THE ROADto

EXCELLENCE

THE ROADto

EXCELLENCE

A CONTINUED HISTORY OF THE

ILLINOIS COLLEGE OFOPTOMETRY

1997 - 2000

Charles F. Mullen

First published in 2001 byIllinois College of Optometry3241 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60616 USA

Cover design: Anistatia R. Miller& Jared M. Brown

Book design: Alan PouchPhotographs: Ray Reiss, Sparkfactor

Andrew Fils, The Paul StudioAlan Pouch,Illinois College of Optometry

Edited by: Barbara B. Renard

Copyright© 2001 by Charles F. Mullen, O.D. and BarbaraB. Renard

All rights reserved.No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in orintroduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in anyform or by any means (including electronical, mechanical,photocopy) whatsoever without written permission fromthe above publisher of this book, except by reviewers whomay quote brief passages to be printed be a magazineor newspaper.

ISBN 0-9652759-3-0

Printed in the United States byOffset Paperback Mfrs.

CONTENTS

Preface

Introduction

Chapter OneDefining Excellence

-1-

Chapter TwoPrescription for Excellence - Year One

-5-

Chapter ThreePrescription for Excellence - Year Two

-15-

Chapter FourJourney to Excellence - Year One

-23-

Chapter FiveJourney to Excellence - Year Two

-29-

Chapter SixCommitment to Excellence

What Lies Ahead-35-

THE ROAD TO EXCELLENCE

PREFACE

The conclusion of the book Optom-etry in America (1872-1995)offered a glimpse at the IllinoisCollege of Optometry’s brightfuture. In February 1995, theCollege received a positive review

by the American Optometric Association Accredi-tation Council on Optometric Education (COE).Also that same year, the first stage of an ambi-tious campus expansion was completed in thebuilding of a new residential complex on IndianaAvenue at 33rd Street.

In March 1996, however, the school’s brightfuture was overshadowed by controversy. Apolitically motivated article appeared in a Spring-field, Illinois newspaper. This news item waspicked up and published by the Associated Press.These two events triggered a series of allegationsand investigations that resulted in the resigna-tion of ICO President, Dr. Boyd B. Banwell.

Upon Banwell’s departure, a managementteam was formed by the Board of Trustees thatincluded: Board Chairman Dr. John E. Brandt,Chairman-Elect Dr. Albert H. Rodriguez, Jr., andTrustee Dr. Joseph Henry. The team worked tomaintain the daily operations of the college andassuage the concerns of faculty, students andstaff. They also worked with legal counsel tosatisfy the Office of the Illinois Attorney Gen-eral, the Internal Revenue Service and theCollege’s financiers.

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A search committee, chaired by Dr. Henry,initiated the recruitment of a new college presi-dent. This team included representatives fromthe Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, and stu-dents. After an exhaustive search, Dr. Charles F.Mullen - who was serving as the Director ofOptometry Service at the Department of Veter-ans Affairs in Washington, D.C. at that time -was appointed the Illinois College of Optometry’sfourth president. Taking office on November 1,1996, the college that Dr. Mullen encounteredwas not quite the utopian institution which many- both inside and outside the college - believedexisted.

Dr. Mullen quickly realized that although aplan had been developed for the physical expan-sion of the campus, a more comprehensive planwas required that encompassed improvements inICO’s academic culture, administrative opera-tions, financial health, institutional image, rev-enue streams, as well as the physical plant.Working with the President’s Advisory Council,an administrative team assembled from existingfaculty and senior staff, Dr. Mullen began theHerculean task of putting the college back oncourse and preparing it to meet the challengesdictated by the rapid changes in the healthprofession’s educational requirements.

Recording the events that took place since Dr.Mullen took office, The Road to Excellenceserves as a supplement to Optometry in America,chronicling - in his own words - Dr. Mullen’s firstfour years at Illinois College of Optometry.

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THE ROAD TO EXCELLENCE

INTRODUCTION

Given the Illinois College ofOptometry’s historically promi-nent position within the field ofoptometric education, I wasconcerned when I learned of thedifficulties the college was

experiencing in 1996. I believed these mattershad the potential to harm not only ICO, butpossibly even the profession of optometry itself.When I was offered the position of president, Ifelt it was my responsibility to my profession toaccept this role. I was confident that, in a rela-tively short period of time, I could redirect thecollege’s resources and energies, and thus createa culture in which all members of the ICO com-munity were actively engaged in strengtheningthe institution.

We immediately made a philosophical shiftfrom emphasis on facility development to empha-sis on programmatic improvements and on thepersonal service provided to our students, pa-tients and alumni.

We set out to foster a culture at ICO that wasbased on innovation and creativity: where per-sonal initiative coupled with individual andcollective accountability are the norm. Our goalwas to develop an institution managed by factand outcome measures, resulting in heightenedproductivity; a model of ethical behavior andintegrity; and a culture committed to growth andimprovement.

The pages that follow document our progressin realizing this new culture at ICO.

Charles F. Mullen, O.D.

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1D

ocumented in the 1996 bookOptometry in America, theIllinois College of Optometry(ICO) can trace its origin to1872. ICO, however, hasexisted under its present name

only since 1955: the result of the merger of theNorthern Illinois College of Optometry and theMonroe College of Optometry.

Between 1955 and the present, ICO has hadonly four presidents: Eugene W. Strawn, O.D.(1955-71), Alfred A. Rosenbloom, O.D. (1972-82),Boyd B. Banwell, O.D. (1982-96) and now, CharlesF. Mullen, O.D. (1996 - present).

