2003 Annual Reports for Boards and Committees

American Psychological Association of Graduate Students

Bi-Annual Report
January 2004

Carol Williams-Nickelson, Psy.D.
APAGS Associate Executive Director

APAGS is the single largest continuing committee and one of the largest constituency groups of the APA, as well as the largest organized group of psychology graduate students worldwide. Similar to the APA, APAGS implements governance initiatives and policies, provides direct member contact and support, develops resources to meet the information and advocacy needs of members, provides leadership opportunities, and provides special convention programming and other distinct training. APAGS has grown in scope and influence while adhering to its original mission to:

• promote the highest standards in the research, teaching, and practice of psychology in order to further the education and development of all psychology students;
• represent all graduate study specialties of psychology, facilitating information exchange between these groups;
• promote leadership development in order to communicate and advocate for the concerns of students; and
• establish and maintain channels of communication between APAGS and schools, universities, training centers, institutions, and other members of the psychological community.

The following is a summary of APAGS highlights over the last six months:

• The third issue of the new APAGS magazine, gradPSYCH, was released in January 2004. A survey conducted at the 2003 APA convention confirmed that the stories and ideas for upcoming and proposed articles are on track with the interests of our constituency. A gradPSYCH listserv (GRADPSYCHTALK@lists.apa.org) has recently been created to facilitate discussions related to articles.

• APAGS will launch its Division Student Representative Network (DSRN) at the Division Leadership Conference in January 2004. The DSRN is designed help provide support to student division leaders through APAGS and to encourage divisions to support APAGS initiatives and activities.

• With 2003 marking the 15 th anniversary of APAGS, there was a range of celebrations and activities throughout the year. Most notably, APAGS hosted a variety of events at the 2003 annual APA convention. In addition to a program recognizing APAGS' past achievements and future aspirations, we were able to host a swing dance, alumni dinner, and provide many special giveaways to celebrate and promote our first 15 years.

• The APAGS Internship Workbook was transformed into an APA published book released in July 2003.Internships in Psychology: The APAGS Workbook for Writing Successful Applications and Finding the Right Match, (Williams-Nickelson & Prinstein, Eds) has sold approximately 2,473 copies since its release. It is currently on the best seller list for APA publications and will be reprinted and regularly updated based on its overwhelming success.

• On November 14-16, 2003, the APAGS Committee met for a strategic planning meeting. The Committee reviewed statements relating to APAGS' mission, vision, and values; reviewed existing strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities; identified key factors and issues, and proposed strategies and goals to help meet APAGS' mission; identified stakeholders and partners needed to implement the strategies and reach the goals; and outlined budget considerations. The purpose of the plan is to drive APAGS activities and provide a baseline for measuring success. The drafted plan is currently being revised and edited and will be revisited at the March 2004 APAGS Committee Meeting.
• The APA Membership office, in collaboration with APAGS, has launched several recruitment efforts in the past few months. A Membership Toolkit intended to educate members to the benefits of the association was created and mailed to all APAGS' Campus Representatives. We will also be conducting a 'Student-Get-A-Student' contest to prompt current student affiliates to encourage their peers to become members of APA/APAGS. The contest is time limited and will take place through the month of February 2004.

• November marked the launch of our new Campus Representative Bulletin. This quarterly electronic bulletin was created to enhance reciprocal communication between APAGS and graduate students, so that APAGS can address issues of concern and keep students informed about current initiatives. The bulletin includes highlights of the breadth of APAGS activities, including science, practice, education, diversity, and legislative issues.

APAGS operates on an academic year, transitioning leadership each August at the APA Convention. The APAGS chair serves a three-year term, as chair-elect, chair and past-chair. The six elected APAGS members at large serve two-year terms, each with a specific foci. APAGS subcommittee chairs are appointed and serve two-year terms.

The following are updates on the activities and initiatives of the APAGS Committee and Subcommittee members:

APAGS has been involved with a workgroup addressing the issue of how training programs can address and work with students impairment/competency problems. The goal of this group is to ultimately develop a model and training materials that will facilitate faculty preparedness and capacity to deal well with emerging trainee issues.

