Northeastern State University

The Northeastern State University Oklahoma's College of Optometry (NSUOCO), as an integral part of the overall mission of the University, provides an educational program leading to the Bachelor of Science Degree in Vision Science and the Doctor of Optometry Degree, post-graduate clinical residency certification, and continuing optometric education.

The primary mission of NSUOCO is the education of excellent optomteric physicians who emphasize a caring and ethical commitment for the welfare of patients. Students in the optometry program are engendered with the desire and ability to pursue the scientific knowledge, clinical competence, and professional standards necessary to diagnose, treat, and manage the broadest scope of eye and vision conditions as well as to diagnose and manage systemic disease as manifested in the visual system.

In pursuit of its goals, the College provides an educational environment conductive to learning, motivates students to make a commitment to life-long learning, and challenges students to contribute to society through community involvement.  The College is committed to excellence in academic and clinical instruction and to the delivery of clinical services.

The primary responsibility for influencing the quality and character of graduates resides within the faculty. The College strives to support programs which enhance faculty development and which nurture independent critical thinking, research, and scholarly development.

To implement its mission of excellence in teaching, research and service, the following goals provide direction for planning, administration and implementation of the professional program at the Northeastern State University Oklahoma's College of Optometry:

• Provide a comprehensive, state-of-the-art educatoinal program which supports the profession of optometry as an independent, primary health care profession.
• Provide an educational environment which challenges and motivates students to prepare themselves personally and professionally for careers as outstanding optometric physicians and citizens.
• Provide faculty of the highest caliber as teachers, clinicians, and scholars.
• Maintain standards and practices which result in the recruitment, enrollment, retention and graduation of students who are highly qualified and who contribute to the cultrual and social diversity of the student body and the profession.
• Provide optometric students with a quantity and quality of clinical experiences necessary to develop the professional competence to diagnose, treat and manage eye and vision conditions to deliver care and services unique to the profession of optometry.
• Periodically evaluate plans for the funding of programs and the development and utilization of facilities which enable the College to address both present and future needs of the professional education program.
• Maintain positive relationships with the community and region in which the College is located, alumni of the College, the optometric profession, and the public at large.
• Provide high quality continuing education programs for optometric physicians and other health care providers.
• Provide high quality post-graduate and residency programs to enhance the clinical and specialty skills of optometric physicians.
• Continue to review, assess, and revise periodically the mission statement, goals, objectives, and long-range plan of the College.