The ICO Board of Trustees appointed Dr.Mullen as President on November 1, 1996. Heassumed his duties on a full-time basis onemonth later. Mullen brought with him twenty-sixyears of administrative experience. He hadserved as Special Assistant to the President forClinical Development (1970-76) at New EnglandCollege of Optometry; as Executive Director, TheEye Institute (1976-1990) at Pennsylvania Collegeof Optometry; and as Director of OptometryService of Veterans Health Administration (1990-96) at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Wash-ington, D.C.

Three years after he took office, Dr. Mullendiscussed his initial impressions and objectives ina guest editorial that appeared in the Journal ofthe American Optometric Association (September1999):

“Although I found there was an understand-able sense of uncertainty regarding the immedi-ate future of the College, morale was surprisinglygood. It was my perception that faculty and staffwere not only willing, but eager, to ‘right the

DEFININGEXCELLENCE

CHAPTER

2

ship’ and to positively engage in strengtheningand improving the institution. I felt confident Icould immediately assemble a capable administra-tive team from the existing faculty and staff.

My initial objectives included:• Initiation of a strategic and tactical planning

process.• Enhancement of the academic culture by

increasing support for faculty development,research and scholarly activity.

• Expansion of the clinical educational programby initially adding 50 community-based train-ing sites.

• Initiation of a search for a new Dean/VicePresident for Academic Affairs.

• Review and modification, as appropriate, ofthe administrative organization.

• Enhancement of the institutional culture, byimprovement of services to students, patients,alumni and employees.

• Ensurance of the financial stability of theinstitution, including the enhancement ofrevenue streams.

• Review and modification of the master build-ings and facilities program.

• Improvement of management informationsystems.

• Enhancement of personnel management.• Development and implementation of public

relations and fund-raising programs.• Redirection of resources formerly allocated to

an ambitious building program into program-matic improvements.

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I believed that it was vital that our planningprocess promote open avenues of dialog withinternal and external constituencies.”1

To achieve his objectives, Dr. Mullen formedthe President’s Advisory Council (PAC) thatincluded senior administrative management forthe College and the Illinois Eye Institute (IEI),which is the school’s clinic facility. The PACbegan to develop a strategic plan that definedthe term “excellence” as it relates to ICO. Theplan, titled Prescription for Excellence, containedfive major goals, accompanying appropriateaction, identification of departmental responsibil-ity for each goal and designated completiondates.

1 Excerpted from “Interview with Charles F. Mullen,O.D.” J Am Optom Assoc 1999; 70:556-60. (Copyright© 1999 by the Journal of the American OptometricAssociation. Reprinted with permission.)

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YEAR ONE

Dr. Charles Mullen understood theimportance of open communica-tion between internal and exter-nal constituencies in both theplanning process and the imple-mentation of each designated

strategy in the Prescription for Excellence. Aspart of this process, President’s Advisory Council(PAC) members were given the opportunity tovoice their opinions and concerns on a variety ofsubjects and to experience full responsibility forthe achievement of each department’s goals. Tobegin their work, PAC commissioned surveys thataddressed alumni and alumnae needs and con-cerns and student satisfaction. The compiledresults had immediate impact on Dr. Mullen’sPrescription for Excellence.

In order to establish improved dialog with thecommunity and to include them in the planningprocess, Dr. Mullen established a CommunityAdvisory Board (CAB). Leaders of neighborhoodorganizations, school principals, clergymen,representative of community-targeted governmentagencies and senior ICO administrators wereinvited to join this team. The CAB continues toconsider such issues as employment opportuni-ties, real estate transactions and minority stu-dent recruitment that have a direct impact onboth ICO and its surrounding community.

PRESCRIPTIONFOREXCELLENCE

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In the Journal of the American OptometricAssociation (September 1999), Dr. Mullen dis-cussed his strategic plan in great detail:

“It was now our task to channel these pro-cesses into a tangible plan of action. With inputgenerated through countless meetings, reviews,evaluations and re-evaluations, we created a 70-page document, the Prescription for Excellence.It contains five major goals, each with detailed,quantifiable action steps and completion dates.These action steps also identified the departmentresponsible for their implementation. Regularmonthly meetings were scheduled to evaluate ourprogress. These meetings - which continue today -are open to all members of the ICO community.

The Prescription for Excellence was immedi-ately effective. The goals and directions weestablished continue to be important, but evenmore important is the process we createdwhereby each member of every ICO constituencyhas the opportunity to be meaningfully involvedin the planning process...

Several important themes emerged during theplanning process that have helped create a newculture at ICO. Through the planning process,five major goals were crystallized:• Provision of excellence in education and

scholarly activity.• Creation and maintenance of reputation as an

institution that is characterized by excep-tional accountability.

• Provision of excellence in service, as definedby our students, patients, alumni and em-ployees.

• Provision of excellence in health care.• Achievement of recognition as a center of

influence within the profession and thecommunity.

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These goals are now the basis for the perfor-mance agreements that exist between every mem-ber of senior administration and the President, aswell as an agreement between the Board of Trust-ees and the President. These agreements are whateach of us is measured by: they are the basis forbudgeting and for departmental planning.”2

The results of that first year of implementa-tion were noteworthy. Dr. Mullen reported thoseachievements to the ICO community at his first“State of the College Address” in October, 1997:

“What I have to share with you today isimportant to all members of the Illinois Collegeof Optometry community. Today’s address dealswith where we are at this point in time ...andwhat our future course needs to be.

ACADEMIC CULTURE“We have made steady progress in evaluating

and improving the quality and cost effectivenessof our external clinical affiliations and our satel-lite facilities with a goal of achieving budgetneutrality. Contracts have been renegotiated(and) as a result...we have reduced the net costof our satellite programs by approximately$172,000. At the same time, we were achievingthese reductions in costs, we have expanded ourcommunity based clinical affiliations from ahandful to 75 (collaborations), providing morethan 210 student rotations annually.

