MSCHE Evaluation Report May 2021

Team Report (Self-Study Evaluation)

Page 10

rotations, academic advising program, externship program, course electives, and National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO) national licensing examinations, among others.

Graduate Program The SUNY College of Optometry offers the following research oriented graduate programs: PhD in Vision Science, MS in Vision Science, combined OD/MS, combined OD/Ph.D., combined residency MS or PhD in Vision Science. All graduate programs are accurately described in the Graduate Policy Document and Doctoral Student Handbook. Graduate students participate in a series of courses, seminars, tutorials, journal clubs, and receive intensive training in selected areas of vision research. A thesis is required for both the MS and PhD degrees in Vision Science. Courses stress analysis and discussion of the primary literature and provides training in key technical and communicative skills necessary for research career in academia and industry. Research and Scholarship Research and scholarly activity are institutional priorities and essential elements of the College’s mission statement. The college successfully develops, maintains and supports research. The Colleges seeks to grow in translational research that complements the College’s Clinical Vision Research Center. Faculty publish regularly in top general interest journals and high impact on neurosciences, eye vision and optometry journals. In the last 10 years, highly productive with about 495 peer-reviewed publications. Institutional support is provided through the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies and the Dean and Vice President for Academic Affairs. Grant activity and funds have been consistent during the last 10 years. The SUNY College of Optometry OD program does not provide any student learning opportunities designed, delivered, or assessed by third party providers. Through consortium agreements, the College awards PhD students credit for graduate courses attended at local MSCHE-accredited institutions approved by the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Students. Assessment of the Effectiveness of Programs Clear learning outcomes, derivative of the College’s mission and program goals, have been established for all educational programs and student learning opportunities. These serve as the basis for educational effectiveness assessment as describe in the Assessment Plan (Standard V). NBEO examination results demonstrate since 2012 that 96% of the graduating students passed all three parts of the NBEO examinations by the time of graduation, which is comparable to national performance. A high percentage of entering students complete the OD program in a timely manner (graduated in 4 years).

Collegial Advice o

The College should continue to share actively the evidence of the periodic assessment of student learning opportunities included in the Factbook. Student learning assessment has resulted in specific actions such as the use of visual simulations prior to actual validating a clinical competency, faculty development for online teaching, GAP examination data used for academic advising, changing

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