Appointed Members

Get Involved as an Appointed Member on COO Committees 

Serving as an Appointed Member is a personally and professionally rewarding way of ensuring safe, high-quality vision care for Ontario patients.  If you are a Registered Optician interested in using your knowledge and skill in the interest of public protection, consider getting involved in the COO as a: 

•    Appointed (non-Board) Member, or 
•    Appointed (non-Board) Discipline Committee Member

Appointments are for a two-year term beginning January 1, 2022, ending December 31, 2023. Compensation, including reasonable expenses, is provided. 

Appointed Members serve on College Committees 

Appointed Members serve on two or more College Committees, including the Discipline Committee. They participate in decision-making in the public interest and help to implement and support Committee and Board decisions. Appointed Members commit to attending meetings (including Committee and Board meetings, as well as strategic planning sessions), maintaining confidentiality, preparing for meetings by reviewing materials and undergoing training. Appointed Members can expect to attend 4 in-person Board meetings and approximately 3-8 Committee meetings per year, which often means arranging personal or work schedules to meet the time commitments involved. 

Appointed Discipline Committee Members

Appointed Discipline Committee Members serve on the Discipline Committee only. They sit on panels that hold hearings into allegations of professional misconduct and take part in delivering disciplinary order reprimands and writing discipline decisions. Appointed Discipline Committee Members commit to maintaining confidentiality and undergoing training. Discipline Committee Members can expect to attend approximately 1 - 4 hearings per year, which may mean arranging personal or work schedules to meet the time commitments involved.  Attendance at other Board, Committee or strategic planning meetings is not required in this role.  

Eligibility Requirements, Values and Attributes of Appointed Members 

To be eligible, you must be registered with the College and meet the eligibility requirements for Appointed Members as set out in Article 12.2 of the College's By-laws and the Appointed Committee Member Policy.

In addition to the eligibility requirements, Appointed Members must possess the following values and attributes: 

•    Accountable and Honest: Acts with integrity and speaks the truth, is willing to take responsibility for decisions, and follow through on commitments. 
•    Collaborative: Encourages divergent thinking and builds consensus; stands behind collective decisions. 
•    Adaptable: Adjusts easily and quickly to changing evidence and environments.
•    Public Service oriented: Prioritizes public interest over personal or professional interests.

•    Respectful: Works effectively with others, appreciates different perspectives, fosters robust dialogue.
•    Inclusive: Creates a culture that welcomes diverse perspectives, people and ideas.
•    Self-Aware: Understanding of personal strengths, areas of development and potential biases. Open to reflection, feedback, continuous growth and improvement
•    Professional: Demonstrates the skills and attributes expected of committee members acting in the public interest. 

Applicants should have the following experience, skills and knowledge, or be willing to learn them during the appointment: 

•    Cultural Safety and Humility: Appreciation and respect for unique perspectives, cultural contexts, power imbalances, and biases in deliberation and decision-making.
•    Diplomacy: Articulate a perspective, engage in respectful, and sometimes difficult discussions with the committee, while consistently reinforcing a culture of trust.
•    Health Professions Regulation: Understand the role of health profession regulators, the mandate to protect the public, applicable legislation, and the core work of the College.
•    System Thinking: Knowledge of the complex system in which the College works, the stakeholders within that system, and the potential impacts of College decisions. 
•    Technological Competence: Use technology to work effectively and uphold security and privacy.
•    Governance: Understand the role of Appointed Members and good governance principles. 
•    Organizational Decision Making: Understand the policy development and decision-making process. Base decisions on objective principles informed by evidence and best practices.
•    Risk management/oversight: Identify, communicate, and mitigate safety, operational, financial and strategic risks potentially arising from committee decision making.

As an Appointed Member, you will participate in Board training. The type of training commonly offered  includes:

•    Introduction to the College
•    Communications Training
•    Facilitation Training 
•    Sexual Abuse Prevention 
•    Governance Training 
•    Diversity, Equity and Inclusion 
•    Technical Training on Zoom and other College online platforms
•    Jurisprudence 
•    Legislation, fiduciary duties and code of conduct   

To apply, please email your submission to crobertson@collegeofopticians.ca.  

Please submit: 

•    A completed Eligibility Checklist, 
•    A resume and a letter of interest indicating your preference for either role. 
•    Three references 

A telephone interview for selected candidates will be held with the College's Executive Committee. Candidates will be asked questions relating to how they meet the required competencies above. 

The Executive Committee will make recommendations regarding appointments to the Board at the December Board meeting. 

Please note that if you are selected you will be required to submit your 2021 Professional Portfolio to the College in early January 2022, in accordance with the Director and Committee Member Responsibilities Policy. This policy requires Registered Opticians serving on the Board or on Committees to submit their completed continuing education portfolios on an annual basis. Failing to submit your completed portfolio is grounds for disqualification from Committees.