategy, optometry schools, SUNY included, may be able to increase the enrollment of URMs. - The College’s recent efforts to recruit and serve URMs and economically disadvantaged students (i.e., CSTEP program and the IDEA Initiative) have delivered successful results (e.g. enrollment of 8 students in 2016 compared to 4 in 2015). - URM students at SUNY Optometry are primarily from the State of New York and from few selected schools. Future recruitment efforts should likely be local with special emphasis on SUNY and CUNY schools. Florida is a secondary market that deserves attention.

9 Jobsons, a leading source of industry intelligence, foresees that 2020 may be tipping-point when the number of women in the workforce is equivalent to the number of men.

P age | 30