Dear ASCO community members,
ASCO President-Elect Keshia Elder invites you to nominate yourself or a willing colleague to serve on an ASCO committee or task force starting this July.
How to nominate candidates to serve on ASCO committees/task forces
1. Please review the list of committees and task forces below.
1. Then, click on this link to submit your nominations using our online form:
https://form.jotform.com/lsidbury/committee-nomination-formYou will need the following information at the ready:
* Name, title, and employer of nominee;
* Committee or task force for which the candidate is being nominated;
* Special interest, skills, background, or perspective that distinguishes the nominee for the position;
* Any other reason why the candidate would make a good addition to the committee/task force.
Self-nominations are permitted and encouraged. All nominations from an institution under consideration for appointment will be shared with the dean/president of that institution to seek approval before an appointment is made.
The deadline for submitting nominations is Friday, May 8, 2026.
Volunteer Service Details
Terms of Service
Service on an ASCO committee or task force runs in one-year terms, throughout ASCO's programmatic/fiscal year (July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027).
For most committees, a volunteer may serve up to a maximum of three consecutive one-year terms in a volunteer position. Terms for Task Forces are set according to the timeframe needed to accomplish the assigned task.
ASCO's Incoming President makes all appointments to ASCO Committees and Task Forces, and may choose to vary terms of service and term limits for certain positions based on ASCO's organizational/programmatic needs with approval of the Board of Directors.
See information below for details about joining one of ASCO's Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and/or Professional Groups.
Eligibility
Anyone employed by an Active, Associate, Affiliate (international schools/colleges and representatives of government agencies only), or Provisional member of ASCO is eligible to serve on a committee, task force, Special Interest Group (SIG), or Professional Group.
Openings: ASCO Committees & Task Forces
Below is a listing of ASCO's Committees and Task Forces that are accepting nominations.
You can learn more about ASCO's committees and task forces by visiting:
https://bit.ly/ASCOcmtesBoard Management Committees
The Chairs of all Board Management Committees must be on the ASCO Board; Members do not have to be on the ASCO Board.
* Audit & Risk Management Committee (AUDC)
* Communications Committee (COMC)
* Financial Affairs Committee (FAFC)
* Partnership Endowment Advisory Subcommittee (PEAS)
* Nominating Committee (NOMC)
Programmatic Committees (& Subcommittees)
Any representative from an institution/organization that is an Active, Associate, Affiliate (international school/college or government agency only) or Provisional Member of ASCO may serve as either a Chair or Member of a Programmatic Committee.
* Academic Affairs Committee (AAFC)
* Applicant Pool Development Committee (APDC)
* Awards & Resolutions Committee (AWDC)
* Clinical Affairs Committee (CAFC)
* Diversity and Cultural Competency Committee (DCCC)
* Education Committee (EDUC)
* Future Faculty Program Subcommittee (FFPS)
* Optometric Education Leadership Institute Subcommittee (OELI)
* Summer Institute for Faculty Development Subcommittee (SIFD)
* Fundraising Advisory Committee (FNDC)
* Government Affairs Committee (GAFC)
* International Optometric Education Committee (IOEC)
* Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice Committee (IPRF)
* Research Committee (RESC)
* Residency Affairs Committee (RAFC)
* OR Match Subcommittee (ORMS)
* Student Affairs Committee (SAFC)
* OAT Subcommittee (OATS)
* OptomCAS Subcommittee (OPTS)
Task Forces
Members and chairs do not have to be on the ASCO Board; seats on Task Forces do not have term limits.
* Strategic Planning Task Force (SPTF)
Nomination Form Link & Deadline
To nominate yourself or a member of your institution's faculty and staff to a volunteer seat, simply fill out this online form:
https://form.jotform.com/lsidbury/committee-nomination-formDeadline: Friday, May 8, 2026.
Other ASCO Engagement Opportunities
ASCO offers other opportunities for engagement, peer-to-peer learning, and service through its 19 Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and 4 Professional Groups. See information below for information about eligibility requirements and details about how to apply to participate in either an ASCO SIG or Professional Group.