APAGS representatives attended the APA Education Directorate's Educational Leadership Conference in September 2003.

APAGS collaborates on special projects and programs with the Committee for the Advancement of Professional Practice (CAPP), the Board of Professional Affairs (BPA), the BPA Advisory Committee on Colleague Assistance (AACA), and the APA practice Directorate. APAGS will send up to 16 delegates to the Practice Directorate's State Leadership Conference in March 2004.

The First Diversity Dissertation Scholarship was awarded in 2003 and APAGS is currently seeking ways to provide additional funding for this award for 2004 and subsequent years. APAGS is working to be more directly involved in the programmatic development of the 2005 National Multicultural Summit (NMCS), since attending the previous two summits.

A new electronic Campus Representative Bulletin has been created to inform APAGS Campus Representatives (CR's) about APAGS activities, opportunities, and member benefits on a quarterly basis. The first issue was delivered electronically to all CR's in November 2003.

APAGS has developed a Division Student Representative Network to help APA's 53 Divisions provide more membership benefits for graduate students and boost student membership in divisions. APAGS developed the network to reach out to divisions and assist them with enhancing professional development opportunities for students—such as mentoring programs and convention programming. Students that belong to the DSRN are subscribed to a closed APAGS listserv where they can exchange ideas and information with other student representatives. The DSRN will be launched at the Division Leadership Conference in January 2004.

APAGS worked in collaboration with the APA Ethics Committee to award the 2003 Graduate Student Ethics Writing Prize. APAGS is currently working to develop joint projects with the APA Science Student Council and increase collaboration between both groups so that we may better serve our constituency. We are also currently working with the APA Membership Office to attract more "bench science" students to the association.

APAGS Subcommittee Updates

Convention

The APAGS Convention Committee met in December 2003 to decide on the APAGS convention programming for the 2004 APA convention in Honolulu. After careful rating, review and deliberation, the Committee has agreed on a tentative schedule for our 12 allotted programming hours as well as the programming we will offer in the APAGS Suite. The APAGS Convention Ambassador program that has been a success for the last two conventions will return in 2004. In collaboration with the Continuing Education Office, we anticipate being able to provide free convention registration to those who volunteer their time.

APAGS will again host the pre-convention APAGS Internship Workshop. The workshop is designed to help students successfully navigate the internship application process. All attendees receive a copy of Internships in Psychology: The APAGS Workbook for Writing Successful Applications and Finding the Right Match.

Advocacy Coordinating Team (ACT)

ACT focuses on national and state legislation that affects psychology. ACT's mission is to educate, motivate and empower students to become more politically active in order to advance psychology as a profession and science. ACT manages the network of approximately 200 active APAGS Campus Representatives nationwide through its 6 Regional Advocacy Coordinators (RACs) and 52 State Advocacy Coordinators (SACs).

Currently, the ACT Committee is working to maintain the accuracy of the APAGS Network and Database, develop a list of target schools and states which do not presently have SAC's or CR's, and to broaden the size of the ACT network by engaging in targeted recruitment of schools and states.

Committee on Ethnic Minority Affairs (CEMA)

CEMA has focused efforts on further developing many of its' initiatives, such as the APAGS-CEMA Grant Program, Regional Diversity Coordinator Program, and the Kenneth and Mamie Clark Award. In addition, APAGS-CEMA has continued to support the development and maintenance of independent graduate student groups that address the interests for ethnic minority students. CEMA has also worked toward increasing the support and involvement of ethnic minority psychology professionals in the professional development of ethnic minority graduate students. CEMA is currently working with the APA Research Office to disseminate a survey to assess the experiences of ethnic minority graduate students and to evaluate their satisfaction with the level of training in multicultural psychology.

Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Concerns (CLGBTC)

CLGBTC has established a National Mentoring Program for LGBT Graduate Students where individuals are paired with psychologists who assist them through a myriad of graduate phases from application to dissertation. CLGBTC has created a Needs Assessment for ongoing feedback and focus of priorities and is working with other groups within APAGS to provide training programs with access to APA Guidelines related to diversity.

