Psi Beta’s national office and governing board have prepared new and exciting resources scheduled for 2019. These new resources are designed to further enhance the learning experience of psychology undergraduates, especially members of Psi Beta.
Resource 1: Psi Beta’s National Research Study
This study is already underway and a record number of Psi Beta chapters (N = 17) are participating. This year’s study examines instructor rapport with students and the factors (student and instructor) that may influence that rapport. This year participating chapters will receive additional guidance for analyzing, interpreting, and reporting on the research data file when it becomes available on March 10.
Resource 2: Digital Badges for Career Skills
A Psi Beta chapter in southern California is now pilot testing a digital badge process that will acknowledge life and career skills learned through Psi Beta chapter activities. Seventeen career skills were recently identified by a special APA taskforce. The 17 skills fall under five different skills domains:
- Cognitive.
- Communication.
- Social.
- Personal.
- Technological.
Students learn many of these skills in psychology classes, but by being active in Psi Beta students gain even more knowledge and skills desired by today’s employers (examples include interpersonal communication, leadership, and teamwork and collaboration, to name a few). As the APA task force’s career preparation products appear over the coming months, they will be shared with all Psi Beta members and chapter advisors. In the meantime, Psi Beta is testing ways to distribute, through chapter advisors, digital badges that recognize and certify career-applicable knowledge, experiences and skills. Members will be able to include the skills represented by the badges in application letters, résumés and curriculum vitae.
Resource 3: The Chapter Delegate Officer
Psi Beta’s governing board has established chapter delegates as a new and critically important chapter officer position. Each chapter will have a delegate who will serve as the primary communication liaison between his or her chapter and the Psi Beta national office. The delegates will also have access to the Delegate Network where they can engage an asynchronous discussions centering on chapter challenges and successes (e.g., member recruitment, raising funds, fun activities for chapter meetings, planning a memorable induction ceremony and more).
Resource 4: Advisor & Chapter Resources
A committee chaired by Bryan Gerber, PhD, Psi Beta’s Midwest Regional vice president, has been compiling and organizing resources (e.g., documents, PowerPoint, videos) into a special area within the Psi Beta website. These resources are designed to help chapters become even more effective. Each chapter’s Primary Advisor will be granted password access to the archive of resources, strategies, and chapter success stories.
Resource 5: The Giving Away Psychology (GAP) Service Project
GAP workshops help inform the public about ways in which psychology helps society. Through GAP, four-person teams of Psi Beta members present 50-minute workshops on highly relevant, research-based topics to high school, college and community groups. Moreover, Psi Beta students who participate on a GAP team gain a deeper understanding of the topics they present. Materials needed to present the following two workshops will become available this spring. The materials will include recommended background reading, a workshop script, PowerPoint, and tips for effective workshop. Workshop topics include Self-Regulation (includes Mindset, GRIT, time management, and the six science-based strategies for effective study and learning), and Effective Interpersonal communication (includes small talk, emphatic listening and assertion).
As the national honor society in psychology. Psi Beta welcomes eligible community college students who have an interest in psychology to become lifetime members of the Psi Beta family. Psi Beta’s mission is to encourage and recognize leadership, service, scholarship and research. Psi Beta’s programs and activities provide many hands-on opportunities that bring to life concepts presented in psychology classes. Professors who advise Psi Beta chapters are outstanding mentors to Psi Beta students.
The 21st Century Career Skills task force was formed by the Committee on Associate and Baccalaureate Education and is chaired by Aaron Richmond, professor of educational psychology and human development at Metropolitan State University of Denver.
About the author
Jerry Rudmann, PhD, is professor emeritus of psychology at Irvine Valley College. Jerry’s career experience includes human factor engineering for Rockwell International (7 years), director of institutional research at Coastline College (7 years), Executive Director of Psi Beta (13 years), and teaching psychology fulltime (35 years). Rudmann has served on many of APA’s Board of Educational Affairs task forces.