We have made several significant changes inICO’s curriculum. The focus was changed to givestudents an overview of an optometric examina-tion with a greater emphasis on technical skills.The optometry sequence has been modified...tocomplete the teaching of technical skills by theend of the winter quarter of the second profes-sional year. This will make room...for closely

2 Excerpted fromInterview withCharles F.Mullen, O.D. JAm OptomAssoc 1999;70:556-60.(Copyright ©1999 by theJournal of theAmericanOptometricAssociation.Reprinted withpermission.)

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supervised clinical experiences prior to the moreindependent work done during the third profes-sional year...An interpersonal skills course hasbeen added to the spring quarter of the secondyear including topics (such as) inter- and intra-professional communication.

A summer curriculum will be added to thethird professional year beginning in May, 1998.The benefits (of which)...will include a smoothertransition from pre-clinical training to actualpatient care experience and more patient careexperiences for third year students.

An agreement has been reached with theDepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Scienceat the University of Chicago to coordinate clini-cal, medical, educational and research programswith ICO. This is only the second such agree-ment between a college of optometry and auniversity ophthalmology program in thecountry...Among its benefits will be the creationof an O.D./Ph.D. program; increased opportuni-ties for collaborative research; shared lecturers;and an expanded clinical base.

(The) faculty now has a voice in the delibera-tions of ICO’s Board of Trustees through electedrepresentatives. A Faculty Council has beencreated with a written constitution and leader-ship provided through an elected ExecutiveCommittee.

In our efforts to develop external funding forresearch, we have made significant progress inimproving our opportunities with various FederalAgencies by making certain we are in compliance- or making substantial progress toward compli-ance - in several areas from institutional proto-cols to record keeping.

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ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES“We have thoroughly reviewed our organiza-

tional structures. We will shortly be submittingto the Board a revised organizational chart thatreflects functions rather than individuals and isorganized in a way to maximize our efficiencyand service to our students and our patients.

Simultaneously with this review, we havetaken steps to review all personnel and initiatechanges to improve their efficiency. These in-clude the creation of the ‘President’s AdvisoryCouncil’ to assist me in managing ICO. We arecommitted to diversity in our staff, faculty andstudent body and have taken steps to ensure adiverse ICO community.

FINANCE“We have reorganized the Business Office to

improve our financial management. We havecompleted a structured budgeting process withtime lines and approval processes built in toinsure that all ICO needs will be addressed in thebudget process and properly prioritized withinour educational and patient service commitments....(and) to improve accountability.

We have also constructed a long-term debtmanagement plan. ICO currently has an out-standing tax-exempt variable rate of indebtednessof $37 million dollars. We have been successfulin negotiating productively to refinance this debtin a way that minimizes its burden on ICO andmaintains our position of excellence in optomet-ric education.

INSTITUTIONAL IMAGE“How we see ourselves to a very large extent

projects how others view us. For that reason, I

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have made improving internal communications(among faculty and staff) a high priority duringthe past year and will continue to do so.

We have attempted to address the informa-tion needs of our external constituencies, espe-cially our alumni...This was the impetus for thecreation of a quarterly newsletter. We are also inthe process of creating an Internet mailing list ofour alumni and developing a web site for ICO’salumni and friends. We have initiated amentoring program with the Illinois OptometricAssociation to link optometry students withpracticing optometrists in Illinois, the majority ofwhom are graduates of ICO, furthering the tiesbetween the College, our students and ouralumni.

We have also created a public relationsprogram with specific goals and objectives in theareas of media relations, community relationsand greater visibility in professional journals andoptometric associations. The public relationsprogram contains a strong marketing component,chiefly (involving) the Illinois Eye Institute.

OPERATIONS“The future of both health care and education

will be greatly influenced by developments incommunications. Without a significant increasein capital spending, ICO has moved forwardaggressively in this arena through the efforts ofour Information Systems Department.

Personnel management has been enhancedthrough greater accountability. Formal perfor-mance agreements have been created for eachmember of the administration, creating an objec-tive measurement against which (each employeecan be evaluated for his or her) performance.

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PHYSICAL PLANT“We are continuing to make necessary im-

provements to our (physical) plant. We recentlyinstalled exterior signage, increasing our visibil-ity in the community and improving the market-ability of our (Illinois) Eye Institute. We willshortly be changing our internal signage as well,making it more informative, user friendly, consis-tent and within Federal regulations.

Renovation of the Illinois Eye Institute isnearly complete. When finished, we will have afacility whose exterior and interior appearancematches the outstanding qualities of those whoserve there.

At the same time, we have carefully evaluatedthe existing construction master plan, not only interms of our needs but also within the frame-work of sound financial considerations and theneed to maintain a competitive economic stance.As a result of this review, we have reduced theprevious master plan by more than $23 milliondollars over the next five to seven years.

REVENUE STREAMS“We have made significant progress in in-

creasing (the number of) alternative sources ofrevenue for ICO...(because) we cannot afford toneither compromise excellence nor over-burdenour students with significant tuition increases.

We have begun with the creation of a market-ing plan for the Illinois Eye Institute that recog-nizes that in addition to its educational missionthe IEI must be competitive in its efforts toattract patients.

We have reinvigorated our commitment tofundraising, or ‘development,’ - so named inrecognition of the fact that the creation of a

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significant philanthropic base is a developmentalprocess (that occurs) over time.

