Faculty Resources

As optometric educators, we are responsible for shaping new optometrists and significantly affecting the future of optometry. Recognizing that faculty serve as important role models and often mentor students one-on-one, the American Optometric Association (AOA) has established a Faculty Relations Committee (FRC). Among its charges is to represent clinical faculty at all schools and colleges of optometry. In the Fall of 2004, the FRC distributed a survey to explore how the AOA could provide better support for optometry school faculty. From this survey, two issues became apparent. First, while many resources are available to faculty, as faculty we often are not aware of what is offered. Second, while there are many common topics that we teach, in the past, there has not been a lot of sharing of materials due to a lack of contact between the different schools. We'd like to work to improve communication and inter-collegial contact between optometric schools.

One way we're doing this is through this website that gives faculty access to teaching resources, announces and describes events open to faculty and helps facilitate faculty working together at the various institutions overall. The usefulness of this website is completely dependent on faculty being willing to share their resources. If you have material that you think others may find useful, please contribute. Please indicate your full name, position and the institution where you teach. If you utilize any of the resources found in this web page, we ask that you cite the original creator as well as their school of optometry.

If you would like to make a contribution either through providing materials or constructive criticism, please email Dr. Meredith Whiteside, FRC representative, University of California, Berkeley School of Optometry.