The APAGS Web page (www.apa.org/apags) is content-rich and provides critical professional development information and resources to graduate students and others who visit the site. It includes an online version of past gradPSYCH issues, APAGS elections and other leadership opportunities, information on scholarships and awards, convention information, and listserv descriptions and instructions. Articles, links and other resources on special topics of interest to graduate and undergraduate students are included and are constantly being developed.

gradPSYCH

Launched in May 2003, the new APAGS magazine has become a valuable resource for APAGS members. A gradPSYCH listserv (GRADPSYCHTALK@lists.apa.org) has recently been created to facilitate discussions related to articles and to determine what students wish to see in future issues.

APAGS listservs are national forumswhere students can pose questions and provide announcements while obtaining support and receiving accurate information in a safe environment. The APAGS open listservs include:

• APAEMGS – ethnic minority student issues are discussed
• APAGSLGBT – discussion forum for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students
• APAGSABILITIES – student disability issues are discussed
• APAGSINTERNATIONAL – discussion list for international students studying in the United States
• APAGSINTERNSHIP – for students preparing for, and on, predoctoral internships in professional psychology
• APAGSREP – a discussion list for the network of APAGS Campus Representatives, including legislative action alerts
• APAGSWOMEN – discussion list on women’s issues of balancing career, family and leadership
• CLINAPAGS – discussion list for students studying clinical psychology
• COGAPAGS – discussion list for students studying cognitive psychology
• APAGS-DSRN-a closed list specifically for student division leaders.
• GRADPSYCHTALK-a forum for discussions among APAGS members and APA/APAGS staff and governance about articles featured in gradPSYCH.
• MENTORS – connecting practitioner students to private practitioners in Division 42 for advice and guidance on establishing a career in private practice or consulting
• PSYCGRAD – a general APAGS announcement list

Resource Guides

APAGS provides the following handbooks for specific graduate student issues:

• APAGS Survival Guide for Ethnic Minority Graduate Students

• APAGS Survival Guide for Students with Disabilities

• Prescription Privileges Fact Sheet: What Students Should Know About the APA’s Pursuit of Prescription Privileges for Psychologists

• Networking Guide for Students within State, Provincial, and Territorial Psychological Associations

• Mentoring, Balance and Self-Care – Especially for Women: A Collection of Articles and Resources

• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Students Convention Survival Guide

• Convention Survival Guide for Students with Disabilities

• Convention Survival Guide for Ethnic Minority Students

• Convention Survival Guide for APAGS members.

Liaisonships that Benefit Students

APAGS committee members and staff represent students to many boards and committees in and affiliated with the APA. This involvement helps students have a voice in shaping the policies and initiatives that will affect them and their future. Some of these boards and committees include the:

• APA Board of Directors

• APA Council of Representatives

• Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC)

• Council of Chairs of Training Councils (CCTC)

• Committee for the Advancement of Professional Practice (CAPP)

• Board for the Advancement of Psychology in the Public Interest (BAPPI)

• Board of Educational Affairs (BEA)

• Board of Professional Affairs (BPA)

• Board of Scientific Affairs (BSA)

• Board of Convention Affairs (BCA)

• Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB)

• The National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology (NRHSPP)

• National Council of Schools of Professional Psychology (NCSPP) Psychology Executives Roundtable (PER)

At its August 2002 Council meeting, the APA Council of Representatives approved, and forwarded to the membership for approval, a Bylaws change that would allow the Chair of APAGS to serve as a voting member of Council and a non-voting member of the Board of Directors. The proposed amendment for an APAGS Voting Representative to Council and Non-Voting Representative to the Board of Directors was approved in a landslide victory (11,355 - 86% in favor, and 1,848 - 14% not in favor). The amendment passed and the change was effective January 2003, when the APAGS’ chair began serving.