Eligibility for both Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and Professional Groups: Anyone employed by an Active, Associate, Affiliate (international schools/colleges and representatives of government agencies only), or Provisional member of ASCO is eligible to join one of ASCO's Special Interest Groups (SIGs) or Professional Groups.
Special Interest Groups (SIGs): Faculty, administrators, and staff are eligible to participate in any SIG of interest for as long as the person is employed at the ASCO member institution. Self-nominations to join one or more of ASCO SIGs are permitted and encouraged. The dean/president of the nominee's institution must approve all requests to join a SIG. There are no limits on the length of time someone may be a member of a SIG, as long as the person continues to participate in SIG activities, remains employed by an ASCO member institution, and the dean/president continues to approve participation.
Current Special Interest Groups (SIGs)
* Advancement SIG (ADVSIG; formerly the Development Directors SIG)
* Binocular Vision, Perception, and Pediatrics Educators SIG (BVPSIG)
* Biomedical Science Educators SIG (BSESIG)
* Clinical Directors and Administrators SIG (CDASIG)
* Clinical Optometric Methods and Procedures SIG (COMSIG)
* Continuing Education Directors SIG (CEDSIG)
* Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion SIG (DEISIG)
* Educational Technology SIG (TECSIG)
* Ethics Educators SIG (ETHSIG)
* Externship Directors SIG (EXTSIG)
* International Optometric Educators SIG (IOESIG)
* Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice SIG (IPESIG)
* Low Vision Educators SIG (LVESIG)
* Neuro-Rehabilitation Educators SIG (NRESIG)
* Ocular Surface Disease Educators SIG (OSDSIG)
* Ophthalmic Optics Educators SIG (OOESIG)
* Public Health Educators SIG (PHESIG)
* Residency Educators SIG (RESSIG)
* Vision Science Librarians SIG (VSLSIG).
New members can be added to a Special Interest Group at any time during the year. To join one of ASCO's Special Interest Groups (SIGs), please email ASCO's Program Associate for Member Engagement, Ms. Mollie Mills, at
MMills@opted.org<mailto:
mmills@opted.org>.
Professional Groups: Faculty, administrators, and staff are eligible to participate in a Professional Group within ASCO if their job responsibilities match the job role covered by the Professional Group of interest. See the list below for information about the roles covered by ASCO's Professional Groups.
Self-nominations to join a Professional Group are permitted and encouraged. The dean/president of the nominee's institution must approve all requests to join a Professional Group. There are no limits on the length of time someone may be a member of a Professional Group, as long as the person continues to serve in the role covered by the Professional group at the employing ASCO member institution, and the dean/president continues to approve participation.
Current Professional Groups
* Chief Academic Officers (CAO) Group (CAOG)
* Chief Diversity Officers Group (CDOG)
* Residency Directors (RD) Group (RESG)
* Student Affairs and Admissions Officers (SAA) Group
New members can be added to a Professional Group at any time during the year. To join one of ASCO's Professional Groups, please email ASCO's Program Associate for Member Engagement, Ms. Mollie Mills, at
MMills@opted.org<mailto:
mmills@opted.org>.
Volunteers are Critical!
All of ASCO's volunteer groups are critical to ASCO's ability to deliver on its mission to advance optometric education and research to enhance the health and well-being of the public. Thank you for considering joining our family of dedicated volunteers who do so much to keep ASCO's community vibrant and engaging!
If you have any questions about ASCO's volunteer nomination process, please reach out to me at
dmancuso@opted.org<mailto:
dmancuso@opted.org>.
Best regards,
Dawn
Dawn M. Mancuso, MAM, CAE, FASAE
Executive Vice President and CEO
Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO)
Note new address:
143 Rollins Ave., #2046
Rockville, MD 20847
Telephone: (301) 231-5944 extension 3016
Facsimile: (301) 770-1828
Email:
dmancuso@opted.org<mailto:
dmancuso@opted.org>
URL:
www.optometriceducation.org<http: www.optometriceducation.org>
Pronouns: she, her, hers
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