Happy New Year to All ASCO Board Members, Volunteers and Staff!

Happy New Year to All ASCO Board Members, Volunteers and Staff!

The ending of the calendar year provides a good opportunity to reflect upon highlights of what has been accomplished by ASCO in 2023. While ASCO member institutions may be relatively small in number at 25, and the ASCO national office staff currently employs just nine people, the impact of harnessing the energy, time and expertise of all 600+ ASCO volunteers has led to a productive year.

During the past year, the ASCO Executive Committee and staff finalized a new 2023-2027 Strategic Plan for the organization that was approved by the full Board of Directors and is now operational. Our number one priority of building a robust, diverse and highly qualified applicant pool through programs like the Optometry Gives Me Life campaign continues to deliver positive results. Since 2019, we have seen a 12% increase in our total applicant pool. This is even more impressive when compared with many other doctoral level health professions that have seen decreases during that same time period. The tremendous efforts of everyone involved are paying dividends. During the past year, we have all had a hand in designing version 2.0 of the campaign resulting in the development of our new Eye Opener Sessions.

Operating on the heels of the past year in which we saw Residency Program applications take a small dip, early data indicates we will see an increase this year. This follows many discussions and efforts by residency directors, faculty, and others who understand the need and importance of filling residency positions nationwide.

Additionally, years of discussion and wrestling with the topic of optometric sub-specialization by the Sub-Specialization Summit Planning Task Force and the Board have led the Board of Directors to task future activities in this arena to ASCO’s Residency Affairs Committee. The members of this committee will review the work conducted by the preceding task forces and identify next steps from their unique and highly informed perspectives.

In 2023, ASCO was involved in and has been a signatory to 10 letters of appeal and 8 statements or submitted testimonies for various topics important to advocating for our profession and higher education. Thank you all for your prompt responses when those items came through, some with short deadlines. ASCO’s Executive Vice President/CEO Dawn Mancuso was elected as President of the Federation of Associations of Schools of the Health Professions, a position she will hold in addition to her ASCO duties for a total of two years.

During this same time, our Board, Special Interest Groups and Committees increased the number of in-person meetings, totaling 25, thus elevating the level of discussion, education, and involvement. Providing support for such meetings has stretched and challenged our ASCO staff members, and we are all grateful for their support and perseverance. We are fortunate to have Dawn Mancuso leading the staff and providing guidance to our Board. She is an accomplished professional, and she is widely respected in all circles. Dawn and the ASCO staff have also been implementing a new database and software system. While we know such a system will be impactful in the future, it is painstaking for those charged with inputting and converting data from current (and in some cases non-existent) systems.

Last summer, ASCO held Townhall sessions to address the recent and impactful Supreme Court decisions regarding Affirmative Action and Admissions. Each member institution has benefitted from the collective wisdom of both presenters and participants who engaged in discussions and proposing action plans. 

The ASCO website continues to grow with information helpful to applicants, potential applicants, the public, practicing ODs, other organizations, and our member institutions. I encourage everyone to take some time periodically to browse www.optometriceducation.org and see the various data sets, trends, and everything else that is accessible. Also online is our Journal, Optometric Education. Last year, Dr. Keshia Elder took over as editor and we are very fortunate to have her.

Development efforts have resulted in new and additional sponsors that have brought vital resources to our work. Last summer, the Board voted to approve a revised system for dues assessments, which has been implemented.

We have continued our monthly Deans/Presidents calls and based upon attendance, and they seem to be worthwhile opportunities for sharing information and discussing current topics. These will continue in 2024.

I am grateful for our ASCO Executive Committee members who have been engaged weekly and provide leadership for our organization and the many processes, committees, SIGS, and events that have taken place. This is a devoted and dedicated group that thinks broadly and clearly and stays positive despite many challenges coming at us from many directions. In particular, both Dr. Fraser Horn and Dr. Melissa Trego have been exceptional leaders, colleagues, advisors, and sounding boards during our weekly management calls with Dawn. By the time June rolls around, I have every confidence that Fraser will be ready to take over as the new ASCO President. He demonstrates wisdom well beyond his years.

It has been an eventful year for everyone at ASCO. Thank you for participating and contributing to our many successes and accomplishments.

Turning our attention to 2024, please consider sending a rising leader from your campus to the ASCO Optometric Education Leadership Institute Jan. 28 – 29. The Planning Committee has a great line-up of speakers, and I’m confident that your faculty or staff members will return to your campus energized about advancing their leadership skills. Please also be thoughtful about and consider nominating someone for an ASCO Special Recognition Award by January 11. I look forward to seeing members of the ASCO Board for our meeting on March 20 – 22 in California.

Warmly,

Mark