Reynolds Opticianry Plan Celebrates 40Th Anniversary
Saturday, June 29, 2019
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An enthusiastic crowd of students, faculty, staff, alumni as well as guests gathered on the Downtown Campus on Friday, Apr xi to grade the 40th anniversary of the Opticianry Program at Reynolds Community College.
The firstly course of instruction of Opticianry students at Reynolds began their studies inwards September of 1974 when the college was located inwards the quondam Sydnor as well as Hundley edifice on West Grace Street betwixt East First as well as East Second Street. The plan was housed inwards the building’s basement as well as the role was inwards an old stock room. The entirely door was a rolling door as well as the role likewise boasted an old coal chute on the wall. In spite of its humble beginnings, the plan graduated its firstly course of instruction of 3 students inwards June of 1976.
The initial plan was equally a diploma program, but it was upgraded to an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) grade plan inwards the leap of 1977. This was critical equally virtually states that had licensing entirely recognized graduates from AAS grade programs to sit down for their licensing examinations. By 1980, the plan received its firstly accreditation from the Commission on Opticianry Accreditation.
In 1981 when the Downtown Campus moved to its electrical flow place on Jackson Street a larger infinite allocated to the Opticianry Program allowed for surfacing, finishing, as well as dispensing labs, along alongside an on-campus eyeglass hospital dedicated to Joe Stewart, the program’s firstly director.
The Opticianry plan charted novel territory inwards 2000 alongside the implementation of the online AAS Degree program. This plan enabled students anywhere to direct keep the program’s AAS grade via the Internet as well as remains the entirely opticianry grade plan inwards the the States to offering the entire curriculum via distance learning. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 full of 374 students direct keep graduated from the program, as well as in that place direct keep been awards along the way. Reynolds Opticianry students direct keep won the National Opticianry College Bowl, several students direct keep received the NAO Beverly Myers Award for inquiry newspaper submissions, grants for winning the Hoya E-Poster contests, scholarships from Transitions Optical as well as scholarships to attend national didactics conferences from the Contact Lens Society of America. Students direct keep likewise had papers published inwards professional person journals as well as served equally educatee representatives on the board of the Opticians Association of Virginia.
The gathering on Apr xi celebrated non but the 374 students who graduated from the program, but the remarkable as well as dedicated faculty as well as staff who worked to brand the plan a success as well as to cook a rigid foundation for continued increase of the Opticianry Program into the future. Reynolds Community College….where outstanding opticians last started!
