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You are well into your final year at SUNY Optometry, and it is time to begin your preparations for commencement!
The past few years have presented many challenges, and I would like to thank each of you for your resilience, flexibility, and dedication.
We look forward to coming together to celebrate all your achievements on your journey to becoming a SUNY Optometry graduate.
We have created this page as a resource to help you prepare for your final semester and easily find pertinent information about the events scheduled to celebrate your achievements.
CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2024!
Sincerely,
Dr. Gui Albieri
Vice President for Student Affairs and Engagement
Please review the tentative timeline below for commencement. Updates to the timeline and commencement information will be shared as it becomes available.
Below is a schedule of events and activities leading up to your commencement ceremony on May 23rd, 2024, at Gotham Hall (1356 Broadway, NYC).
Additional events will take place at the College as noted below.
Student Graduation Party – Tuesday, May 21st, planned by graduating class council
The graduating class has organized a party for the class, family, and friends to celebrate their graduation. Information about the class party will come from the class council.
Capstone Seminar – Tuesday May21st First floor Classrooms/3rd Floor Student Center
The Capstone program specifically for the graduating class is organized by the Offices of Alumni Affairs, Academic Affairs, and Student Affairs and will highlight how to capitalize on your network and optometry school experience as you transition from student to professional. Information regarding Capstone will follow from Alumni Affairs. Cap and Gown and Commencement tickets will be distributed after Capstone.
Cap and Gown Distribution- Tuesday, May 21st immediately after Capstone, 3rd Floor Student Center
Cap and gowns, commencement tickets, yearbooks gifts will be distributed immediately following Capstone.
Awards Ceremony – Thursday May 23rd, 10:00am-11:00am Schwartz Theater
An Awards Ceremony to celebrate and recognize the outstanding achievements of members of the graduating class. Awardees, family members, and friends are strongly encouraged to attend.
Continental breakfast- Thursday May 23rd,10:00am-11:50am 3rd Floor Student Center
Continental Breakfast will be hosted at SUNY Optometry for graduates, family, friends, and faculty.
Robing and line up for students – Thursday May 25th,12pm-12:15pm Gotham Hall
Students are to report to the Robing room at Gotham Hall for line up and instructions. Doors to the Ballroom will open for families to be seated by 12:30. Students will receive a maximum of 4 tickets each. (Seating is restricted to 4 per student due to space limitations.)
Commencement- Thursday May 23rd,1:00pm-2:30pm Gotham Hall
The ceremony will begin at 1pm sharp and should last about 1 ½ hours. Live streaming will be available for those who cannot attend.
The Awards Ceremony and Commencement will be live streamed on the College’s Facebook page for remote attendance.
The program starts automatically.
Visit the College’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sunyopt just prior to the start of the events.
All students participating in commencement are required to wear a cap, gown, and hood. SUNY optometry regalia consists of a black doctoral gown, OD hood and tam cap with tassel. Cap and gowns are placed as a group order through the Office of Student Affairs and will be distributed following the Capstone program.
All students marching at commencement must complete a commencement form to order regalia, diplomas, and update address information.
2024 Commencement Form
The commencement form must be submitted to Sarah Didier in Student Affairs is February 18th 2024.
Students are individually hooded on stage at commencement by the Academic Dean and a Faculty member.
You may request to be hooded on stage during commencement by a parent, spouse or sibling who is an O.D. licensed to practice in the U.S. You must submit the hooding form below if you meet the requirements.
The biography you provide about your hooder, will be read by Dr. Gui Albieri while you cross the stage to be hooded.
You will receive more instructions to share with your hooder once the Office of Student Affairs reviews your request.
Students with religious observance can request to be hooded by a faculty member of the same gender. Students with this request must also complete the commencement hooding form below.
2024 Commencement Hooding Form
Hooding form must be submitted to Sarah Didier in The Office of Student Affairs by April 19,2024.
To make the awards more honorable and special, we’d like to provide award recipients the opportunity to nominate a doctor to present your award(s) to you at the ceremony. The nomination form will become available in late March early April; and all recipients will be contacted by the Office of Student Affairs once it is available.
