3 MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT DAVID A. HEATH, OD, EDM The State University of New York College of Optometry is once again engaged in a dynamic conversation about our priorities for the next five years as the completion of our Strategic Plan 2013-2018: Creating a Legacy of Leadership draws near. We have made enormous progress towards achieving each of our current strategic goals and are examining the changes occurring in the world around us as we establish a renewed vision for the College. During the past five years, we met our expanded enrollment target while increasing the quality of each incoming class. More critically, we continue to reform our core curriculum to better prepare our optometry graduates for future practice, while expanding our educational offerings to provide them with value-added opportunities that uniquely enhance their professional readiness as they begin their careers. We expanded elective coursework, developed new externship opportunities, implemented the OD/MBA option in addition to the existing OD/MS and OD/PhD and increased the number of residency training slots from 35 to 41. Members of the graduating class of 2017 expressed immense satisfaction with their SUNY Optometry education (98%), 83% were positive about the College’s non-curricular opportunities – an increase from 50% five years ago – and 40% are participating in residency education to gain advanced competency in special areas of interest. This percentage is well beyond the national average of approximately 25%. Our students and graduates have never been better prepared to assume leadership roles within their profession and their communities than they are today. Creating such an innovative and challenging educational, research and patient care environment requires the commitment and support of the broader College community, including our faculty, staff, alumni, friends and community partners. We would not have been nearly as successful in meeting the goals of the Strategic Plan 20132018: Creating a Legacy of Leadership without everyone’s participation. This year’s Annual Report includes reflections from members of the College’s senior management team on our accomplishments of the last five years. You will hear more about our emerging 2018-2023 Strategic Plan in the coming months and I invite you to participate in that conversation as we work for SUNY Optometry’s future. CREATING A LEGACY OF LEADERSHIP 2 0 1 3 STATE OF THE COLLEGE t he of Col l ege Creating a legaCy of leadership 2 1 4 s tat e CREATING A LEGACY OF LEADERSHIP STATE OF THE COLLEGE 2 O 1 5 CREATING A LEGACY OF LEADERSHIP ANNUAL REPORT 2 16
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