In addition, APAGS enjoys full voting membership on the:

• Committee on Accreditation
• Psychology Executives Roundtable
• Trilateral Forum on Psychology

APAGS funds a handful of prestigious scholarships and awards and has partnered with other APA groups to offer new awards including the:

• APAGS Award for Outstanding State or Provincial Psychological Association of the Year is a cash award that recognizes a State or Provincial Psychological Association for superior performance in promoting graduate student development, involvement, and joint APAGS/SPPA membership. This award is funded jointly by APAGS and CAPP with support and contribution by Division 31, State Psychological Association Affairs. Student Ethics Paper Prize is given by APAGS and the APA Ethics Committee for the best paper on psychology and ethics written by a graduate student. “Psychology and ethics” is broadly defined, to include any empirical or theoretical paper that examines psychology and ethics in relation to science or research, practice, education, public interest, or theory of ethics.

• Diversity Dissertation Scholarship is designed to support doctoral research that examines issues of diversity, including racial/ethnic differences; disability issues; women’s issues; and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues.

• David Pilon Scholarship for Training in Professional Psychology is designed to promote future supplemental training and education experiences in professional practice not otherwise available to a student so that an identifiable increase in knowledge will result from the training.
  
• Scott Mesh Honorary Scholarship for Research supports dissertation research leading to a doctoral degree in psychology.

• Ellin Bloch and Pierre Ritchie Honorary Scholarship topic is determined annually. Each year, the APAGS Committee selects a research topic area that relates to an important social issue or an under-represented group in psychology. The topic for 2003 was “Crisis Management.” The topic for 2004 is “Resilience.”

• Nancy B. Forest and L. Michael Honaker Master’s Scholarship for Research in Psychology funds thesis research.

• Raymond D. Fowler Award honors a psychologist who has made an outstanding contribution to the professional development of students, including encouraging and facilitating academic and/or scientific excellence, encouraging broader socialization of students and helping students to shape their own professional identity. Candidates for the award are nominated by graduate student members of APAGS.

• Kenneth and Mamie Clark Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Professional Development of Ethnic Minority Graduate Students recognizes the efforts of ethnic minority psychologists (researchers, academics, clinicians, and/or administrators) for their contributions and commitment to the academic and professional development of ethnic minority graduate students. Candidates must be nominated by at least two graduate student members of APAGS.

• APAGS Department of the Year Award is given annually to a graduate psychology department that has exemplified an outstanding level of commitment towards graduate students and graduate student life, recognizing superior assistance and attention to students’ needs, as well as excellent faculty-student relations.

• APAGS Outstanding Professional Development Program Award, made possible through the generosity of Dr. Stuart C. Tentoni, is offered to encourage students to submit proposals for APAGS convention programming and to attend and participate in the annual APA convention. All proposals that are accepted for APAGS convention programming are automatically considered for this award. There is no formal application process.

• APA/APAGS Award for Distinguished Professional Contribution by a Graduate Student is awarded by the Board of Professional Affairs and APAGS. This award is given to a graduate student who has demonstrated exemplary performance in working with an underserved population in an applied setting or who has developed an innovative method for delivering health services to an underserved population.

Information about APAGS can be found at the APAGS website: www.apa.org/apags

The current APAGS Committee members are:

Christopher Loftis, MS, Past Chair and Acting Chair

Jessica Percodani, MS, Chair Elect

Susan D'Esposito, BA, Member at Large, Diversity Focus

Angela Green, MS, Member at Large, General Focus

Patrick Bennett, MA, Member at Large, Research/Academic Focus

Stephen Hampe, MSEd, Member at Large, Practice Focus

Michael Madson, MSE, NCC, Member at Large, Education Focus

Ira Saiger, Member at Large, Communications Focus

Yaron Rabinowitz, MS, Advocacy Coordinating Team Chair

Anthony Castro, MS, Committee on Ethnic Minority Affairs Chair

Andre Vlok, MA, APAGS Convention Committee Chair

Espen Correll, MA, Committee for Lesbian, Gay, Bixexual, and Transgender Concerns

APAGS Staff Members are:

Carol Williams-Nickelson, Psy.D., Associate Executive Director

Betsy Horrocks, Projects and Communications Coordinator

Gabriela Schneider, Web Master

Starleetah Gaddis, Administrative Assistant

American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS)
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 336-6014
apags@apa.org
http://www.apa.org/apags

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