MSCHE Self Study April 2021

Conclusions: Strengths, Challenges and Opportunities The College’s association with the State University of New York and State of New York mandates the establishment, implementation and regular review of policies that foster ethics, integrity and transparency. University and State oversight, as well as internal procedures and controls, make ethics, integrity and transparency a College priority. While the College has a robust program to educate students regarding the cost of attendance, student debt is nonetheless a concern. Reductions in State support have necessitated tuition increases in recent years. Maintaining competitive tuition and fees and increasing scholarship opportunities are objectives in support of the College’s strategic goal and institutional priority of attracting the brightest and most motivated students with demonstrated leadership potential. Starting in 2019 ‐ 20, the College committed itself to limit annual increases in tuition to no more than 2%, and for the 2020/2021 AY, no tuition increase was assessed. During the 2020 ‐ 2021 AY, through a combination of Optometric Center of New York (OCNY ‐ the College’s affiliated foundation), the State, the College and the military, a total of $1,120,307 of support was provided to our students. This included $656,150 in scholarships and grants, $320,060 in tuition waivers and $144,097 in support from the military. The OCNY provided $324,025 of the total funding from the foundation’s endowment, private donors and foundations. Scholarships are awarded based on need and merit. International applicants to the four ‐ year doctor of optometry program are considered for the President’s Award for International Students (PAIS). Up to five entering students can be funded at $10,000 per year for four years. Through dissemination of these highly competitive awards, the College aims to alleviate costs for international student not eligible for in ‐ state tuition. COVID ‐ 19 Impact : There has been no significant impact on pre ‐ COVID policies and procedures related to ethics and integrity. That said, the pandemic itself has spawned a significant number of new regulations and guidance based upon critical public health concerns for which the College has a moral and ethical obligation to protect its students, employees and patients while fulfilling its obligations to provide education, research and patient care. Related documents are accessible on the College’s website ( COVID Webpage – PDF ). Due to fluctuations in the course of the pandemic, there has been a significant increase in communications with the community, with regular updates from the president and other members of the COVID Emergency Response Team.

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