The deadline to submit the award ceremony form is April 19,2024.
Diplomas will be given to you during commencement exercise; please tell us if you cannot attend the ceremony. Diploma orders are placed by the Office of the Registrar. Note: If you have any outstanding grades or debts, we cannot certify you for licensure nor will you receive your diploma at graduation (a blank paper will be placed inside the folio instead of the actual diploma).
The name appearing on the diploma comes from the information provided by you, on the commencement form. The last name must match what is currently on student record. Name change requests for diploma printing are reviewed and approved by the College Registrar. Official Proof will be required for last names not on student record. Name change requests must be submitted before March 1st.
Chosen/Preferred Names: Before opting to print your Chosen Name on your Diploma, please note that professional licensing rules may require use of a legal first name in the licensing process. Therefore, use of a Chosen Name on a diploma may delay or complicate a certification or licensure process. In addition, some countries may require a diploma with a person’s legal name for various legal, immigration, or employment purposes.
Ordering duplicate diplomas: There will be an added cost for requesting duplicate diplomas. Please email registrar@sunyopt.edu and provide your name (must match name used when you attended SUNY Optometry), graduation year and date of birth. Once your record is matched, we will send a link to order your diploma. The order process is normally two-three weeks. Rushed orders will include an added shipping and handling fee.
The day after the commencement ceremony, you will receive a free Certified Electronic Diploma (CeDiploma) sent to your personal email (not sunyopt.edu).
A CeDiploma is an official, secure, verifiable PDF version of your paper diploma that offers proof of education and is shareable with others, including credentialing agencies. It includes a unique 12-digit Certified Electronic Document Identifier (CeDiD) that allows for instant proof of your education.
To access CeDiploma you will need to create an account via our diploma printing company. The email will provide specific instructions on how to create an account and obtain your electronic diploma.
For further questions, please contact the Office of the Registrar. Email: registrar@sunyopt.edu Phone 212-938-5509
Please complete this form if you and your guests have a dietary restriction, and plan to attend the breakfast on the 3rd floor Student Center the morning of graduation.
Form must be submitted to Sarah Didier in Student Affairs by May 3rd, 2024
*** See the Financial Aid exit interview section below
FINANCIAL AID GRADUATE EXIT INTERVIEW
The Federal government requires that all students who received loans participate in an exit interview counseling session.
You must complete an exit interview with the Financial Aid office or the Bursar’s Office if you have received government loans (Stafford, PLUS, Perkins, HPSL) while attending SUNY Optometry.
Students who receive Perkins/ HPLS/ or Loans for disadvantaged students must meet with the Bursar Erin Angarola to complete this exit interview.
The Bursar’s office will send you separate instructions to complete these exit interviews in the Spring
Your cap and gown or diploma will not be distributed until this requirement is completed.
The office of Financial Aid requires all exit interviews to be completed by Tuesday, May 20th, 2024.
(Canadian Students are not required to complete this requirement)
To complete the SUNY Optometry Financial Aid exit counseling session, click the link below:
studentloans.gov
You can find this here: nsldsfap.ed.gov
Students also can set up 25-30-minute in-person counseling sessions with Financial Aid if more assistance is needed.
After passing National Board Parts I, II, & III, you will be eligible for licensure in many states. Please refer to the website www.arbo.org/memberboards for information on licensing procedures. Each state has their own licensing requirements, fees and law exams. Issuance of licenses will vary by state; licensing boards must wait until the National Boards electronically submit your scores. You must contact the state board for your application’s status. The entire process can take anytime from one to three months.
If you are interested in obtaining a license in New York, applications are available online at the NYS Boards website www.op.nysed.gov/professions/optometry/license-requirements. Applications to NY can be submitted as of April 1st. You will need to provide the NYS board the following:
We will email each student a certificate.
