WASHINGTON — The American Psychological Association has nominated five eminent psychologists to a U.S. Department of Education negotiated rulemaking panel that will address issues in academic accreditation.
Each has expertise in the topics proposed for the negotiations and each is able to articulate the process, priorities and value of specialized accreditation, according to Jaime “Jim” Diaz-Granados, PhD, APA’s chief education officer.
APA has accredited psychology programs since 1947, and the APA Commission on Accreditation (CoA) currently accredits 1,158 programs: 404 doctoral programs, 619 doctoral internships, and 135 postdoctoral residencies. These programs provide education and training to more than 25,000 students and trainees annually, across a range of different types of institutions and organizations. The 32-member commission is the only accrediting agency in psychology that is recognized by both the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. APA focuses on protecting student interests and providing public benefit through quality improvement in instruction, research and practice, encouraging innovation, and practicing transparently and with confidentiality, in order to prepare future licensed professionals for practice in health service psychology.
“We urge the department to ensure the inclusion of a wide diversity of views on the full committee and all the subcommittees, with individuals representing professional organizations, religious institutions, nonreligious institutions and other stakeholders,” Diaz-Granados said in submitting the names. “All have confirmed that they will represent APA’s values and positions, including the value, importance and autonomy of specialized accreditation; respect for the values and diversity of all people, including LGBTQ individuals; and an understanding of, and adherence to, APA policy when relevant.”
Following are the nominees:
- Maryka Biaggio, PhD, is an independent consultant to professional psychology doctoral and internship programs based in Portland, Oregon. Biaggio has had many years of experience in higher education, having served as faculty and directed professional psychology doctoral programs at three different universities, two in the public sector while the other was a private institution. She has also served two terms on APA’s CoA, having done so at a time when the rights of religious institutions to express their foundational values was a topic of commission discussion. In addition, she is a fellow of three APA divisions, including the divisions for women, sexual orientation and gender diversity, and international psychology.
- Clark Campbell, PhD, is the senior associate provost at Biola University in La Mirada, California. Campbell offers decades of experience with, and leadership in, faith-based institutions. In his current position, he oversees both the Office of the University Registrar and the Center for Christian Thought. He possesses knowledge of institutional and specialized/programmatic accreditation having participated in accreditation both as a leader at a university and as a commissioner on APA’s CoA, where he served two terms.
- Jim Denniston, PhD, is a professor of psychology at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, and is an American Council of Education fellow. A former commissioner on the APA CoA, Denniston has substantive experience as a faculty member and as an administrator across both undergraduate and graduate levels. He has both institutional and specialized programmatic experience, and he brings substantive expertise in recruiting, retaining, and mentoring both students and faculty in a large department at a comprehensive state university.
- Wallace Dixon, PhD, is chair and professor of psychology at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee. A specialist in child and cognitive psychology, Dixon has many years of experience in the classroom and as a university administrator. He served two terms as a commissioner on APA’s CoA and has been chair of the board of directors of the Council of Graduate Departments of Psychology.
- Carl Paternite, PhD, is professor emeritus at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where he served for 34 years as a professor of psychology, department chair and associate dean. He also was the founding director of the Center for School-Based Mental Health Programs at the university. Paternite has been involved regionally and nationally for many years in efforts to promote expanded, evidence-based school mental health practices. He has expertise in school mental health efforts, public policy advocacy and moving policy to action, school mental health work force development issues, and formative evaluation of school-based and school-linked programs. Paternite served two terms on APA’s CoA.