In order to better fulfill our educational roleto practicing optometrists - and to improve ourrevenue stream through education - we haveadopted a more user-friendly stance towardcontinuing education or CE. We are in the pro-cess of creating a CE program (that will be)systematically planned and timed to coincidewith the two-year cycle of CE requirements forlicensure renewal in Illinois and one that stressesadvanced competency.

We are also strongly committed to enhancingour efforts at student recruitment and retention,but please let me emphasize that this must notever come at the expense of quality.

Our focus this year was to move admissionsfrom a paper oriented (process) to more of apeople-oriented process. In August, we held anopen house for prospective students. An aggres-sive schedule of visits to undergraduate cam-puses for recruiting purposes has begun. Beforethe year is out, members of our faculty and staffwill have visited more than 50 colleges anduniversities.

STRATEGIC PLANNING“A Strategic Plan for an institution such as

ICO...must do more than chart a course for thefuture. It must reflect the collective wisdom ofthe College. We have created such a plan andnamed it the Prescription for Excellence. It isnow in the process of some final revision beforebeing presented to our Board. It is available toall who wish to review it in its entirety. It is aliving document in that it is intended to beamended as conditions and opportunities war-

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rant. It addresses all aspects of our continuedgrowth as an institution of health care education.And, as its name implies, it requires excellenceas the standard of all our efforts. This is not amere title, but a recognition of our potential andalso of what will be required of those who willthrive in today’s health care environment.....I amconfident that ICO and its students, faculty andstaff will be among those who excel.”3

During this same month, Dr. Mullen wasinstalled as Illinois College of Optometry’s fourthpresident at a ceremony that was held on Octo-ber 18, 1997 in the Rockefeller Chapel on theUniversity of Chicago campus.

3 Excerpts from “State of the College Address - October1, 1997” which was delivered by Dr. Charles F. Mullen.

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YEAR TWO

During Dr. Mullen’s second year atICO, the benefits of his mandatefor openness and communicationamong the student body, faculty,staff, alumni and administrationbecame more apparent. Working

closely with Janice E. Scharre, O.D., M.A., whohad been appointed Dean/Vice President forAcademic Affair in November 1997, a facultyopinion survey was developed and distributed todetermine the College’s perceived strengths andweaknesses. The information was gleaned andprocessed into a series of positive actions thatwere designed to enhance ICO’s academic cul-ture.

A similar survey was sent to students, re-questing input on virtually every aspect of stu-dent life. Improved communication among thestudent body, faculty and administration pro-duced a more user-friendly Student Guide; in-creased flexibility in student leave policies; andan expanded and simplified work study program.

The responses to an alumni-directed question-naire would result in an initiative to freezetuition, increased funding for scholarships andincremental reduction of entering class size.

In his second “State of the College Address,”which he presented on October 2, 1998, Dr.Mullen detailed some of the accomplishmentsachieved during the year.

PRESCRIPTIONFOREXCELLENCE

3CHAPTER

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FINANCE“Let me start with our successful bond issue

of $45 million dollars (in variable-rate, tax-exempt bonds by which ICO was able to success-fully restructure the College’s debt. This freed$22 million in assets, which were previously heldas collateral. Those assets were freed up to beapplied to more flexible investments). This guar-antees the sound financial footing we need tosuccessfully continue ICO’s tradition of excellenceinto the next century...But the real significanceof the bond issue is not in dollars, but in theconfidence the financial community demon-strated in ICO’s future.

STUDENTS“I am pleased to be able to report that the

state of our student body - whose progress inadvancing the profession is the yardstick bywhich we are all ultimately measured -remainsextremely strong...We have implemented severalnew avenues for their input. Town hall meetingswere instituted. The Dean’s Advisory Group hasbeen reinvigorated and a student satisfactioninventory was administered last month, seekinginput form every ICO student about virtuallyevery aspect of student life.

(To enhance the students’ educational experi-ence,) ICO continues an aggressive expansion ofthe externship program...(which has) grown from13 sites in 1996 to 79 (sites which are) currentlylocated throughout the United States andabroad...We have implemented an evaluation andmonitoring process for our sites...(and) takencare to remain fiscally prudent during thisperiod of expansion. We will continue to analyzeour community-based sites, seeking to renegoti-

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ate financial arrangements when possible; in-crease patient volumes; and modify our timecommitment to individual sites when desirable.External sites, such as (the ones) we have devel-oped, allow students a greater breadth of experi-ence. They allow students to choose diverselocations and types of clinical settings, betterpreparing them for the realities they will face aspracticing optometrists.

FACULTY“The state of the faculty is also strong. A

revised Faculty Handbook, which consolidatedthe old handbook and academic policy manual -was developed cooperatively by the faculty andthe Dean. During the past year, significantemphasis was placed on faculty scholarlyactivity....Faculty attendance at professionalmeetings increased by 71 percent during the pastyear...Twenty-seven faculty presented (papers) atlast year’s American Academy of Optometrymeeting. Publications by junior faculty haveincreased significantly.

The faculty has also made a concerted effortto increase research, specifically in securingexternal research funding. ICO received over$100,000 in external research grants in fiscalyear 1997-98, including significant grants fromthe Pearle Vision Foundation and the IllinoisSociety for the Prevention of Blindness. Toinsure that progress continues in this area, wehave been sending faculty members to AOA grantwriting workshops as well as the Academy Re-search Symposium.

Continued improvement of faculty teachingeffectiveness is a high priority. We have createda Faculty Teaching Circle, in which informal

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monthly meetings focus on various teachingtopics. One outcome of these meetings has beenthe creation of student-faculty colleague groups.A faculty retreat featured guest speakers fromthe University of South Carolina and the Univer-sity of Chicago who spoke on the importance ofdeveloping effective feedback mechanisms fromstudents so educational techniques might berefined and improved at ICO.

