2004 Annual Reports for Boards and Committees

COMMITTEE ON STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF COUNCIL

Members

Harriette W. Kaley, PhD, Chair; Alice F. Chang, PhD; Marylou Cheal, PhD; Douglas C. Haldeman, PhD; Edmund J. Nightingale, PhD; Susan K. Whitbourne, PhD

Meeting Dates

CSFC met on March 26 & 27, 2004, and November 5 & 6, 2004.

Highlights

Election of Chair for 2005

CSFC elected Edmund J. Nightingale, PhD, as chair-elect. Dr. Nightingale's term as chair will begin January 1, 2005, and end December 31, 2005.

Council Member Handbook

CSFC reviewed a newly designed Council Member Handbook and recommended several changes and additions to the handbook. The Council Member Handbook will be sent to all Council members in early 2005.

New Council Member Orientation Sessions

CSFC will hold three orientation sessions in February 2005 as follows: Session I, Thursday, February 17, from 2 to 4 p.m.; Session II, Friday, February 18, from 5 to 6 p.m.; Session III, Saturday, February 19, from 5 to 6 p.m. Topics will be as follows: Session I, what to expect from the caucus and Council meetings, tips on how to read the Council agenda and budget materials and how to write new business items; Session II, legal responsibilities of Council members, APA parliamentary procedure and an overview of the association and; Session III, an overview of the budget process and how to get elected to a board or committee.

Council Representation for Ethnic Minority Psychological Associations (American Association of Asian Psychologists, Association of Black Psychologists, Society of Indian Psychologists and National Latino/a Psychologists Association) (NBI #28A)

CSFC voted to recommend that Council approve the following substitute motion:

Council asks that the following ethnic minority associations be invited for the next three years to send a representative to serve as an observer to the APA Council of Representatives: American Association of Asian Psychologists, Association of Black Psychologists, Society of Indian Psychologists and National Latino/a.

The observers from the ethnic minority associations shall: (a) receive all except confidential materials provided to the Council of Representatives; (b) attend all Council sessions, workshops and caucuses with the exception of the Executive Sessions of Council; (c) be seated in a portion of the Council chamber designated for their use; (d) speak to agenda items of direct concern to their constituents, if specifically invited to do so by the Presiding Officer. The observers shall not be entitled to vote on matters before the Council.

Council further requests that the Policy and Planning Board (P&P) and Committee on the Structure of Council (CSFC) consider developing Bylaw and Association Rule changes that would provide for the above ethnic minority associations to have a voting seat on the APA Council. P&P and CSFC are asked to consider requiring that the ethnic minority associations become affiliates of APA in order to be eligible to have a voting seat on Council.

CSFC discussed the following policy approved by Council in August 2001 and voted to recommend that Council continue the policy for an additional five years. (The policy would apply for those elected 2005-2010.)

Because it believes that racial and ethnic diversity in the membership of Council has not been and is not currently satisfactory, Council finds that a program to provide incentives to Divisions and State and Provincial Associations to elect ethnic minorities as Council representatives is in the best interest of APA.  

Accordingly APA will reimburse any Division or State or Provincial Psychological Association for the expenses incurred by representatives to Council who are ethnic minorities and who are elected during the years 2002-2004, to attend Council meetings. Reimbursement will be provided to Divisions, State and Provincial Psychological Associations for transportation, hotel and meal expenses for both the February and August meetings of Council. APA strongly encourages Divisions and State and Provincial Associations to submit one or more slates of nominees comprised solely of ethnic minorities.  

For purposes of this program, ethnic minority identity is determined by self-identification as a member of one of the following four U.S. ethnic minority groups: African American/Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian American/Pacific Islander, and Hispanic / Latino.

Council requests that the Board conduct a review of the effectiveness of this proposal and provide a recommendation to Council in July 2004 regarding funding its continuance beyond the 2004 election.  

Furthermore, Council acknowledges that this represents an important first step in increasing ethnic minority participation in APA. Accordingly, Council directs the Committee on the Structure and Function of Council and Membership Committee to develop specific recommendations to Council to increase ethnic minority participation in APA.

At the request of Council, CSFC discussed ways in which Council could review and update its priorities. CSFC recommended that at least once every three years, at the February Council meeting, breakout groups take place where members can discuss and rank priorities for the Association. As a reference, members will be provided the latest list of priorities developed by Council. Each breakout group will develop a list of priorities. The lists from each group will be compiled and distributed to Council for ranking. The number of priorities will be determined by the natural break in numbers after all members' rankings have been averaged.

