Meeting Minutes: Committee on Psychology
Meeting Minutes
Academic Advisory Committee for Psychology
February 5, 1999
Southern Polytechnic State University
INTRODUCTIONS AND WELCOME (9:45 - 10:00) The meeting was called to order at 9:45 by Tina Stern (Georgia Perimeter College), Chair. Dr. Stern announced modifications to the agenda. After welcoming the group and thanking Southern Polytechnic State University for hosting the group and Dr. LuJuana Cochrane (Southern Polytechnic State University) for making the arrangements, she turned the meeting over to Dr. Cochrane.
Dr. Cochrane introduced Dr. Lisa Rossbacher, President, Southern Polytechnic State University. Dr. Rossbacher formally welcomed the group to the University and provided a brief history of SPSU and reviewed some of its recent changes, new directions and initiatives.
PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY INITIATIVE (10:00 - 10:45)
Dr. Cal VanderPlate, Georgia Psychological Association (GPA)
Cal VanderPlate, Chair, Psychopharmacology Committee of the Georgia Psychological Association chaired the first session. He reviewed the rationale for the move toward prescriptive authority and described the status of the prescription movement nationally and locally. He discussed the bill seeking prescription privileges for psychologists that has recently been submitted to the Georgia legislature. He outlined the Psychopharmacology Training Program for Practicing Psychologists which was developed with the Center for Brain Sciences and Health Faculty at Georgia State University, and with the University of Georgia AND Armstrong Atlantic University. Dr. VanderPlate distributed the Prescription Privilege Resource Guide which included a copy of House Bill 353, a description of the training program, and other resource information.
BREAK (10:45 - 11:00)
MASTER'S LEVEL CERTIFICATE PROGRAM DISCUSSION (11:00 - 12:00)
Dr. Stephen Hobbs, Augusta State University and Bill McDaniel, Georgia
College and State University
Dr. Stephen Hobbs began the discussion of Master's Level Certificate programs. Dr. Bill Buchanan from the Legislative Committe of GPA joined the group for this discussion. Dr. Hobbs reviewed the history and current status of state certification for those with master's degrees in counseling, social work, marriage and family therapy, and efforts at certification in psychology. It has become increasingly difficult for students with a masters degree in psychology to obtain certification in any of the non-psychology areas. Representatives from GPA and some representatives of USG academic programs have reached agreement on support for certification of master's level psychologists as Mental Health Therapists within the Georgia Composite Board. Dr. Hobbs described a bill proposing certification of Mental Health Therapists that has been submitted to the Georgia legislature. Dr. McDaniels and other committee members from institutions that have (or have had) stand-alone masters programs described developments in their programs. After this discussion, the committee took the following action.
MOTION --A motion was made and seconded to "endorse a proposal to provide a professional license for master's level psychologists under the title of Mental Health Therapist as outlined in a bill coming before the state legislature and to actively support this bill in the current legislative session." The motion passed unanimously and the committee agreed to fax this recommendation to Dr. Muyskens as soon as possible.
LUNCH (12:00 - 1:00)
The meeting adjourned for lunch. Drs. VanderPlate, Buchanan and Vice Chancellor Mike Staman from the Board of Regents joined the committee for lunch.
TRANSFORMATIONAL ELEMENTS OF EVOLVING TECHNOLOGIES (1:00
- 2:30)
Dr. Mike Staman, Vice Chancellor for Information/Instructional Technology,
Board of Regents
Dr. Mike Staman's presentation on technology provided examples and evidence of changing technologies and their potential for transforming education, both in and out of the classroom. He described existing innovations as well as future trends. Dr. Staman cited an extensive resource list and will send this list out to the committee on our listserve.
BREAK (2:30 - 2:45)
COMMITTEE BUSINESS - OPEN DISCUSSION AND DISCUSSION OF GRANT APPLICATION (2:45 - 3:45)
Another modification was made to the agenda since the speaker for this slot was unavoidably unable to attend the meeting. The meeting was opened to issues of concern and general information.
COURSE PREREQUISITES
Dr. Steve Haase (Gordon College) reported that the nursing program at Gordon College requested that the introductory course be waived as a prerequisite for the development course required by the nursing curriculum. Representatives from the nursing program indicated that there was no place in the nursing curriculum for the prerequisite. Gordon College agreed to waive the introductory course for nursing students. Committee members from other institutions described how similar problems were handled at their institutions. The committee was in agreement on the importance of maintaining the introductory psychology course as a prerequisite for all other psychology courses. At the same time the committee recognized that the prerequisite does present a problem for some programs like nursing. The committee took the following action.
MOTION--A motion was made and seconded to recommend that the introductory psychology course remain a prerequisite for all other psychology courses and that it be a required prerequisite for all other psychology courses for psychology majors. The motion passed unanimously.
STUDENT PLACEMENTS IN OFF-CAMPUS SITES
An inquiry was made about how institutions handle arrangements with off-campus training sites. Dr. Robin Morris (Georgia State University) described legal forms used by GSU and offered to make these forms available to others.
PSYCHOLOGY COURSES IN THE CORE
Dr. Robin Morris reported that GSU offers a psychology course (natural science in psychology) in the natural sciences core. Psychology majors may take this course.
ADVISORY COMMITTEE GRANT PROPOSAL
Dr. Jay Allen (University of Georgia)
Dr. Jay Allen led the discussion about the grant application for the USG Grants to Academic Advisory Committees. Last year we submitted a Teaching Conference Travel grant, but because the grant was submitted after the deadline it was not considered. The BOR announced that this year $40,000 is available to fund faculty development activities proposed by the Academic Advisory Committees. The criteria for funding are the same as last year. Dr. Allen indicated that he'd reviewed last year's grant application and thought it would be an excellent application for this year's grant. The following action was taken.
MOTION--A motion was made and seconded to submit a faculty development and travel grant that would send up to 34 facutly within the USG to the Teaching of Psychology Conference held annually at Kennesaw State University. The motion passed unanimously.
ELECTION OF CHAIR FOR 1999-2000
Since the Advisory Committee will not meet again this year, the committee decided to elect next year's chair.
MOTION--A motion was made and seconded that Mary Lou Frank (North Georgia College and State University) serve as the Chair of the USG Advisory Committee on Psychology for 1999-2000. The motion passed unanimously.
MEETING FOR NEXT YEAR
This year's arrangement of having two institutions organize the annual meeting worked very well. The committee decided to continue this procedure. We discussed holding the meeting in the southern part of the state, but since our grant proposal requests funds for participation in the Kennesaw teaching conference, the committee decided to schedule our meeting in conjunction with that conference. Dr. Valerie Wittlesey (Kennesaw State University) made a tentative offer to host the meeting at Kennesaw pending confirmation at KSU.
The meeting was adjourned at 3:45.
Tina Stern, Chair
Advisory Committee on Psychology