CONTINUING EDUCATION“Through our Institute for Advanced Compe-

tency, 197 practicing optometrists received 358hours of continuing education. In this fiscal year,we have already provided 323 hours of continu-ing education for 270 optometrists. We have alsoentered into agreements with various membersof the ophthalmic community to provide CE.Included are: Cole Vision, EyeQuest, Consoli-dated Vision Group, Vistakon and TLC.

ILLINOIS EYE INSTITUTE“The Illinois Eye Institute continued to make

great progress in successfully marketing itsservices to the community. Through a fiscallyconservative strategy...including print and radioadvertising, direct mail and an increased pres-ence at health fairs and neighborhood events, IEI(patient visits) increased by 4 percent in 1997-98,while producing a 10 percent increase in revenue.Through the first two months of this fiscal year,figures indicate that patient encounters are upby 16 percent as compared to the same periodone year ago.

Various venues for patient feedback gave beencreated, such as surveys and a telephone com-ment line. Responses are being analyzed andchanges in IEI resource allocation will be influ-enced by patient response.

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In the realm of managed health care, theCollege is committed to enhancing the role of theoptometrist as the primary eye-care provider.Along with our affiliate, the University of Chi-cago, we are in the process of developing auniversity-based, comprehensive eye-care product.

TECHNOLOGY“While focusing on human elements, we have

not neglected the bricks and mortar side of ICOduring the past year, as well as computer soft-ware and hardware. Compulink, a new clinicalsoftware system, is about to enter the testingand training phase. Our target date to have thissystem “live” is late January of 1999. The CARSsystem, our financial and administrative system,is approximately 75 percent complete. We haveupgraded all of our desktop computers with theaddition of Windows 95 and Office 97. (And)Internet access was provided to most desktopcomputers. Currently, a new library system usunder evaluation and selection. The long antici-pated One Card System, which will allow ICOstudents (to use) a single card for security ac-cess, identification and purchasing, is on sched-ule and will be implemented in 1999.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES“With the support of our Board, we remained

fully committed to increasing diversity at ICOlast year. One outcome of this commitment wasthe appointment of ICO alumna, Dr. MillicentKnight, to the Board - the first female AfricanAmerican to so honor her alma mater.

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COMMUNITY“(ICO has) successfully reached out to the

community. The recently created CommunityAdvisory Board is comprised of eleven individu-als, representing area churches, schools, commu-nity groups, government agencies, and membersof ICO Administration. (Its purpose) is to discussareas of mutual concern and to formulate plansfor improving the quality of life for all the resi-dents of our community.

Our students have played a significant role instrengthening our ties to the community.Through patient care in the IEI and also throughsuch neighborhood projects as unity day, theliteracy program and donating toys for Christ-mas, students have helped show our care andconcern for our neighbors on a very real, one toone basis.

ALUMNI“As the largest college of

optometry in the country, ICObenefits from having the larg-est number of alumni of any ofthe schools or colleges ofoptometry. Through newslet-ters, direct mail, individual andgroup meetings and receptionsat various professional meet-ings, we continue to forgestrong bonds with our alumni.

A benefit to our students,we hope, will be an increased

commitment on the part of the alumni to theICO Endowment Fund. We are aggressivelypursuing deferred and major gifts from ouralumni and our friends in the ophthalmic indus-try to add to our endowment.

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OPHTHALMIC INDUSTRY“We are continuing to reach out to our

partners in the ophthalmic industry. The PracticeOpportunities Symposium (which took place) thispast spring was enthusiastically endorsed byrepresentatives from a wide range of practiceoptions. (This symposium provides the studentswith the opportunity to learn about all modes ofoptometric practice.) Through both... our alumniand our partners in the ophthalmic community,we have realized over $300,000 in pledges andgifts this year.

ACCREDITATION SITE VISITS“During this past fiscal year, we benefited

from two highly successful accreditation sitevisits: the Council on Optometric EducationInterim Site Visit and the Primary Care Resi-dency Reaccreditation. The COE visit confirmedthat recommendations and suggestions made inits earlier report had been accomplished. ThePrimary Care Residency Reaccreditation was alsohighly successful as the accrediting team re-ported that all nine of its standards had beenfully complied with. Preparations are now under-way for the North Central Association accredita-tion visit in March of 1999...I am fully confidentwe will benefit from this examination and onceagain exceed expectations.

One year ago, I stood before you and an-nounced that we had completed a strategic plan,our Prescription for Excellence...(which would be)a living document to guide us through the com-ing year and into the next century....To date, ofthe 798 action items contained in the plan, 438(items) or 55 percent have been completed.(Although) the Prescription for Excellence will

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continue to be our guide for the coming year...wehave already begun the next phase of planning -identifying outcome measures, adding baselinedata, and revising the plan to include new initia-tives and linking a five-year operational budget tothe plan.

As you know, this year we officially began ourobservation of our 125th anniversary asAmerica’s oldest college of optometry. Over theyears, the manner in which our profession ispracticed and the way in which it is taught, haschanged, but through it all our commitment toexcellence has remained firm. With that contin-ued commitment, I am confident that ourprogress over the next 125 years will be just asexciting.”4

It was during this academic year that Dr.Mullen led the school on a two-year journeytoward excellence.

