Summer Institute for Faculty Development Now Accepting Applications

ASCO’s seventh biennial Summer Institute for Faculty Development (SIFD) will be held July 9-12, 2017, at the Eric P. Newman Education Center of Washington University Medical Center in St. Louis. Applications to attend SIFD are now being accepted and are due no later than Jan. 23, 2017. All applications must be approved by the dean/president of the applicant’s institution prior to submission to ASCO. While up to two applicants from each school and college of optometry will be selected to participate in the program, institutions are encouraged to submit additional applicants.

Dr. Tiffenie Harris (WUCO) and Dr. Janice Scharre (Salus/PCO) co-chair the program. The goal of the SIFD is to promote increased retention of faculty in the schools and colleges of optometry while providing participants with an opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to enhance their success in an optometric academic environment as career-long, productive faculty members. The targeted participants are individuals who have been full-time faculty members for more than two but less than 10 years.

The SIFD supports one of ASCO’s strategic objectives, which is faculty promotion and development. Program participants meet with assigned faculty mentors and attend various sessions and workshops covering topics related to teaching, learning, scholarship and academic culture. The topic of research has been added recently to the program.

For more information, e-mail LaShawn Sidbury, ASCO’s Director of Meetings and Special Interest Groups, or call her at (301) 231-5944 ext. 3012.