Following a period of review of the College's committee structure, a new structure has now been introduced. The review started with a report commissioned by the Board of Trustees, which was undertaken by Helen Stanforth. Council members contributed their views, and the Board established a Governance Group to scrutinise all comments and make recommendations. As a result the Standing Committees of the Board will now encompass Research, Education, and Membership and Standards. The Education Committee will have a broader remit than the Academic Committee, looking holistically at all aspects of optometric education and training. The Membership and Standards Committee will encompass the role of the Professional Development and Standards Committee and the Guidance Review Group, which have been disbanded, as has the Member Services and Communications Committee. Communication issues will be reported directly to the Board of Trustees.
Members of the College's Council have nominated themselves for their committee(s) of choice, and the new committees will meet for the first time in September and October. There will be an increase in the number of regionally elected members of Council on each committee, from 7 to 10, and each committee will also have two representatives of the Lay Advisory Panel as voting members.
Until the next AGM the committees will have interim chairmen (who, according to Standing Orders, must also be trustees) as follows: