BUDGET MINDED: - Illinois College of Optometry

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ICOʼS EYEPOD STATE-OF-THE-ART LABORATORIES RAISE THE BENCHMARK FOR STUDENTS In a way, it was a stroke of luck at the right time. The ICO Administration and Board of Trustees had committed to a fiveyear Strategic Plan that necessitated revamping the laboratory space for students. The clock was ticking on implementing the initiative. “Doing the Strategic Plan, we identified the need to change the curriculum in order to remain competitive with other colleges of optometry,” says Dr. Valarie Conrad, Vice President for Compliance and Risk Management Services. “There was no way to do that with our old space.” But to remodel or build would be a huge capital expense. As the discussions took place, the stock market rose. When the plan to renovate the third floor of the building into state-of-the-art laboratories came before the Board in March, 2007, the College was in a position to shoulder the expense. The Strategic Planning Committee urged the Board to approve the renovations of the laboratories. When they did, “We were thrilled,” says Laura Rounce, Vice President for Human and Physical Resources. She and Conrad spearheaded the project, and a year later, on May 19, 2008, the $6.9 million construction phase of the Enhanced Learning Center began. The undertaking was enormous. Rounce and Conrad added wholly new full-time responsibilities to their workdays. “We divided it up by saying I was Dr. Valarie Conrad, Vice in charge of the facility internally – President for Compliance and moving people out of their offices and Risk Management Services things like that,” says Rounce. “We moved 27 people and four entire departments to accommodate the construction. Dr. Conrad was in charge of the project externally, dealing with the contractor, Krahl Construction, and the architect, Jensen & Halsted, and those kinds of things.” The two made a pact to keep the project on schedule by keeping communication flowing and holding up their share of the responsibilities. They balanced the needs of 259 employees, keeping track of 50 external workers onsite, rerouting 612 students and countless patients, “with little to no disruption,” Rounce says. They did so well, the contractor referred to ICO as its favorite client. Even better, the project came in on time and within budget. It opened to students on Oct. 7, 2008. FEATURE: EYE ON CAMPUS Laura Rounce, Vice President for Human and Physical Resources “We tried to have no surprises,” Conrad says. “Of course, on the first day of construction, the Vice President for Development’s office flooded, but things got better after that.” Dubbed “Eyepod,” the complex of labs and resources takes up 29,000 square feet, the entire third floor of the College. It provides two eye labs with 38 lanes, all facing the center of the floor for full range visibility. “I have not heard of any other school having two complete eye labs that can be used for instruction,” says Conrad. “What we have now is very unusual in optometric education.” And few can boast the state-of-the-art technology built into the Eyepod. It provides individualized video display monitors, computerized charts, DVD high definition equipment, the latest digital projectors and MP3 hookups. “It’s outstanding, but it’s not extravagant,” says Conrad. “We had to rebuild the infrastructure, there was no way around it. The original lab was built in 1960.” Today’s labs are upscale and modern. They incorporate a flexible structure with private work spaces. And one of Conrad’s favorite features are the windows, opening the north side of the facility to spectacular light and inspiring views of the city’s skyline. “I think we have achieved a beautiful, functional and flexible space that will accommodate the needs of our students for years to come,” Conrad says. “Now we need to rebuild our investments while remaining committed to strategically investing in faculty and intellectual property, our facilities and our financial assets. “This was only the beginning piece of our long-term plan,” Conrad says. “We’re developing a campus master plan that will determine how we expand our clinical space. We’re looking at how we advance into the future.” ICO MATTERS FALL 2008 12
ICO MATTERS FALL 2008 13 FEATURE: EYE ON FACULTY A CRITICAL INVESTMENT THE FACULTY CARRY THE PROGRAM AT ICO Dr. Elizabeth Wyles Dr. Susan Kelly with students Some people outside the field of optometry may have questioned Elizabeth Wyles when she decided to leave the Northwest United States to move to northern Illinois. But those who know optometry can understand. Regional climate aside, “There are few, if any, clinical situations like we have at ICO,” says Wyles. “Having been at two other institutions and in private practice, I was swept away by the professional opportunities that were here for me.” Wyles joined the faculty in August of 2006. Of course she had heard of ICO, and she learned more as she sat on the exam Boards with Professor Gary Lesher, ICO’s Chairman of Basic and Health Sciences. But it wasn’t until she started working in the Illinois Eye Institute that she realized the true value of the College. “You can explain our clinic and people think you’re exaggerating,” she says. “It’s a plethora of ocular disease and refractive conditions. It’s incredibly educational.” And Wyles means that in terms of the students and for herself. As a result, Wyles has been happy with her work at ICO. She says the only thing she longs for is more time. “We always want additional time to teach,” she says. “Particularly in clinic. We have such a busy clinic. It’s a challenge to balance education and patient care. But that’s inherent in any good clinic. That’s not a bad thing.” Nonetheless, Dr. Kent Daum, Vice President and Dean for Academic Affairs, is working to alleviate those pressures. He makes great efforts to ensure the environment at ICO is comfortable for faculty. “Faculty here are highly goaloriented,” he says. “They figure out how to meet the students’ needs without vast resources, without extra time. But because they are goal-oriented, they don’t necessarily speak their needs. Being able to listen to what the faculty are saying, hearing about what people are doing and how. That simple process of helping them – that’s a very important part of my job.” And it’s a challenging one. “People underestimate how an institution works,” Daum says. “They don’t recognize how expensive it is, how many people you need to have a highly productive program like we have.” He points out that 65 percent of the College’s budget goes to personnel costs. That leaves the other 35 percent for everything else, including utilities and maintenance. “The expenses associated with the academic program and the clinic are most important,” says John Budzynski, Vice President for Business and Finance/CFO. “But we can’t cut electricity. We have to be aware of the high maintenance cost of the facility. Some things we have to ask whether we can postpone.” That’s where philanthropy comes in. “The work of the Development Office is so important for addressing needs,” Budzynski says. And Daum concurs. “I just really appreciate the support of those who give so much,” he says. “We’ve had some wonderful support. For example, Jeff Smith, [OD ’83], has given money for faculty development. We have support for an entire array of research projects, and Dr. Dan Roberts has won national funding. Those gifts and grants make a big difference to us.” Dr. Kent Daum, Dean/Vice President for Academic Affairs On the other hand, Daum says, “The thing that puts us on the edge a little is that the work load is high and the compensation is challenging. Those are the stressors. I and others are continuously working to resolve some of that.”
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