Elizabeth Carll, PhD
ecarll@optonline.net 

A major portion of the Council meeting focused on fine tuning APA’s governance structure in follow up to the August 2013 Council meeting.  In addition, various policies were adopted to further advance the field of psychology.

Of particular interest to Division 46 was the request for approval of candidacy status for a proposed new Division, the Society for Technology and Psychology.  There was considerable debate on Council floor addressing various issues. The importance of technology to the future of psychology was highlighted.  Debate focused on the overlap and redundancy of the proposed new Division to the mission and focus of Division 46, Society for Media Psychology and Technology, and also Division 21, Applied Experimental and Engineering Psychology.  Also discussed was whether the creation of a new Division would be consistent with the Good Governance Project and the move toward reducing the size of Council to create a more nimble governance structure.  In addition, the APA bylaws were referenced, which indicated that proposed new Divisions should not be inimical to the welfare of existing Divisions.  Council declined to approve the proposed new Division.  The members of the proposed new Division were invited to participate in Division 46.

Other Council actions

• Council addressed the steps to implement the Good Governance Project.  It approved:

– Delegating certain internal financial and budget matters to the APA Board of Directors for a 3-year trial period.

– New composition for the APA Board of Directors including 6 members to be drawn from the general membership and elected by membership, a public member, and at least one early career psychologist.

– Establishing a Needs Assessment, Slating, and Campaigns Committee responsible for an annual needs assessment and developing slates for seats on the Board to be elected by and from the general membership.

– Establishing a Council Leadership Team which will be responsible for managing Council’s workflow, and developing a process to identify, prioritize, and address major issues facing psychology.

– Council directed the GGP Implementation Working Group to develop a proposed structure based on discussions and to be reviewed at the August Council.

• Adopted official definition of early career psychologist as being within 10 years of receiving the doctoral degree.
• Adopting as APA Policy the document, Health Service Psychology: Preparing Competent Practitioners.
• Endorsed a document, Multidisciplinary Competencies in the Care of Older Adults at the Completion of the Entry-Level Health Professional Degree.
• Adopted as APA policy a new Resolution on Gun Violence Research and Prevention.
• Approved the revised Principles for the Recognition of Proficiencies in Professional Psychology.
• Approved a 2014 budget with total operational revenues of $110,542,911 and operational expenses of $109,092,267.  APA expects to finish 2013 with a positive operating margin of $1.8 million.
• Council spent considerable time discussing the Affordable Care Act and the impact on psychology and psychologists.  Discussion focused on examining opportunities, as well as shortcomings, in recognizing the contributions of psychology.