CSFC requests that this be included as part of the motion to be forwarded to the Board and Council from the Presidential Task Force on Governance Report, which requests the establishment of thematically based breakout groups. The priorities breakouts would be held once every three years in place of the thematically based groups.

Travel Support for Council Representatives (NBI #28B)

At its March meeting, CSFC reviewed the following main motion of new business item #28B and approved of the intent of the motion, but requested that staff contact James H. Bray, PhD, the mover of the item, to request additional information regarding the motion, including guidelines for defining “small” and proposed policies for reimbursement:

To add $10,000 to the 2005 preliminary budget so that small states/provinces/territories and divisions can apply for travel grants up to $500 to pay for travel expenses for Council representatives to attend the February Council meeting.

Reimbursement Policy

As part of the ongoing efforts to reduce expenses, APA requires governance members to take advantage of the lowest possible airfares when traveling to APA meetings and encourages members to use the APA Travel Office to make transportation arrangements. Expense reimbursement forms are available at the Council meeting or may be requested from the Governance Office.

Winter meeting. Reimbursement for the winter meeting covers round-trip costs of air transportation (coach or tourist only), train, bus (or limousine, as necessary), transportation to and from airports, and travel by rented car or private automobile (.325 cents per mile). Council members are urged to use the APA Travel Office whenever possible to book air or train transportation. The Travel Office can be reached by phone at (202) 336-6161 or (800) 925-2864; on Email at traveloffice@apa.org; or on the Web at http://members.apa.org/travel.

[Costs incurred during the Council meeting, such as hotels, meals and local transportation are not reimbursed by APA.]

Hotel (up to three nights), meal (up to $50 per day for those meals not already provided by APA) and local transportation costs incurred during the Council meeting are also reimbursed.

Please note that in order to obtain reimbursement for expenses, Council members must submit original receipts for all expenditures with a completed, signed expense form.

Convention meeting. Council members are reimbursed the cost of [one] two night's stay at the headquarters hotel where Council is housed. Council members are responsible for travel and all other expenses incurred at the annual convention. To obtain the reimbursement, Council members must submit a completed, signed expense report listing the cost of [one] two night's stay at the headquarters hotel where Council is housed.

Presidential Task Force On Governance: Recommendations for the Functioning and Effectiveness of Council

CSFC discussed the following recommendations from the Presidential Task Force on Governance that deal directly with the functioning and effectiveness of Council and provided the following comments and suggestions for each recommendation:

1. There are currently a number of existing policies and procedures related to sunsetting and review of COR guidelines, practices, and other initiatives that have not been implemented in an effective manner. Sunsetting and follow-up could be more effectively and actively implemented by COR.

CSFC notes that in August 2003, Council approved changes to the Association Rules regarding guidelines and directed P&P to develop a mechanism for addressing the renewal or expiration of standards and guidelines to be brought back to Council for review and approval. P&P is also currently working on a method for reviewing and sunsetting policies approved by Council.

2. Changes could be considered in the agenda planning process. For example, more items could be sent directly through COR rather than routinely sending all items to boards and committees. The Agenda Planning Group should also be empowered to recommend that CSFC return motions that are not fully thought through or developed to their originators for revision prior to their going to boards, committees, or directly to COR.

CSFC is developing a “checklist” for new business items. The chair of CSFC, in conjunction with relevant Executive Directors and the Agenda Planning Group, will be responsible for reviewing new business items and contacting the mover(s) if additional clarification or information is needed.

3. COR could examine and identify ways to maximize the usefulness and effectiveness of COR floor discussion and debate. There is currently wide variation in the length, structure, and output of floor discussion and debate, largely dependent upon the facilitation style of the presiding APA President. COR could make suggestions and develop suggestions for improving its own floor discussions.

CSFC will develop aspirational guidelines for floor debate, to be titled “Road Map for Effective Participation on Council,” to be included in the “Council Member Handbook.” CSFC will be renaming and redesigning the “New Council Member Handbook” which will become the “Council Member Handbook” and will be distributed to Council members each year.

4. The Task Force determined that the time it takes to get items through governance (through boards and committees and back to COR) has actually decreased overall during the past few years. There could be substantial benefit, however, in looking more deeply at the movement of items and issues through governance and in looking for places where greater efficiency and effectiveness could be gained. This process could include looking for areas where efforts are duplicated or where structures and functions overlap, bump into, or cancel each other out.

CSFC notes that the reinstitution of the Fall Consolidated Meetings will decrease the turnaround time for items.

