APA President-Elect Asks for Common Theme at 2007 Convention The Ballots are In! Council New Business Items – August 2006 2007 DLC – Mark Your Calendars Using APA Listservs to Engage Survey Participants Gearing Up for the Apportionment Ballots Building Bridges, Expanding Horizons A Letter from the APA President-Elect Division Officers: As you begin to consider programming initiatives for your division in 2007, I ask you to consider topics related to my theme for the 2007 convention which will be: Building Bridges, Expanding Horizons: Interdisciplinary and International Perspectives Psychology has always been a complex discipline, with its roots in basic science providing the necessary knowledge for applied research and the development of a wide range of applications. Recently this complexity has increased significantly. For example, the advent of neuroscience has fostered collaborations among psychologists in different areas of study as well as between psychologists and those in other scientific fields (such as biology and computer science). Other well-known examples of cross-area collaboration include the social/clinical interface, increasing connections between psychologists and political scientists, and overlapping interests among psychologists and economists. Furthermore, there has never been a greater recognition of the need for scientists and practitioners to work together on developing evidence-based applications. Psychology in the United States has also always been an international discipline, although with far more extensive connections with Canada and Europe than with other countries. Perhaps less apparent than the increase in interdisciplinary science, but clearly as important is the increasing internationalization of psychology. The International Union of Psychological Science currently lists 71 countries with National Members in the Union. And, yet, I think it’s fair to say that this enormous expansion of international interest in psychology has not (yet) had much effect on the teaching and practice of psychology in the US and perhaps in other countries as well. Although collaborations among psychologists from various countries have increased, I would hope that this convention would offer us the opportunity to help expand international collaboration among psychological educators, practitioners, and scientists. The 07 theme seeks to address both of these important issues and to encourage creativity and innovation throughout the programming for the San Francisco convention. I will, of course, try to emphasize this theme in my presidential hours, but I hope that there might also be other possible opportunities as well. In particular, I hope that as a Division president-elect you would consider the following ways to increase the interdisciplinary and international content of your division’s programming. Develop programs to include psychologists from various areas of psychological expertise. Emphasize topics in psychology that draw upon research by both psychologists and non-psychologists. Develop programs that encourage interaction among educators, practitioners, and /or scientists (or at least two of the above). Invite psychologists from other countries to attend/participate in the convention. In keeping with this international perspective, I will be sending an invitation to the president of each national psychological association. Although APA cannot cover their expenses, they will be honored guests throughout the convention activities. Encourage other international colleagues to attend and, if possible, to participate in convention programs. Develop programs based on comparisons across various countries/cultures. Develop programs that include psychologists from various countries/cultures. Develop programs that involve psychologists from various countries/cultures that focus on applications of psychology. Develop programs that involve educators and scientists from various countries/cultures that would focus on articulating how psychological principles can contribute to effective pedagogy in teaching psychology and in other areas as well (e.g., science and math). These are just some thoughts and examples of how we could build bridges and expand horizons in San Francisco in ‘07. I am eager to hear your ideas and plans about how we can develop an exciting convention and make a significant contribution to the long-term future of psychology. Please feel free to contact me via Email with questions or comments you may have about the theme and its implementation. Sincerely, Sharon Stephens Brehm, PhD 2006 APA President-Elect The Ballots are In! The 2006 Board of Directors and Recording Secretary ballots have been tallied and certified. The Election Committee is pleased to announce that Melba J. T. Vasquez, PhD, and Michael Wertheimer, PhD, have been elected as Members-at-Large of the Board of Directors, and Barry S. Anton, PhD, has been elected as Recording Secretary. Congratulations to the new APA Board Members! The terms for the elected officers will begin January 1, 2007 and end December 31, 2009. Council New Business Items – August 2006 The Committee on Division/APA Relations (CODAPAR) provides the following information to division officers to increase the awareness of and opportunity for division input to governance issues that are on the current agendas of APA boards and committees. What follows is a summary of new business items submitted between the close of the February 2006 and August 2006 sessions of Council. The Agenda Planning Group, which is made up of the chairs of APA standing boards, the Committee on the Structure and Function of