College of Optometry (CO) 2024–2025 123 before the college’s Honor Council, which could result in disciplinary action. The dress code is to be observed at all times, including midterms and examination periods. Development of Professional Maturity Preparation for membership in a licensed profession must necessarily include elements beyond the conventional curricular content, because professional licensure is granted to members of a profession in exchange for meticulous self-policing. Society permits optometric care; in return, the members of the optometric profession are committed to identify, develop, and ensure the continuing application of high standards of professionalism by their members. This commitment begins in optometry school. Accordingly, the faculty and administration will systematically monitor student behavior in categories such as professional ethics, classroom etiquette, civility, and collegiality. If a student accumulates a record of violations, the dean or the dean’s designee will arrange a meeting with that student and outline a specific plan for improvement. If that plan is not followed, additional sanctions ranging from disciplinary probation through suspension or dismissal may be applied. Advisers Student Counseling In principle, the college does not admit anyone to the program unless the college’s administration believes that they can graduate, but unforeseen circumstances can occur. In the event that a student encounters significant difficulty of an academic nature, they are strongly advised to seek help immediately either from the course instructor concerned or the assistant dean for Student Affairs and Admissions. Tutoring The college provides group tutoring for courses that require such services. Students should contact the assistant dean for Student Affairs and Admissions to request group tutoring. Students who request an opportunity to practice their clinical skills may obtain access to the clinic procedures laboratory during library hours. Special clinic help sessions and supervised practice sessions may be requested through the department chair of optometric sciences or designee. Individual tutoring is available for a small fee through the optometry student honor society, Beta Sigma Kappa (BSK). Anyone interested in the tutoring service should contact the faculty adviser for BSK. National Board Examination To be eligible for licensure in the United States and Puerto Rico, candidates must pass the NBEO Basic Science (Part I), the Clinical Science of Optometry and Patient Assessment and Management (Part II), and the Clinical Skills Examination or Patient Encounters or Performance Skills—PEPS (Part III) examinations. Students traditionally sit for these examinations during their third and fourth years of the program.
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