Illinois College of Optometry
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Illinois College of Optometry | |
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| Established: | 1872 |
| Type: | Private |
| Staff: | 48 |
| Students: | 616 : with 162 graduates in 2003 |
| Location: | Chicago, Illinois  United States |
| Website: | http://www.ico.edu |
The Illinois College of Optometry (ICO) is a 4-year private optometry college located in the city of Chicago, Illinois. Graduating approximately 160 optometrists a year, it is the largest optometry college in the United States and is the oldest continually operating educational facility dedicated solely to the teaching of optometrists. The College complex incorporates more than 366,000 square feet (34,000 m2) including an electronically enhanced lecture center, library, computerized clinical learning equipment, and recreational & living facilities.
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[edit] Facilities
The Illinois Eye Institute (IEI) is the principal clinical training facility for ICO students and is located adjacent to the College. In addition to primary eye care, a full spectrum of sub-specialty care is available including glaucoma, retina-vitreous, neuro-ophthalmic disorders, cornea-external disease, orbit-oculoplastics, pediatrics/strabismus-amblyopia and low vision rehabilitation. The IEI serves as a center for clinical research involving eye and vision problems including glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), cornea and contact lenses, and pediatric eye disorders.
The Shepard Library contains a comprehensive collection of books, periodicals, CD-ROM's, slides and videocassettes relating to the visual sciences and ocular & general health. Leisure reading materials are also available in the form of fiction books and general interest magazines. The Library also provides a haven for studying, with its central skylight, large windows, enclosed courtyard, numerous group-study rooms, comfortable seating and study carrels. The Learning Resource Center is also equipped with computer stations. These computers provide connections to the Library's online catalog; VisionCite, an index database for articles in the vision sciences dating back almost two decades; high-speed internet connections; laser printers & scanners; optometric practice management software; and Microsoft Office Suite. In addition, the LRC houses a multimedia room with VCRs and slide viewers for videocassettes and clinical slides.
| The Residential Complex (RC) is a secure student residence complex, consisting of three floors of one and two bedroom suites, and a fourth floor composed of one, two, and three bedroom apartments. All accommodations are fully furnished and a comprehensive meal plan is available through Food Services. Within the complex are meeting rooms, a lobby, study & social lounges, laundry facilities, a sun deck, a computer center with high-speed Internet access, recreation area with Ping-Pong, billiards and foosball, and a patio complete with a gas barbecue. The Illinois College of Optometry is the only private optometry school that provides a dormitory exclusively for its optometry students. |
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| The Adams Center for Clinical Learning is a College facility incorporating the latest in educational technology to enhance the students' clinical experience. A two-way audiovisual link to the Center for Advanced Ophthalmic Care expands the students' contact to the Center's teaching staff and patients. Computerized digital imaging, full motion video, presentation managers, photograph slide capabilities and recording potential make the Adams Center the "gold standard" for using technology in optometric education.[1] |
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[edit] Administration
Dr. Arol Augsburger serves as the current President of the Illinois College of Optometry and is the school's fifth President. Dr. Augsburger brings over 35 years of leadership in higher education to ICO. Before his appointment as President of ICO, he served as Interim Provost of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), as Dean and Professor of the UAB College of Optometry, and as a decorated faculty member at The Ohio State University College of Optometry.
Dr. Augsburger is a Life Member of The Ohio State University Alumni Association, an institution from which he graduated cum laude in 1971 with his Doctor of Optometry degree. He has been honored as the Optometrist of the Year in the states of Ohio and Alabama, as well as the American Optometric Association's Optometrist of the Year. He has served as President of many national professional associations like the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) and the National Board of Examiners in Optometry.
[edit] Students
The student population consists of a diverse group which primarily originate from local areas such as Chicago, Illinois and surrounding states (Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana), as well as significant groups from Canada and California.
The Illinois College of Optometry has many student organizations which are involved in the field of Optometry. The primary student organization at the Illinois College of Optometry is the Student Association (SA), of which all students are members. The Student Association is involved with issues that pertain to the students, the administration, and optometry as a whole. Current members of the Student Association executive board are:
| Position | Students |
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| Student Association President | Courtney Krohn |
| Student Association President Elect | Tommy Elton |
| Student Association Secretary | Tiffany Andrzejewski |
| Student Association Treasurer | Christina Estrada |
| AOSA Trustee | Nicole Henriksen |
| AOSA Trustee Elect | Roman Gerber |
| Fourth Year Class Representatives | Shilpa Shah and Aaron Ledford |
| Third Year Class Representatives | Efren Gomez and Ruhee Dhalla |
| Second Year Class Representatives | Jackie Saltee and Jen Specht |
| First Year Class Representatives | Eric Coy and Erik Mothersbaugh |
| Community Service Representatives | Jennifer Durst and Alicia Nehls |
| Director of Note Service | Lindsay Sicks |
| Director Elect of Note Service | Beth Knighton |
| Head RA | Michelle Zickel |
| Intramural Sports Director | Vick Chan |
Other prominent ICO student organizations include the American Optometric Student Association (AOSA), Student Volunteers in Optometric Service to Humanity (SVOSH), Multicultural Association, Private Practice Club, Canadian Students Association, and the Fellowship of Christian Optometrists.
[edit] Academics
The Illinois College of Optometry awards the degrees of Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) and Bachelor of Science in Visual Science (BSVS). The College also offers a joint program with the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Chicago to obtain an O.D. Degree and a Master of Science (M.S.) or Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree. In addition, the college also offers a joint program with the Illinois Institute of Technology, where a student may obtain a BS in biology from IIT and an O.D. degree from the Illinois College of Optometry.
[edit] Pilgrim Baptist Church fire
Historic Chicago landmark Pilgrim Baptist Church, located at 33rd and Indiana Avenue, across the street from ICO, burned on January 6, 2006, shortly after 3 pm. The church had stood for more than a century and has been described as the birthplace of 20th century gospel music. The fire burned so hot that ICO students experienced mild property damage in the nearby Residential Complex.
