Flying together will get us places!
At this time of year, we often see and hear geese flying south in their beautiful V-formations, and perhaps share a quiet wish that we might follow them to warmer shores! The aerodynamic benefits of the V-formation are well known – the front goose presses forward into the wind, while those behind are able to gain some shelter and so use less energy. The lead goose changes every so often and can then gain the benefit of reduced drag. It all comes down to teamwork! By sharing roles, the geese make good progress and get to their sunny, warm goal!
And teamwork is the stuff that makes the School of Optometry and Vision Science tick, whether that is in the Clinic, in the research lab, in the administrative offices, or in the student body. I’m proud to see the many examples of collaboration and teamwork in the School that combine to produce great doctors of optometry, excellent clinical service and novel research results.
It has been a great year so far – the School is well on the way to making our vision for a new clinic a reality. With a deadline for renovation completion now set for 2017, there is a real sense of urgency. Working with the University, we aim to submit the necessary proposal documents for approval in January, and we are now developing the plans needed to sustain the operation of the School during this period of renewal. While the Optometry Clinic is being renovated, we will need to ensure that the needs of our patients and students are secured, and this can only be achieved through collective effort.
Our clinic renovation is just phase one of a much larger initiative that we are calling our “Be Visionary” project; a $25 million investment in the program, implemented in three phases, that will transform optometric education for generations to come. An essential element of Be Visionary is curriculum renewal. Over the last few years, the School has been working to make the adjustments needed in the course to keep the Doctor of Optometry program at the forefront of the changes in Canadian optometric practice. I’m excited to share with you that we are close to submitting our curriculum renewal documents to the University for approval, and it is exciting to reach the finishing stages of that project.
As these important changes are happening, we are also faced with a renewal of faculty and staff members, as many of those who helped form and shape the program retire. Most recently, this includes Dr. Ann Plotkin and Anne Weber. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their long and illustrious service to the School and wish them all the best in their retirements. As you can appreciate, with retirements come new faces and the School is now completing a faculty search process to hire two new faculty members. This process should be finished during the winter, and we look forward to welcoming our new faculty in the summer of 2016.
If we look ahead, in 2017 the School is anticipating our 50th anniversary, since establishing itself at the University of Waterloo in 1967. We are planning to celebrate the event - as a School for Canada, we hope that these events will allow us all, as a profession, to celebrate the achievements and changes that have occurred over that time. 2017 is also a significant year for Canada, as we mark the 150th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, so it looks like it will be a year to remember!
Teamwork is what carries us forward as a School, and as a profession. Over the last year, progress has been made across the nation in developing and supporting the role of optometrists in the healthcare system, and we can all look forward to further progress in the years ahead as we work together. We in the School want to say thank you for the support received from you all as our alumni and colleagues, and we look forward to continuing that teamwork in the years to come. Together we can make a difference!