Some state boards will require proof of child abuse training. You will need to review their website for registered providers approved by the state board in which you are applying. For NY licensure, register for training from one of the providers listed on the NY state board website. The New York State Office of Children and Family Services provides free online training http://www.nysmandatedreporter.org/RegistrationInstructions.aspx. When you create an account, use your personal email (not sunyopt.edu). Upon completion of the course, you will receive a post-training email with a link to initiate the electronic process of sending your certificate directly to NYSED (the agency who processes all NY licenses); click on the link to complete the electronic form. DO NOT send the general certificate attached to your post-training email; it will not be accepted by the NY state board.
As you begin to apply for your state licenses, you may be asked to submit a copy of the front and back of your Basic life support/ CPR certification card. Given that the American Heart Association switched to “E-cards” in 2019 and stopped issuing physical paper cards, you will only have a front of your E-card certification to submit. State boards are to accept that E-card certification from the American Heart Association and can verify your certification by using the link below should they need to.
AHA eCards verification (heart.org)
*FYI- You can now access your E-card using the link above, by entering your name and SUNY email address. You will then be prompted to answer the security question you created in 2022 when you were emailed from “ecards@heart.org” with your unique link to activate and set up your profile.
Please contact Ms. Cecilia Rodriguez in Clinical Administration: crodriguez@sunyopt.edu
Form 1 – Application:
Form 1A – Application for Certification(s)
Form 2 – Certification of Professional Education:
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 1:00 – 1:15 PM | Welcome – (Schwarz Theater) |
| 1:15 – 1:45 PM | Moving from Student to Doctor – a real conversation with recent graduates |
| 1:45 – 1:55 PM | Academy Presentation Dr. Jennifer Hue ’13, R’14 |
| 2:00 – 2:30 PM | Credentialing, Licensure, Continuing Professional Education and Professionalism Drs. Richard Soden ’79 and Richard Madonna ‘85 |
| Break | Move to 3rd Floor Student Lounge |
| 2:40-2:50 PM | NYSOA Dr. Marina Su R’13, President of NYSOA |
| 3:00 – 4:15 PM | Build Your Professional Tool Kit Before You Go Speed networking to get key info, free samples, and all your questions answered by industry partners, recruiters, and key departments |
| 4:15-4:30 PM | A Celebration of Your Journey from Student to Doctor Dr. Gui Albieri, Vice President of Student Affairs |
| 4:35 PM | Congratulatory Remarks Dr. David A. Heath, President |
| 4:40 PM | Alumni Toast – Students for a Few Years, Alumni for Life Alumni Association – light refreshments included |
| 4:45 PM | Cap, Gown, Tickets, and Yearbook Pick-up |
Graduates have until June 14th to empty lockers. Students accepted into the in-house SUNY Residency program will have till July 12th to empty their locker.
The Residency Program Office will provide the Office of Student Affairs with a list of students in the graduating class accepted to an in-house SUNY Residency. Only students on this list will be allowed the extension.
Once accepted into our residency program, the Credentialing Department will ask you for many documents to be submitted to their office. We will provide them with a copy of your transcript. You are responsible for providing them with a copy of your Infection Control certificate, Child Abuse certificate, the electronic diploma (CeDiploma), and any other proof of training you obtained while a student at our college.
Students accepted to other residency programs, not affiliated with SUNY Optometry, are responsible for collecting the materials and forwarding it to their site.
Your SUNY email account will be accessible until Aug 2nd to complete any school business.
The CDC provides opportunities for graduates to help enhance the professional development of current students. The CDC hosts programs and events where graduates can share their successes and engage with students. Contact Dr. Deborah Wang dwang2@sunyopt.edu to find out how you can be a part of the CDC networking family, if you have career-related questions, or would like to receive optometric opportunities that he receives from employers.
Students for a few years; SUNY College of Optometry alumni for life.
Welcome to the Alumni Association! Commencement is not goodbye, but the beginning of a valuable, lifelong connection to the College, your classmates, and the prestigious alumni network.
Staying connected and reaching out to alumni is easy. If you have not done so already, register (it takes less than two minutes) and complete your profile in the online alumni community, SUNY Eye Network (SEN), https://www.sunyeyenetwork.org.
Through this communication platform is how you can contact alumni, share your news, and receive information about events, job postings, and professional development resources.
