September 2023 Newsletter

Board Meeting | CCP Reminder | Refracting Tools
 
COBC's 2022-2023 Annual Report

Board meeting

COBC's next board meeting will be held virtually on Thursday, September 14, beginning at 8:30 AM.

Attendance is not mandatory, but registrants are always welcome to join COBC's board meetings to observe. Those interested in joining on September 14 can RSVP by emailing cdodge@cobc.ca no later than Friday, September 8. A Zoom link will be provided to those who RSVP.

Learn more and RSVP
 

CCP cycle ending soon

If you are currently in the third and final year of your continuing education cycle, you must fulfill all the requirements of your Continuing Competency Program (CCP) no later than December 31, 2023.

The program is self-managed, so you are responsible for ensuring that all the steps have been completed in the online system.

This includes: taking the assessment(s), creating goals for yourself, finding and completing activities to achieve those goals, and reflecting on how it went.

Please log in to your profile on the COBC website to log your progress. If you have questions about CCP, you can visit our website to access guides and tools or contact Christopher Dodge, our Manager of Quality Assurance.

Unsure when your cycle ends?

Log in to your COBC account and navigate to the HOME tab to see your cycle end date, along with other important dates related to your registration.

(If you can't see any dates in your HOME tab, it may be that you need to complete your log-in security questions!)
 

Automated Refracting Toolkit
1-year anniversary

In September of 2022, we released our Automated Refracting Toolkit—a wealth of tools for refracting opticians, including mandatory forms and optional guidance documents for both optical professionals and clients. Feedback on the tools has been overwhelmingly positive.

Whether you're new to refracting or you've held the certification since it was introduced, this Toolkit is for you! 

Review the Toolkit

Download individual forms 

If you're a refracting optician and you're working on your CCP, consider creating a learning goal related to the review and implementation of the Automated Refracting Toolkit. Self-directed learning is an excellent way to become more comfortable with the tools and how they support your practice.
 

What's going on at COBC

As we transition from summer into fall, we're wrapping up projects and starting new ones:

  • Bylaw updates (just completed)
    The consultation period for our recent bylaw amendments has now passed, and the changes are in effect as of August 29. The most recent version of our bylaws can be found here.     
  • Updates to our email system (just completed)
    Our IT team recently identified and corrected an issue with our email system, which may have been causing COBC emails to be delivered to registrants' junk/spam folders. If this issue affected you, this may be the first email you've seen from us in a little while. We thank you for your patience while we sorted things out!
     
  • Welcoming new registrants
    Our team is delighted to see so many new applications from individuals who have recently passed their NACOR Exam(s). If you or someone you know is working on their registration right now, the Supplemental Package for Registration is an essential part of the process! We're happy to answer any questions at reception@cobc.ca or 604-742-6472 ext. 1701.
     
  • Board and committee meetings
    September is a busy month for COBC, as our Board, Quality Assurance Committee, Registration Committee, and Inquiry Committee are each holding meetings.
    Interested in learning more about the work of these groups, or maybe even getting involved? Check out our Volunteers page.
     
  • Reflecting on our commitment to Indigenous Anti-Racism
    In collaboration with other colleges in the BC Health Regulators group, COBC is reflecting on the work that we've done since making a Joint Apology and Commitment to Action in 2021 and laying the groundwork for new projects. We look forward to sharing our progress report later in the month.

Don't forget: September 30 is National Day for Truth & Reconciliation.
 

Did you know?

There is no distinction between the titles "optician" and "Licensed Optician"—both are reserved for the exclusive use of COBC registrants in accordance with the Health Professions Act. If you're registered in good standing with COBC, you can use both of these titles to refer to yourself. If you're not registered, or your licence has been suspended, you cannot use either of them.

College of Opticians of BC operates on the traditional, ancestral and unceded Coast Salish territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations.

Unsubscribing from this email will revoke your consent to receive email correspondence from us as outlined in Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) . We will no longer be able to send you important reminders pertaining to your license, which may affect your registration with the College of Opticians of BC. Please contact us if you have any questions.