|
Duties of the Executive Council
President
The President works with the Executive Council and the Executive Director to advise the Board of Trustees, appoint committee chairpersons and National Liaisons, and facilitate the development of programs to benefit the association and its members. The President represents this organization at affiliated meetings and serves as National Liaison to the National Board of Examiners in Optometry.
Vice President
The Vice President assumes the function of the President in the event of the President's failure or inability to perform the duties of office. The VP communicates directly with committee chairs appointed by the President and is responsible for these committees directly to the President and Council. The VP also serves as Parliamentarian at Board of Trustee's meetings, along with preparing the agenda and arranging for speakers to address the Board of Trustees' Meetings at the Annual Conference and Midyear Planning meeting. The VP calls for reports from the Trustees and Liaisons for the two annual meetings, and serves as the National Liaison to the Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry (ARBO).
Secretary
The Secretary is responsible for keeping accurate records of the minutes, voting, and policies of the Board of Trustees and Executive Council. The Secretary serves as the editor of Foresight, the national optometric student publication, in conjunction with the Executive Director. The Secretary communicates directly with the trustees and is responsible for maintaining dialogue between trustees and the Executive Council. The Secretary serves as the chair of the Website Committee and is responsible for maintenance of the website.
Treasurer
The Treasurer's main responsibility includes co-signing all checks, making necessary changes to the budget, coordinating benefit acquisitions, confirming that benefits have been received, and setting up regularly scheduled conference calls. The Treasurer is also the chair of the Benefits Committee and tallies the results of the benefit survey. The Treasurer will also maintain industry relations while trying to secure new benefits and sponsorship. Also, the Treasurer has the responsibility of chief editor of the annually revised Glossary of Ocular Terminology.
Duties of Trustees
The essence of being a Trustee is to be the link from each of the respective schools to the AOSA on a national level. Trustees are responsible for maintaining student membership and promoting membership after graduation. They speak at first year orientations and inform students about the benefits and importance of getting involved in organized optometry, and especially the AOSA. Trustees also promote Optometry's Meeting, the annual AOSA-AOA joint conferences that are held in various cities across America. They constantly fundraise so their AOSA chapter can sponsor travel grants for their students. Overall, trustees serve as representitives from each school and act as messengers of current national optometric issues.
What Does the Executive Council and Trustees Do at the Conference?
At meetings, the Board of Trustees program, plan, and budget for the coming year, make resolutions, amend the Constitution and Bylaws, and determine AOSA national policies. With the help of the AOA Conference Committee and the Student Planning Committee, the Trustees plan events for students during the conferences, including education and leisure activities. Each Trustee serves on a standing committee meant to benefit students, ranging from conducting surveys on useful references for boards preparation and study strategies to updating the AOSA website to better inform students and the public about the AOSA. Representitives from other optometric organizations, such as ARBO, NBEO, and ASCO, speak at the meetings and discuss new projects or programs within their organizations so that students may stay informed of the events happening within the profession.
Duties of National Liaisons
National Liaisons are appointed by the AOSA President-Elect. They serve as a two-way communicator between the allied organization and the AOSA. National Liaisons communicate directly between the organization and the AOSA President. National Liaisons are responsible for developing a working knowledge base of the organization, determining the current issues and goals of the organization and the AOSA for the coming year, determining the organization's expectations for the National Liaison, obtaining a list of the organization's meeting places and times, and determining the financial support the organization provides.
| 