5. Members of COR might be encouraged to review the bi-annual central office reports prepared for every Council Meeting. This single document provides a comprehensive review of the activities of each directorate and major office for the preceding six months.

CSFC asks that Governance Office staff include the Central Office Reports to Council on the Governance website and that Council members be reminded more often about the site.

6. If COR adopts some version of the dialogue and COR action groups described elsewhere in this report (See Section VI a and b above), attention must also be given to administrative issues that would emerge from implementing such processes.

CSFC notes that implementation of holding the breakout groups was handled by Governance Office staff for the February 2004 Council meeting and will continue to be coordinated through the Governance Office.

7. COR could look for an effective means of regularly (perhaps annually) reviewing the movement of strategic, overarching APA issues within the Association. (See also #5.) This review could help the Association to communicate its accomplishments more clearly to all its members.

CSFC has developed a plan for Council to review and update its priorities at least every three years (see agenda item #8).

8. COR might find it useful to determine a plan for implementation of supported recommendations in this report and develop a three-year plan to determine the effectiveness (and outcomes) of implemented recommendations.

CSFC notes that the motion approved by Council in February 2004, establishing Representation and Information Exchange Sessions, includes an evaluation by Council at the end of three years to determine whether the sessions should be continued, modified, or suspended. Suggestions for Improving Board/Council Communications

CSFC discussed recommendations to be provided to the Board for improving Board/Council Communications. Following its meeting, CSFC approved the following memo to be forwarded to the Board:

At its March 26 & 27, 2004, meeting, CSFC had many occasions to remark on what seems to be a changing culture of the Association. There is an expectation of enhanced transparency everywhere-- in the workings of Council, the Board, the Association and all their interactions -- and of greater input from Council into the workings of the Board and Association.

In light of those changes, and in the effort both to recognize and support them, CSFC offers the following suggestions for improving Board/Council communications:

1. Enhanced transparency: In acknowledgement of the value increasingly placed on enhanced transparency in the changing culture of the Association, the Board should be continually cognizant of the need to disclose information to Council in a timely manner. This interaction between the Board of Directors and Council should include both responses to input from Council as well as requests for input from Council on all aspects of the Board's functioning.

2. Implementing existing policy: Implementing more fully the policy adopted by Council (August 1992) that compensation policies of the Association shall be provided to Council on a regular basis, at least every three (3) years at the February Council meeting, the Treasurer shall review with Council the compensation policies of the Association, in much greater detail than has hitherto been done. The treasurer shall also highlight and review special and/or evolving issues relating to policies that govern any particular employee or groups of employees.

3. Policies for future employment contracts: The Board shall develop, for Council's approval, specific policies to govern employment contracts. These shall include, but not be limited to compensation, length of contract, vacation leave, benefits, disability insurance, termination, buyouts, and severance pay for employees at all levels. The intent is that once the policies are approved by Council, only contracts not adhering to the approved policies would need specific Council approval. Such governing policies regarding contracts shall be presented to Council for comment at least every three years, as indicated in item #2 above.

4. Highlights in budget presentations to Council: The CFO shall highlight exceptional and/or one-time expenditures (both new and substantial changes from previous costs) included in the budget.

Caucus Endorsements

CSFC discussed a concern that the current process for caucus endorsements of candidates on the board and committee election ballot provides an advantage to Council members or candidates who are known to Council members. CSFC recommends that in the future all candidates on the board and committee election ballot be provided with caucus descriptions/mission statements, information on requesting and requirements for caucus endorsements and the current Council of Representatives roster.

CSFC also discussed recent complaints received regarding the use of the Council listserv for campaign purposes. CSFC plans to send the following message to the Council listserv:

DO NOT REPLY

Issue: Use of Council Listserv for Campaigning

In order to facilitate dissemination of election information, CSFC has asked that the Council listserv be available only to caucuses for single notification of caucuses' endorsement for nominations and elections. With these endorsements, caucuses are asked to include the message that no replies or acknowledgements should be made via the Council listserv.

In response to members' comments, CSFC strongly urges individual members not to use the Council listserv (cor@lists.apa.org) to send messages to campaign for office for themselves or others. This includes replies to the caucus postings or other endorsements.

CSFC also suggested that the brochure How to Get Elected to a Board or Committee be more widely distributed to include participants of the Division, Education and State Leadership Conferences and new members joining APA.

CSFC also notes inconsistencies in the Guidelines for the Conduct of President-Elect Nominations and Elections and suggests that the Election Committee review and make recommendations for amending the Guidelines.

CSFC's recommendations will be shared with caucus chairs on a conference call in early December and also with the Elections Committee prior to being sent to Council.