|
APA Council of Representatives Report |
||
|
The National Perspective |
Melba J. T. Vasquez |
|
|
APA council includes 166 members, representing the 55 Divisions of APA, all state psychological associations, the psychological associations of the provinces of Canada, and the psychological associations of the territories of the United States. We met for more than 15 hours over three days at the end of July. From those meetings I have selected a few items that I think might be of interest to the Division 42 membership. Dr. Norman Anderson’s CEO report to Council included information about attendance at this conference; he announced initially that attendance topped 11,000 members and over 5500 members had family members with them. Final numbers were over 13,000! These attendance numbers far surpassed the 2003 convention in Toronto (over 7,000), and the Chicago convention (over 10,000). The convention was a huge success on many fronts. Dr. Anderson also described the Psychology 21 initiative—an initiative focused on strengthening our science agenda within APA. Dr. Steve Breckler, the new Executive Director of the Science Directorate has identified three critical issues that need immediate and sustained attention: 1) the growing concerns and complexities associated with the responsible conduct of research; 2) the need to nurture and build a stronger sense of a culture of professional service among our science colleagues; 3) the need to develop the infrastructure for science in psychology. To this end the budget included a new infusion of money to the Science Directorate. Once more we can report that APA finances are in good shape. After a $6 million deficit in 2001 and $1.3 million deficit in 2002, we are now back on course with a $2.4 million surplus in 2003 and a projected $200,000 surplus for 2004. We passed a $91 million budget for 2005 that includes an increase of $20.00 in convention registration fees. A comparison of convention fees across other professional organizations showed that we pay about 50% of what other professionals pay. The budget also included more money to attract major league, prime time convention speakers. Our asset base grew substantially this year, with $11 million in gains in our stock portfolio. We are in a new era of compliances and more stringent safeguards and mechanisms are required to fulfill audits. Dr. Dorothy Cantor gave an update of the American Psychological Foundation. It has grown from its 1953 beginning balance of $550.00 to 12 million dollars! The APF provides awards, travel and other grants, and focuses on various goals on behalf of psychology and human welfare. Council Member Dr. Glen Ally gave a report and overview of the successful process of Louisiana’s attainment of Prescription Privileges for Psychologists. It was an inspiring and highly informative presentation. Other Council business included the establishment of a new standing committee focused on Early Career Psychologists. The goal of this Committee is to provide a focal point for Association efforts to engage and retain a vital membership constituency. On their behalf we supported a motion that extends the ramp to eight years before new psychologists are required to pay the full freight for their membership dues. Council passed as APA policy two resolutions on same sex families. One resolution essentially supports legalization of same-sex civil marriages and opposes discrimination against gay and lesbian individuals. The resolution encourages APA to provide scientific and educational resources that inform public discussion and public policy development regarding sexual orientation and marriage. The second resolution also encourages APA to provide scientific and educational resources in matters of discrimination based on sexual orientation in matters of adoption, child custody and visitation, foster care, and reproductive services. In addition, Divisions 44 (Society for the Psychological Study of Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues) and Division 19 (Military Psychology) worked together to propose a new policy resolution, Sexual Orientation and Military Service. This new policy, endorsed by Council, eliminates APA’s prohibition on advertisements from the Department of Defense, and also reaffirms its opposition to discrimination based on sexual orientation. The Advertising Sales Office will revise APA advertising policy to reflect the resolution. Numerous other items on the agenda focused on increasing our attention to diversity issues. We extended for three more years the APA financial support to divisions and states that send ethnic minorities as their Council Representatives. Structural incentives like this have had immediate consequences—in three short years we have increased the numbers of ethnic minorities on Council from six to 18 (of the 166 members). Also Council passed a motion establishing diversity training for us at our February Council meeting and diversity training for members of all APA boards and committees at the spring consolidated meetings. All governance groups will now be asked to include in their annual reports a diversity section describing their accomplishments. Council also passed a motion to further fund the Public Education Campaign, and requested that the Executive Directors of the Practice and Science Directorates work together to identify opportunities to underscore the research that exists to support what psychologists do, and to incorporate relevant expertise in public education evaluation. For those of you interested in international issues, we adopted as APA policy a resolution on culture and gender awareness in international psychology, with numerous policy implications. Council was asked to receive the report from the APA delegation to the World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (WCAR), which took place in Durban, South Africa, in 2001. The report offers background on APA’s involvement at the United Nations, the selection of the APA delegation to the WCAR, general information about the WCAR, the role that the APA played at the meeting and its impact of on the outcomes of the Conference, post-WCAR activities and recommendations for actions to further the Conference agenda. Two issues were apparently contentious at the WCAR: 1) the issues of reparations for former slaves; and 2) the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. The United States government’s delegation withdrew from the conference due to its concerns that the conference was anti-Israel. At that time, the APA chose to stay at the meeting because it believed its role as a non-governmental organization (NGO) was to bring psychological expertise on the causes, effects and strategies to overcome racism, and that this was a valid and important role for APA’s representatives. Some Council members took issue with the report, and expressed the perception that anti-Semitism was a theme at the WCAR, and that the report should not be accepted. A substitute motion was introduced and approved to form a task force to wrestle with the diverse views and concerns about the conference, especially those that arose from the official Declarations and Program of Action that developed out of this UN Conference. The goal of the task force will be to seek resolutions that respect the diverse positions and concerns of our APA members. Members of the task force have since been appointed by President Diane Halpern and include Drs. Sandy Shullman, as Chair and representative from the Board of Directors, Neil Altman, Guillermo Bernal, Florence Kaslow, Corann Okorodudu, Bill Parham, and Melba Vasquez. The first Ray Fowler Award was presented to former APA CEO Ray Fowler in honor of his contributions to the Association. He announced that he was contributing his financial award to the American Psychological Foundation. Council of Representatives approved all proposed new, initial Fellows of APA, including those submitted by Division 42: Drs. Jana Martin, John Northam, Nina Thomas and Mary O’Leary Wiley. Division 42 also endorsed the following individuals previously designated as Fellows: Drs. Barry Anton, Elena Eisman, Kirk Schneider, Beverly Greene, and Peter Sheras. Congratulations to all! Current and former members of the Committee of Women in Psychology engaged in a reenactment of the Storming of Council. In 1970, 10 women members of APA stormed Council and wrenched the microphone away from the APA President to present a 52 item manifesto. The reenactment occurred as part of the 30th anniversary celebration of the formation of the APA Committee on Women in Psychology Finally, Dr. Stanley Graham announced that this was the last meeting for Dr. Stanley Moldawsky who has served on Council for eight terms, and a term on Board of Directors for a total of 28 years! Stanley began his service in 1976, and represented Divisions 12, 29 and mostly Division 42. Stanley Graham expressed deep appreciation for the wisdom and contributions that Dr. Moldawsky has provided to Council, and to the APA. Stanley received at least a five minute standing ovation! Thank you, Stanley, for all you have done for this Division as well! Copies of all the resolutions that establish APA policy and are endorsed by Council are available on the APA web site, www.apa.org. |
||