Council, CODAPAR (representing division interests), the Committee for the Advancement of Professional Practice (representing state/provincial interests) and the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS) reviewed the items and referred them to APA groups for consideration. Divisions are invited to comment on these items. Summary statements for each item appear below, along with a list of the APA boards and committees to which the item was referred. The board or committee appearing in bold has been designated lead group for the item. Division comments on each item should be directed to the lead board or committee at the APA address. The board/committee acronyms used in the listing are: BAPPI – Board for the Advancement of Psychology in the Public Interest BCA – Board of Convention Affairs BEA – Board of Educational Affairs BPA – Board of Professional Affairs BSA – Board of Scientific Affairs CAPP – Committee for the Advancement of Professional Practice CIRP – Committee on International Relations in Psychology CODAPAR – Committee on Division/APA Relations COLI – Committee on Legal Issues CSFC – Committee on Structure and Function of Council P&P – Policy and Planning Board Item 25A: Disseminating Psychological First Aid This item recommends that Council establish a task force to develop a training program in psychological first aid to be used in communities throughout the U.S. The program would train members of the population at-large to support each other during times of disaster and to distinguish signs of persons in need of professional help. Referred to: CAPP, BPA, COLI and P&P Item 25B: National Psychology Week This item asks that APA engage in an effort to have the U.S. Congress declare a National Psychology Week. APA, Divisions, and State/Provincial/Territorial Psychological Associations would participate in projects that would bring national attention to the science, education and practice of psychology. Referred to: CAPP, BAPPI, BEA, BPA, BSA, CODAPAR and Membership Item 25C: Emancipating and Rehabilitating Enslaved Persons and Prevention of Future Slavery This item recommends that Council adopt a proposed resolution which deals with human trafficking and speaks to persons enslaved within the U.S. and the health care needs of those persons. Referred to: BAPPI, BSA, COLI Item 25D: Psychologists Participation at US Detention Center This items asks that Council advocate for a moratorium on the participation in any form of psychologists at detention centers where the rule of law (international and domestic) has been called into question by the executive branch of the U.S. government. Referred to: Ethics, BAPPI, BPA, CAPP, CODAPAR and COLI Item 25E: Responsibilities of Person(s) Submitting New Business Items This item asks Council to establish a guideline that the mover of a Council new business item would be an ex-officio participant in the procedures and actions associated with the item. Referred to: CSFC Item 25F: Ad Hoc Task Force to Investigate the Merits, Needs, and Outcomes of an Evidence Based Practice Policy for Applied Psychologists and the Benefits of Collaborating with International Associations Interested in Developing EBP Policy for Applied Psychology This is a request for a task force to investigate the merits of adopting an evidence based practice policy for applied psychologists and initiating collaborative dialogue with international associations (IAAP) interested in developing such policy. Referred to: BPA, BSA and CAPP Item 25G: Encourage Membership through Convention This item recommends adoption of a new policy that would give new APA members 3 waiver certificates for registration at the APA annual convention. Referred to: Membership, BCA, BSA, Finance Item 25H: The Ambassador’s Program of Division 41: A Novel Approach to the Recruitment of Minority Undergraduate Students to Graduate Study in Psychology and Law This item asks Council to approve funds for a program begun by Division 41 to recruit minority students to pursue graduate study in psychology and the law. The program has been funded for one year by Division 41 and seeks 2 additional years of funding under the auspices of the newly created Office of Applied Psychological Sciences in the Science Directorate. Referred to: BSA, BAPPI, BEA, CODAPAR and COLI Item 25I: Proposed Task Force on the Psychosocial Effects of War on Children This item recommends that Council approve a task force to review the research on the psychosocial effects of war on children and families, identify areas of needed culturally and developmentally appropriate research, and develop recommendations for culturally and developmentally appropriate practice and programs. Referred to: BAPPI, BPA, BSA and CIRP >2007 DLC – Mark Your Calendars Mark your calendars for the 2007 Division Leadership Conference being held January 19 -21 at the Capital Hilton Hotel in Washington D.C. Division Presidents-Elect attending this weekend long conference will participate in workshops and sessions - all geared towards helping them have a successful term in office by acquainting them with the APA governance structure and APA resources. It is also a venue for sharing information, best practices and tips that will jump-start your presidential initiatives, clue you in to pitfalls to avoid, and allow you to build relationships with other division leaders. If your President-Elect is unable to attend, divisions are encouraged to send another member of your executive board to represent the division at the meeting. For questions, please contact Troy Booker in the Division Services Office at (+1/202) 336-6121. Using APA Listservs