4 Excerpts from “State of the College Address-October 2,1998”, which was delivered by Dr. Charles F. Mullen

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YEAR ONE

ICO’s 125th anniversary year (1998-99)marked not only a celebration of theCollege’s long history and its stature inthe optometric profession. It also com-memorated the beginning of momentouschanges which would positively position

the school as it entered the 21st century.At the spring Interim Board Meeting, the

Board of Trustees acted upon an alumni-inspiredinitiative and approved freezing tuition at the1998-99 level ($22,668), while simultaneouslyincreasing allocated funds for scholarship aid to$400,000 and gradually reducing entering classsize for five years beginning in 2000. Thesedirectives had a crucial impact on ICO’s budgetplanning process, which required mandatoryexpense reduction in order to maintain a bal-anced budget.

An ambitious $8.5 million campus capitalimprovement program - funded with revenuesfrom the restructure of ICO’s debt - was com-pleted during that year. The program includedrenovations to the physical plant; the purchase ofnew ophthalmic equipment; and the installationof extensive informational systems technology.With improvements to the campus’ externalappearance along with other college-owned prop-erty, ICO participated in the continuing resur-gence of community development.

Affiliation with the University of Chicagocontinued to flourish. A course in basic eye-careprocedures for second-year University of Chicagomedical students was developed and imple-mented.

JOURNEY TOEXCELLENCE 4CHAPTER

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In his “State of the College Address,” whichhe delivered on October 22, 1999, Dr. Mullenreflected on his years at ICO and the challengesthat the College would face to maintain itsleadership position:

“In preparing this year’s address, I found ituseful to reflect back upon my arrival at ICO in1996. At that time, I said three elements wouldcharacterize my presidency. (These were:)1.The need to recognize the challenges that

confront us and to clearly define them.2.The importance of pervasive and detailed

planning so we might marshal our resourcesand measure our progress in meeting thesechallenges, making adjustments as necessary.

3.Open and productive dialog among all mem-bers of the ICO family ... the Board of Trust-ees, alumni, our many friends and partnersin the ophthalmic community and businesses,and the residents of the community in whichwe are located.I believe that our commitment to these three

concepts provided the basis for significantprogress at ICO during the past year. We havenow successfully completed over 70 percent ofthe action items in our original strategic plan,Prescription for Excellence.”

In this same address, Dr. Mullen furtherdescribed some of the noteworthy accomplish-ments from that year as well as some of thechallenges that lay ahead:

“I would like to start this year’s address bycommending the faculty and Academic Adminis-tration for their outstanding work in achievingcontinuing accreditation from the North CentralAssociation of Colleges and Schools. By theNorth Central’s own admission, accreditationwithout stipulation or monitoring is a rare thing

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these days. I would also like to thank the facultyfor an equally outstanding report from the Coun-cil on Optometric Education.

In keeping with our commitment to improv-ing the quality of the students’ experience atICO, we completed a comprehensive studentsatisfaction survey. This survey is the basis ofnumerous actions already implemented andothers planned. A special note of appreciation tothe faculty, students and staff who served on theBlue Ribbon Panel formed to interpret the sur-vey results and initiate corrective action.

We are in the process of (establishing) afaculty practice plan making ICO more attractiveto (present) and prospective faculty.

Thanks to the hard work of our communitybased education staff, we have continued toexpand our externship program...at over 100sites throughout the United States and abroad.From these sites, combined with the Illinois EyeInstitute, our students will benefit from morethan 150,000 clinical teaching opportunities,significantly enhancing their educational experi-ence. Student-patient encounters are up 68percent compared to three years ago.

Our residency program has grown to includeresidencies in cornea/contact lenses and anteriorsegment/refractive surgery.

With the support of the Board of Trustees,we have embarked on a bold course to insure ourposition of leadership...(by freezing) tuition whilesimultaneously increasing scholarship aid. At thesame time we committed to gradually reducingthe size of future entering classes, beginningwith a reduction by five for the class admitted inthe year 2000.

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To do this will be a tremendous challenge,but I am confident we can do it. However, theseare not the only challenges facing ICO as weprepare for the next millenium. To maintain ourposition of leadership we must do the following:• Continue to emphasize strategic and tactical

planning with outcome-based assessment asthe measure of progress.

• Amplify the voices of students in Collegeaffairs, including representation on the Boardof Trustees.

• Continue to expand our recruitment of giftedforeign students beyond the confines of NorthAmerica, while remaining a strong institutionof choice for outstanding students from ourneighbors to the north.

• Increase the size of the Board of Trustees,furthering its diversification. And recruitingmembers with needed expertise and philan-thropic capabilities.

• Further enhance personnel relations withinthe ICO family, particularly as it pertains tofostering a positive attitude and respect forone another.

• Restructure the clinical education program tobe more cost-efficient while we maintainacademic quality.

• Accelerate the upgrade of instructional tech-nology.

• Ensure that our curriculum is consistent withdefined entry-level attributes.

• Develop and implement an advanced compe-tency curriculum.

• Significantly increase the revenues of theIllinois Eye Institute.

• Implement a faculty practice plan.

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• Continue to improve faculty scholarly activitywith more externally funded research, clinicaltrials and publications.

• In cooperation with the University of Chi-cago, develop our role as a provider of com-prehensive eye care services within theChicagoland managed health-care market.

• Achieve continuing accreditation from theCouncil on Optometric Education.

• Achieve accreditation for the Illinois EyeInstitute from the Joint Commission onAccreditation of Health Care Organizations, afirst for an eye-care facility (that is) affiliatedwith a college of optometry.

• Launch major capital and deferred-giving cam-paigns to sustain an ongoing and significantdevelopment effort in keeping with our status asAmerica’s largest college of optometry.

• Complete the cultural shift of the institutionto one devoted to the continuous improve-ment of our programs, services and products.Tomorrow night we will officially conclude

our... celebration of our 125th anniversary. Thehighlight of the evening’s festivities will be therecognition of 125 individuals, organizations andinstitutions for their outstanding lifetime contri-butions to optometry. Some have contributedthrough research, others through practice, somethrough teaching, and some in the businessworld. Their contributions are as varied as theirnumbers...They have witnessed tremendouschange in the way optometry is taught and theway it is practiced. They have learned to thrivein an environment of rapid change.

