COVID-19, Racial and Ethnic Unrest Making the Situation Worse
Higher Education including Optometric Education is in crisis because of declining enrollments. There is too much student capacity and not enough demand. There are 2.9 million fewer college age students than 8 years ago. Ninety-three colleges and universities have closed or merged since 2016, and Clayton Christensen of Harvard predicts 50% of the 4000 colleges and universities will be bankrupt, close or merge by 2035.
Schools and Colleges of Optometry must act now by developing and implementing strategies to deal with the Crisis. The following Power Point slides delineate:
- Causes of Higher Education Crisis
- Causes of Crisis in Optometric Education
- COVID-19 Pandemic is Making a Fragile Situation Worse
- The New Normal in Optometric Education
- Racial and Ethnic Unrest
- Financial Concerns
- Structural Issues Contributing to Crisis
- Marketing and Advocacy Initiatives
- Innovative Strategies
- Re-Imagine Optometric Education
- Enhance Appeal of a Career in Optometry
- Elements of a New Educational Model
Crisis in Optometric Education (PowerPoint)
Crisis in Optometric Education (PDF)