MSCHE Self Study April 2021

Conclusions: Strengths, Challenges and Opportunities A fundamental element of the College’s planning process is the review and renewal of its mission, goals and objectives on a five ‐ year cycle. This structured process provides an assessment of the effectiveness of planning, resource allocation and availability of resources. Through its institutional Assessment Plan , data are collected and analyzed to promote institutional improvement. As noted in the executive summary, prior to the pandemic, the president initiated an important College ‐ wide conversation about its long ‐ term (20 years) future. Dubbed “Framework for the Future”, the project sought to answer the question: What is the best long ‐ term (20+ years) strategy for the SUNY College of Optometry to ensure both sustainability and an optimal educational and research environment from which to prepare future doctors of optometry? A great deal of work examining the College’s current programming, facility and external trends was completed and summarized in a report Framework for the Future: Phase 1 Draft , 20 February 2020. Phase 1 included a comprehensive assessment of the facility and its capacity for growth of educational, research and patient care programs. The analysis found significant opportunities for growth, including the addition of new degree programs that could complement existing programs while producing new revenue streams. With the onset the COVID ‐ 19 pandemic, work on the project has been suspended until the resumption more normal operations. While this report may have little relevance to the current review, it does provide additional information on the institution’s resources and longer ‐ term challenges. COVID ‐ 19 Impact statements have been dispersed throughout this standards. While the College was and is well ‐ positioned to withstand the effects of the pandemic, there will be a lasting impact from a financial perspective as a significant portion of the College’s financial reserves will be consumed to ensure the continuity of operations. The greatest uncertainty remains with the State’s financial position the level of cuts in taxpayer support to the College.

Standard VII: Governance, Leadership, and Administration

Institutional Priorities When developing the approved self ‐ study design document, no institutional priorities were selected for this standard. However, each of the institutional priorities does depend upon an effective and responsive system of governance, leadership and administration. Overview The SUNY College of Optometry is an autonomous campus of the State University of New York, which is comprised of 64 individual campuses that are decentralized in location and administration and diversified in curricula. The overall direction of the State University is the

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