Recent News

News From the College: Summer Update

Fee Reduction Approved for 2021 Registration Renewal

The College acknowledges the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on Opticians. Having considered the feedback received from Opticians, the Board approved a $250 reduction to the 2021 renewal fee for all Registrants. The reduction is intended to assist Opticians as they register for the coming year without placing an undue burden on ROs or by extension, their patients.

Share your thoughts with us by participating in our Registrant Survey

The College is committed to supporting opticians in meeting their regulatory obligations and ensuring that our regulatory processes are efficient and effective. As part of understanding how we are doing in terms of how we engage with registrants, we are inviting you to participate in a short confidential survey. This is in follow-up to a similar survey we asked ROs to complete in 2015, the results of which were used to make a number of enhancements to our communications and processes.

Your feedback is extremely important to us. To participate in the survey, click here.

Run for Election to the College’s Board of Directors; Nominations open on August 12

If you are a Registered Optician in good standing with the College and are interested in using your knowledge, skill, and judgment to protect the public interest, consider seeking a nomination. Elections will take place in three districts: District 1 (Southern), District 5 (Toronto), and District 8 (Central). To ensure candidates possess the knowledge necessary to carry out their fiduciary role as a Director if they are elected, interested Registrants are required to complete a training module in order to be considered eligible to run. The module is accredited for 1 PG hour.

Visit our website or contact elections@collegeofopticians.ca for more details.

Thinking of running for election to the board but need more information?

Board directors say that participating in self-regulation and protecting the public is a rewarding experience that provides professional and personal growth and development. To learn more about what's involved, join us for a virtual information session on Friday, August 21 from 12:00 - 12:45 pm. Hear first-hand from board directors and committee members on their experiences and ask questions in real-time.

To register for the webinar, click here.

Amendments to Student/Intern Supervision and Contact Lens Mentor Policies 

The Board approved changes to the Student and Intern Supervision and the Contact Lens Mentor policies, which now include expanded eligibility criteria to become a student/intern mentor: 

• For Contact Lens Mentors, Registered Opticians who met the contact lens fit requirements, even if the fits were obtained in fewer than three years
• For Eyeglass and Contact Lens Mentors, Registered Opticians who meet the practice experience requirement of three years, even if the experience was obtained in another Canadian jurisdiction
• Registered Opticians who are full-time instructors from accredited opticianry programs are eligible for temporary Mentor status until December 31, 2020 only. 

 
To read the full Contact Lens Mentor policy click here. To read the full Student/Intern Supervision policy click here. 

Board of Directors Meeting Highlights 

The College Board of Directors met on July 27, 2020. Thank you to everyone who watched the live stream on YouTube. If you are a Registered Optician, you can use the session as three self-directed CE hours. To see the full Board highlights, please click here. 

Was this news update informative? Please let us know! 

If you have a moment, please share your feedback on this news update by taking a short survey.