SUMMER 2024
TALKNG HEADS
“How will alumni.ico.edu help alumni connect with fellow classmates and colleagues?”
ICO recently launched a new feature that I am confident will be helpful to alumni. At the suggestion of ICO’s Alumni Council, we now have a dedicated website and digital platform exclusively accessible to ICO alumni.
On alumni.ico.edu you will find a host of features. It is now easier than ever to connect with alumni through our online directory. In the directory, you can update your information and search for classmates and friends. You can connect with the ICO community by signing up to be a resource for students and share open positions and career opportunities. You can even list optometric equipment for sale. We have made requesting diplomas and credentials simpler. There is also a space for you to share photos and personal or professional updates. It’s all accessible at alumni.ico.edu.
My question for this ICO Matters panel is, “How will alumni.ico.edu help alumni connect with fellow classmates and colleagues?”
Moe Eid, OD ’03
President; Alumni Council
As part of the Alumni Council, we wanted to find a way to connect with alumni and to get them more involved at ICO. I can say from experience that the only time I would ever go to the ICO website was because I needed transcripts or a copy of my diploma. After several discussions, we concluded there was no place where alumni could engage with the College (and one another).
There was also a consensus that alumni were not aware of events on campus. I can distinctly remember attending reunions, talking about them later with my classmates, and they didn’t even know it had happened.
Lastly, we needed a platform that was accessible to everyone. I graduated in 2003; at that time Gmail wasn't even around. So, we had a Yahoo group. Then a few years later, we got a Facebook group, but not everyone is on Facebook. Every ICO alumni can access this site. Alumni, you will need to sign up, but once you’ve signed up, you can do so much with it.
I'll give you one small example of how I have been able to use the site. I had a patient visit a few months ago, around the time alumni.ico.edu launched. She saw me because of a family member’s recommendation, but she doesn’t live in the area, and she needed additional care. I pulled up the site and found a classmate who practices 20 minutes from where she lives. I was able to refer this patient to my classmate. Instead of just telling her to find a doctor in her area, I helped her find someone who specializes in what she needs, and I kept it in the ICO family. Helping a fellow classmate out was a bonus. Personally, I love getting referrals from former classmates. When I refer, I know that my patients will be as well taken care of as they would be at my practice because we were all trained with the same rigorousness. We are the largest alumni network in the country, and I’m excited to reconnect with so many of my colleagues.
This site is by alumni for alumni, and we’ve built it to foster communication between all ICO alumni whether that’s connecting a new grad to a job opportunity or helping a grad from 40 years ago sell their practice.
But more than building professional connections, I’m most excited about reconnecting with my classmates. I can’t tell you how often I might be at a conference or even on vacation, and I know I have a classmate who practices in the area. Unfortunately, I have an old number or I’m messaging them on a platform they barely use, and I’m unable to connect with them. Now with alumni.ico.edu we have a database that will allow us to reconnect. That part is just so valuable to me.
One note to everyone: this platform will only work if we all take part. So, when you have a few minutes, sign up, log in and update your information. That way you’ll know when events happen at ICO, but more importantly you’ll get to reconnect with your classmates. I for one am very much looking forward to reconnecting with so many of you.
Jeffrey Johnson
Director of Digital Strategies
I’ve built a lot of websites for many different audiences, but before alumni.ico.edu, there was no single space dedicated exclusively to alumni.
Based on the Alumni Council’s feedback, it was clear that ico.edu alone would not suffice. Alumni have specific needs, and we needed a space dedicated to them. So, we reviewed several options and found a platform that now serves as a one-stop-shop for all things alumni. We found a product that, at its core, offers networking opportunities like never before. Together, we have created a robust system that features many tools – some new, some familiar.
The directory allows alumni to search our database of over 8,000 ICO alumni by filtering and sorting profiles by “class year” or “name.” Now, though, there’s a new interactive map to easily provide a comprehensive look of where ICO alumni are located across the globe. Zoom in to any part of the world and if the profile is set to “public,” the ICO alumni in that part of the world will appear in real time. This is a great resource when alumni are traveling, attending conferences, or referring a patient to another clinic.
There’s a healthy mix of new features and familiar assets ranging from an ICO Marketplace to links to the continuing education page. There are too many things to list here so I hope alumni take the time to explore the website on their own.
From the start, we built this site for alumni to network with one another, but also, to open conversations between ICO and alumni. With alumni.ico.edu, users have more ways than ever before to contact us. Further, alumni are much more in charge of how their information is shared and can determine their own level of engagement. By keeping their profiles up to date, users can opt-in or opt-out of specific communications from ICO and each other.
Ultimately, the success of alumni.ico.edu is dependent on alumni engaging with the platform. So, when you have a few minutes, take a look. Hopefully, you’ll be pleased with what you find.
Martha Acosta
Coordinator of Alumni Engagement
First, I am excited to have a site dedicated to connecting with alumni. The response so far has been great!
I hope alumni.ico.edu will serve as a space not only to network, but that it will help alumni share all kinds of news. alumi.ico.edu has so much to offer our alumni. You can get news about ICO, and you can also share your own news. It can be a professional site, where you can sell equipment or even a practice, as well as a place to celebrate personal achievements.
The best thing by far is that we now have a platform for all ICO alumni across class years to connect. We finally have a place where we can effectively communicate happenings in our alumni’s lives whether that’s the birth of a child/grandchild, a retirement, or a passing.
It also provides us with a space to effectively announce events happening at ICO, whether that’s homecoming or CE. All alumni events will be accessible in one place.
And personally, I get to interact with all the classes I’ve gotten to know over the years. I get to hear about their kids, the practice they’re buying, and it’s just been great for me to reconnect with so many graduates.
I’m so happy to have this platform available. As the platform administrator, I look forward to seeing alumni take advantage of this amazing tool.