to Engage Survey Participants APA has changed its policy regarding the use of APA division listservs in disseminating requests for survey participants. Formerly, APA prohibited the use of APA listservs for this purpose. The policy has been modified to allow divisions whose listservs are hosted by APA to decide whether they will allow students and other researchers to post their calls for survey participants on the division’s listserv. The posting should direct interested persons to an email address or website where additional information about the survey and the survey instrument can be accessed. It will be up to each division to decide whether to allow such requests to go out on its listserv(s). Each division should consider the issues involved including who from the division’s leadership will receive and review the requests before posting, whether the requestor must be a member or student affiliate of the division, and whether the requestor must be subscribed to the listserv. If your division decides that it will allow these postings, please contact Sarah Jordan in the Division Services Office and APA will add the division to a listing of (cloaked) email addresses for listserv administrators along with any restrictions as determined by the division. APA maintains its position on the limitations of identifying participants through notices placed on division listservs and will continue to reflect that position in the disclaimer posted on the Research Office webpage. The disclaimer statement follows: “APA does not endorse or pass along outside requests for research participation to any APA listserv. Divisions may post requests for research participants to their listservs. If you need more information about a Division listserv, it is recommended that you contact the listserv administrator of that Division. The Divisions included in this link (link to information) have indicated that they would be willing to consider posting requests for research participants from students and others to their listservs. You may be asked to join the Division listserv as an affiliate member and/or be a listserv subscriber prior to any posting. You will be bound by any rules and regulations regarding use of the listservs. Please note the following statements regarding the limits of division and other listservs as research samples. APA disclaimer regarding limits of division listservs as research samples. Listservs (Division and other APA discussion lists) make no claim to be exhaustive collections of members who may fit into one or more specific category (e.g., clinical psychologists, practitioners, educators, and so on). In fact some 45% of APA members do NOT belong to any one Division. By using a Division as the "universe" for one's respondents, researchers are excluding a large number of eligible participants and hence may be introducing bias into their research. Many members belong to more than one Division, and if the research is being sent to more than one Division, the researcher faces the challenge of defining response rate given duplication. APA members and others who are not APA members belong to Divisions and topical listservs for a number of reasons, some of these may not reflect the fact that the member works in the area covered by the Division or list in any more than a tangential sense - raising questions about the suitability of the sample to the research.” Get Your Division Members Ready to VOTE Now is the time for division officers to begin thinking about apportionment campaigning. The Apportionment Ballot to determine the 2008 Council of Representatives will be mailed to all voting members of the Association on November 1. The 45-day election period will close on December 18. Notify your division members via email, newsletters articles and listservs that by casting their 10 apportionment votes, they can significantly impact the APA governance structure. For questions or more information, contact the <Election Office. 2006 CODAPAR Members Chana K. Akins, PhD (01/06-12/08) University of Kentucky Department of Psychology 219 Kastle Hall Lexington, KY 40506-0001 Phone: (+1/859) 257-1103 Fax: (+1/859) 323-1979 Divisions: 6, 7, 28, 38, 45, 48, 50 and 53 Wayne J. Camara, PhD (01/05-12/07) The College Board 45 Columbus Avenue New York, NY 10023 Phone: (+1/212) 713-8069 Fax: (+1/212) 649-8427 Divisions: 5, 12, 14, 18, 19, 20, 24, 32 and 41 Kate F. Hays, PhD (01/05-12/07) The Performing Edge 730 Yonge Street Suite 226 Toronto, ON M4Y 2B7 CANADA Phone: (+1/416) 961-0487 Fax: (+1/416) 599-8287 Division: 10, 17, 29, 30, 31, 39, 42, 47 and 51 Richard S. Velayo, PhD (06/05-12/06) Pace University Psychology Department 41 Park Row Room 1324 New York, NY 10038 Phone: (+1/212) 346-1506 Fax: (+1/212) 346-1618 Divisions: 3, 23, 26, 27, 37, 40, 43, 52, and 54 Frank C. Worrell, PhD, Chair, (1/04-12/06) Graduate School of Education University of California Berkeley, CA 94720-1670 Phone: (+1/510) 643-4891 Fax: (+1/510) 642-3555 Divisions: 1, 13, 15, 16, 21, 25, 33, 34 and 36 Janice D. Yoder, PhD (01/06-12/08) University of Akron Department of Psychology Akron, OH 44325-4301 Phone: (+1/330) 972-8371 Fax: (+1/330) 972-5174 Divisions: 2, 8, 9, 22, 35, 44, 46, 49 and 55 Division Services Staff Troy Booker, Division Services Officer Keith Cooke, Division Services Manager Sarah Jordan, Director, Divisions Services Micheline Meyers, Division Services Coordinator Julian Slaughter, Division Services Associate 2006 Deadlines for Articles for the APA/Division Dialogue Please submit copy on diskette or via email to Troy Booker. November/December: October 23, 2006 Back to September/October homepage