MSCHE Self Study April 2021

is a free resource for career, college, financial aid, and money management information and is designed to help students and families understand their rights and responsibilities as borrowers and also achieve life ‐ long financial stability. The service provides budget and loan repayment calculators. Upon completion of this program, students are invited to meet with the director of financial aid for follow ‐ up counseling sessions. The SUNY College of Optometry offers a joint degree program as an alternative to the traditional route of entry into the professional OD program. Highly qualified undergraduate students from 25 affiliated colleges and universities work to complete both their undergraduate degrees as well as their doctor of optometry degrees within a seven ‐ year period—instead of the usual eight— thus saving one year of expenses. Standard IV provides more details. For the SUNY Class of 2020 the average debt across all students was $123,168 while the average debt for those students who took out loans was $164,802. (Figures refer to debt for optometry school only.) This compares favorably with an average national indebtedness of $169,298 for optometry students who took out loans in 2019 (most recent data available from Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry). SUNY State College of Optometry graduates have had a 0% federal default rate for the last 5 years, pointing to the effectiveness of its debt ‐ counseling program. Student Grievance Policy 2 Formal complaints that are not academic in nature are addressed in the SUNY College of Optometry’s Formal Complaint Procedure for Students , which is published in the Student Handbook . Additional policies address Discrimination and Sexual Harassment , Sexual Violence and Title IX . Records of Formal Complaints Records of formal complaints will be kept for a minimum of five years by the vice president for student affairs. For each formal complaint received, the following information will be logged and maintained as part of the College’s formal complaint log:  The date the formal complaint was submitted to the vice president for student affairs;  The nature of the formal complaint;  Copies of the acknowledgment and response (recorded by date) provided to the student from the appropriate College authority and the steps taken by the College to resolve the formal complaint;  The College’s final decision regarding the formal complaint, including any referral to outside agencies;  Any other external actions initiated by the student to resolve the formal complaint, if known to the College (such as a lawsuit, EEOC investigation, etc.)

A listing of student complaints and their resolution may be provided on site upon request.

2 As discussed earlier in this standard, negotiated agreements with the State include policies on faculty and staff grievances.

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