BILL #: SEN-21-2018

 

TITLE:  A Bill to Create A Vision Care Center at the Student Health Center

 

SPONSORS:

Alayna Cameron, Off Campus Senator

(acamer11@vols.utk.edu)

Jason Pan, College of Engineering Senator

(jpan8@vols.utk.edu)

Vanna Dodson, Arts and Sciences Senator

(sdodso10@vols.utk.edu)

Mackenzie Hobbs, Off Campus Senator

(mhobbs10@vols.utk.edu)

 

DATE: November 20, 2018

 

 

Whereas, about 26 percent of incoming Freshman at the University of Tennessee are eligible for the Pell Grant, a need-based federal grant,

 

Whereas, many students do not own cars and do not have the ability to transport themselves to outside vision clinics,

 

Whereas, many students also do not have vision insurance and are required to pay out of pocket for their vision correction,

 

Whereas, corrected vision can greatly improve one’s ability to learn and succeed,

 

Whereas, many students first experience vision problems in college,

 

Whereas, 11 million Americans over the age of 12 need some sort of vision correction,

 

Whereas, other universities such as Ohio State University, The University of Georgia, UC Berkeley have a vision center as part of their student health care systems,

 

Be it hereby resolved, that the 2018-2019 Undergraduate Student Senate urges the Student Health Center to establish a vision clinic staffed with at least two full-time optometrists, and

 

Be it hereby resolved, that these optometrists discuss specific causes of eye problems and preventative steps for college students (i.e. Computer Related Problems, Low-Light Studying).

 

Sources:

 

https://news.utk.edu/2018/08/21/ut-welcomes-record-number-of-freshmen/

 

https://shs.osu.edu/services/optometry/

 

https://www.uhs.uga.edu/services/vision-clinic

 

https://uhs.berkeley.edu/medical/optometry

 

https://www.affordablecollegesonline.org/college-resource-center/college-vision-problems/