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5 Excerpts from “State of the College Address-October22, 1999”, which was delivered by Dr. Charles F.Mullen

In the last year we have accomplishedmuch...I look forward to reporting furtherprogress in the years ahead.”5

Dr. Mullen then devoted the next year to theimplementation of additional initiatives that hademerged during the previous identification anddevelopmental period.

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YEAR TWO

The mandate to successfully freezetuition and increase the scholar-ship budget while maintaining abalanced budget and preserving thequality of education had a visibleimpact on ICO. Working on a five

year budgeting plan, necessary expense reduc-tions were made and continue to be implementedeach year to achieve ICO’s goals.

A Voluntary Early Retirement IncentiveProgram was approved by the Board of Trustees,which took effect on January 1, 2000. Full-timeemployees with at least ten years of service andwho are age 55 or older were eligible. Sevenemployees accepted the early retirement package.Responsibilities were reassigned so that, in mostcases, those employees were not replaced.

The College worked diligently to increaseincome from non-tuition sources. Assets thatcould be invested grew by $6.5 million to morethan $27 million since 1996. A Vision for theFuture Campaign has been launched with thegoal of growing the total endowment to $60million by the year 2010. The Office of Institu-tional Advancement helped the President raisemore than $1 million during the previous year.

Anticipating challenges such as the contract-ing student applicant pool and the changes in thehealthcare industry, the administration tackledeach situation head-on. Dr. Mullen reported thesechanges in his fourth annual “State of the Col-lege” address:

JOURNEY TOEXCELLENCE 5CHAPTER

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“We have had an outstanding year, thanks toevery member of the ICO community. I amespecially grateful to those who have playedimportant roles in our ongoing strategic planningprocess. Much of our current and future successstems from those efforts.

It has allowed us to open new avenues ofdialogue - within the college and within theprofession, the healthcare industry and ourconstituents at large. It has allowed us to imple-ment performance-based monitoring and mea-surement of our progress. And it has allowed usto positively engage faculty, administration andstudents in continuously improving our institu-tion and our performance.”

Dr. Mullen then recounted some of the year’sachievements and strengths.

Academically, we are stronger than ever. Wehave expanded externship sites to 118 (currentsites) today...The (Illinois) Eye Institute and(these sites) now provide over 180,000 clinicalencounters for our students each year. Ourstudents’...pass rate on the National Board exams,at time of graduation, now stands at 94 percent.ICO has historically performed very well on theclinical sections of the National Boards and thisyear’s performance in Basic Science...significantlyexceeded the national average.

Our student attrition rate is at an all timelow of only 2.7 percent. We have expandedresidency programs in cornea and contact lenses,refractive surgery and primary eye care...(We)have built research laboratory facilities and madesignificant technological improvements in ourlecture centers.

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Our graduates enter into practice betterprepared to succeed thanks to significant im-provements in our practice management courseand programs such as the Practice OpportunitiesSymposium, Private Practice Club and ICOPlacement Services.

Our affiliation with the University ofChicago’s Department of Ophthalmology andVisual Science stands unique among colleges ofoptometry. Our collaborative course for medicalstudents speaks directly to our rigorous commit-ment to the arts and science of both medicineand optometry. We have also formalized ourcooperative O.D./M.S. and O.D./Ph.D. programswith the University of Chicago.

Our faculty has enhanced its pursuit ofscholarship. During the past year, a total ofseven research grant proposals were submittedand six were funded. In addition, 21 articles werepublished in professional journals. Faculty repre-sentation in the American Academy of Optom-etry at the fellowship and diplomate levels standsat 87 percent up from 48 percent just four yearsago.

Clinically, we are stronger as well. (There are)marked improvements in patient satisfaction anda 23-percent increase in Illinois Eye Instituterevenues since 1997. Professionally, we havestrengthened our outreach and built betterrelationships with other health care professionalsand organizations through our ProfessionalAdvisory Board.

Financially, we are stronger than ever. Our(investment-worthy) assets have grown to morethan $27 million, up more than $6.5 million injust four years. We have launched our Vision forthe Future Campaign, with its goal of growingour total endowment to $60 million by the year

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2010. Through a grant from the State of Illinoisfor $250,000, we have reestablished our indigentpatient care program. We expect to reach thou-sands of high-risk patients in the coming yearwith this support.

We have also been able to freeze tuition at itslevel of two years ago (while increasing) thescholarship budget by nearly 50 percent...I wantto recognize both the faculty and the students forindependently and successfully launching andfunding new scholarship programs to benefitstudents. Governance has grown even strongerthrough the Board’s concerted efforts to increaseand diversify its members. We now have a votingfaculty member on the Board of Trustees andstudent representation as well. But we cannotrest on our achievements and expect to maintainexcellence. Challenges lie ahead. We must facethem squarely. We can and we will.

Over the next few years, we have pledgedourselves to meet these challenges throughcontinuous refinement of our strategic planningcapabilities. Soon we will enhance patient careand clinical education by developing and imple-menting a Faculty Group Practice Plan.

In the face of a decreasing student applicantpool, we continue our commitment to recruit andadmit only the most qualified students and assistthem in managing the high cost of a qualityeducation by continuing to freeze tuition and byincreasing scholarship support.

