ASCO Board of Directors Convene Virtually in March

ASCO Board of Directors Convene Virtually in March

The ASCO Board of Directors meet formally three times a year – in the spring, summer and fall. Keeping that schedule, the Board of Directors met virtually due to the ongoing pandemic in March.

Some of the topics discussed were:

• Progress of ASCO’s diversity, equity and inclusion focused initiatives, including the So you Might Want to be a Faculty Member series for potential faculty members and a plenary session at the Academy fall meeting.
• Progress and plans for the future of the Optometry Gives Me Life (OGML) public-awareness campaign. Plans for the preparation and submission of a Commentary paper to the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine’s Global Forum on Innovation in Health Profession Education.
• Plans being made for professional development programming from the newly formed Education Committee.

Actions taken included:

• Approved FY21-22 dues assessments to cover half the costs of the OGML program.
• Approved the FY21-22 fundraising plan from the newly formed Fundraising Advisory Committee.
• Approved the Budget Assumptions for the rest of the FY21-22 Budget.
• Approved 2021 ASCO Special Recognition Award winners (see articles in ASCO News).
• Accepted revisions to ASCO’s Traffic Guidelines for Admissions: ASCO Recommendations for Admissions Officers at the Schools and Colleges of Optometry.
• Approval of FY20 partnership endowment distribution.
• Approved ASCO’s nominations to the ACOE Board.
• Called for nominations for ASCO officer positions for the coming year.
• Approved sending a communication to State Boards recommending a licensure/re-licensure requirement for cultural competency training.

ASCO’s Board of Directors also met with the boards of ARBO, NBEO and with the board of the AAO.

ARBO-ASCO-NBEO Joint Board Meeting

The Boards of Directors of ARBO, ASCO and NBEO met for a Joint Board meeting March 29 and April 1. Topics discussed included:

• Progress update on the redesign of the NBEO Part III (CSE, now PEPS) exam.
• Review of NBEO-ASCO procedures for developing the annual pass rate report.
• COPE governance.
• Plans for alternative pathways to licensure in times of national crises/emergencies.
• The value of diversity and cultural competency training.

AAO-ASCO Joint Board Meeting

The AAO and ASCO Boards of Directors met for a joint meeting March 22 and 25, discussing the alignment of strategic objectives across the two organizations, especially in these areas:

• Promoting academic careers and graduate education.
• Diversity initiatives.
• Efforts to develop sub-specializations in optometry.
• Efforts to expand and diversify the applicant pool to optometry schools and colleges.

The consensus of both boards was that there are many areas of potential collaboration and that annual joint meetings (via virtual format) would be beneficial.

June Meeting Plans

Plans are underway for the June Board of Directors meeting. Even though Optometry’s Meeting will be held in person in Denver, ASCO’s June meetings will be held virtually.

ASCO’s Board meeting will be held June 14, and the Annual Meeting (open to the public) June 15. A special update on the Optometry Gives Me Life campaign is scheduled for June 3. For more information about ASCO’s June meeting schedule, visit https://connect.opted.org/events/calendar.