Financially, we have committed ourselves torefining our financial planning in line with thegoals of our strategic plan, Journey to Excel-lence. And we will continue to sustain andstrengthen our capital and planned giving ef-forts. We will continue to enhance our academic

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culture through support of our faculty in theirroles as teachers and through expanded opportu-nities for faculty research and scholarship. Wewill evaluate and modify our curriculum, strivingto maintain an effective entry-to-practice model.We can prove our commitment to excellence inpatient care by going forward with seekingaccreditation from the Joint Commission onAccreditation of Healthcare Organizations.

The state of the College is strong because ofthe hard work and dedication of a great manypeople. Today, I would like to thank all ofyou...We’ve had an extraordinary year. We havean extraordinary future ahead of us as we con-tinue to provide an outstanding education forfuture eye care professionals. I look forward tocontinuing on our Journey to Excellence witheach and every one of you.”6

By meeting each of the Prescription forExcellence’s goals and applying the strategies inthe Journey to Excellence, ICO is now preparedto face the future with confidence and a commit-ment to excellence.

6 Excerpts from “State of theCollege Address -October 20,2001”, which was deliveredby Dr. Charles F. Mullen

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WHAT LIES AHEAD

During these early years of thetwenty-first century, both optom-etric education and the profes-sion of optometry are facing newchallenges: challenges that areboth necessary and inevitable.

Dr. Mullen predicted what the profession andIllinois College of Optometry might face in aguest editorial that appeared in the Journal ofthe American Optometric Association, (Septem-ber 1999).

“The challenges facing ICO - to a greater orlesser extent - are the same issues that facemany of the schools and colleges of optometry. Ingeneral I see the following trends in optometriceducation:• We will see a lessening of our dependency on

campus-based clinics for the clinical educationof third- and fourth-year optometry students.Driven initially by economics - but, I believe,providing for greater diversity of educationalexperiences - we will see more community-based training sites or externships for fourth-professional-year students and some third-year rotations.

• Campus-based clinics will remain valuable forfirst- and second-year students.

• College-based clinics will serve a significantrole as (the) faculty practice becomes moreimportant as a means to enhance facultyincome and improve (both) schools’ andcolleges’ ability to recruit and retain highlyqualified clinicians.

COMMITMENTTO EXCELLENCE6CHAPTER

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• We will see a movement away from tradi-tional classroom teaching toward more tech-nology-assisted self-learning through the rapidadvances being made in communication andcomputer-based technology. The college,however, must be prepared to assist thefaculty in changing their teaching strategies.

• Acquisition of critical analysis skills willbecome as important as a solid foundation inthe basic and health sciences.

• There will be recognition that the function ofa school or college is to prepare doctors ofoptometry for a life-time of learning in theirfield.

• We will have to redefine the entry-levelattributes of our students and modify ourcurriculum to emphasize a lifelong commit-ment to learning.

• While graduates must learn to be well-grounded in the fundamentals of their profes-sion, the purpose of this grounding must beto position them to continue the learningprocess.

• Students must learn to focus on the opportu-nity for interaction with faculty and with oneanother while on campus. They must committo a philosophy that emphasizes the acquisi-tion and appropriate application of knowledgeover information absorption and memoriza-tion.

• We will see the development and utilizationof a national faculty in several disciplines,linked through developing technology. Allschools and colleges of optometry will be ableto access a faculty made up of our very finesteducators.

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• Cooperation between optometry and ophthal-mology that began at the New England Col-lege of Optometry’s Boston clinics and car-ried forward at PCO (Pennsylvania College ofOptometry) with Hahnemann University andat ICO with the University of Chicago - willcontinue and intensify.

• We must then be prepared to offer meaning-ful advanced competency education to practic-ing optometrists as a core value of optometriceducation.

• Residency programs will continue to increase,but at a more modest rate. I believe thefuture direction of the profession of optom-etry will be fueled by the economics of themanaged care marketplace.

• The cooperative environment among opti-cians, optometrists, and ophthalmologists thatexists at the academic level and - in severalinstances - in other practice modes willintensify.

• Distinctions in practice modes will continueto blur among the three groups. Economicrealities will override emotional oppositionand force closer cooperation. Individualclaims of priority and historical territorialimperatives will be forced to give way.

• Quality assurance programs and advancedcompetency certification and accreditationwill become increasingly important.

• The expansion of the scope of practice ofoptometry will consist mainly of amendmentand clarification to existing practice laws.

• Ultimately, all states will grant appropriateand extensive prescription authority to op-tometrists.

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• The expanded use of laser technology byoptometrists will evolve slowly over the nexttwo decades.

• Consultation among practicing professionalswill take advantage of advances in technology.Consultants with national eye centers ofexcellence will become the norm, as preciseretinal images and other data are instantlytransmitted from one point to another in realtime.

• We will see fewer independent, privatepractioners of optometry in the future andmore multi-practice settings, more optom-etrists in HMOs, hospitals and other institu-tional settings. What is often termed ‘corpo-rate optometry’ will continue to expand forthe foreseeable future.

• Schools and colleges of optometry will recog-nize their responsibility to expose theirstudents to a wide variety of practice modesand to discuss each opportunity openly andhonestly.

• Health care third-party payers will continueto exert enormous influence on the practiceof health care-eye care included. In this vein,it is imperative that optometry solidify itsposition as the primary eye care providerwithin the managed care market.We live, learn, teach and practice in tremen-

dously exciting times. I believe the future ofoptometry is as great as our ability to translateour vision for the profession into strategic andtactical plans of action - as promising as ourcourage and tenacity to implement those plans.”1

1 Excerpted fromInterview withCharles F.Mullen, O.D. JAm OptomAssoc 1999;70:556-60.Copyright ©1999 by theJournal of theAmericanOptometricAssociation.Reprinted withpermission.