Hi Tim,
Actually, it was October 2017 that a motion to reaffirm the Board position of 2014 was presented. Again, as I mentioned to Barb, that position was to have a professional dialogue. The current Board believes the profession should continue to explore and discuss the entry-level education points. 
Regarding the announcement following the ACOTE announcement of the mandates, there were concerns as to whether the AOTA governance processes had been circumvented and this was being examined. 
As you reflected in your email to this list serve, this is a complex issue. The current AOTA Board wanted to be sure to understand the requirements of CHEA and the US Department of Education and how these relate to our governance and bylaws. So, we sought advice from a legal firm with experience in these matters. 
We respect the work of ACOTE and the need for ACOTE to do the work they are charged with in the Bylaws. However, “complete autonomy in establishing standards for educational programs” must be seen in the full context-these are standards that pertain to assessing accreditation status of education programs. It does not mean total autonomy on any issue related to education. As the mandate circumvented the AOTA governance process, the AOTA Board had an obligation to address the issues and concerns. 
As you know, Tim, members of the Board take their positions seriously and understand the importance of every decision. The Board consists of volunteers who are committed to the membership and to the future of the profession. 
Have a nice evening. -Kathy Foley

Kathleen T. Foley
Sent from my iPhone

On Aug 10, 2018, at 9:23 PM, AOTA ot-pd List <ot-pd@aotalists.org> wrote:

Kathy,

So please then reconcile with the statement from the board this past August 2017, the same board with the exception of two members who issued this statement today, in which the board applauded the mandate and stated “We believe ACOTE has acted in the best interest of all of these parties with their recent decision.”

Or please reconcile with the action of the board in November 2017 when the position statement mentioned below was again unanimously supported by the current board with the exception of the two members who took office in July.  The position statement was to encourage dialog but it was a position statement and the position was that the board supported a single point of entry at the doctoral level

So what happened between November 2017 and February 2018 to change the position of the board? 

Best

Tim

 

Timothy J. Wolf, OTD, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA

Associate Professor and Chair

Department of Occupational Therapy

University of Missouri

810 Clark Hall

Columbia, MO 65211

573-882-8403

wolftj@health.missouri.edu

 

 


 

From: ot-pd@aotalists.org [mailto:ot-pd@aotalists.org]
Sent: Friday, August 10, 2018 8:14 PM
To: ot-pd@aotalists.org
Subject: Re: [OT-PD List - AOTA] - A Message from AOTA Board of Directors on the OTD and OTA Mandates

 

Good evening,

As indicated in the statement you linked, the intent of the position statement by the AOTA Board in April 2014 was to take the recommendation to the full membership and facilitate a profession-wide dialogue around the issue. The dialogue was facilitated by past President Stoffel and the AOTA Board between 2014 and 2015. -Kathy Foley

 

Kathleen T. Foley

Sent from my iPhone


On Aug 10, 2018, at 8:59 PM, AOTA ot-pd List <ot-pd@aotalists.org> wrote:

Hello all,

I am curious. How does the AOTA Board of Directors reconcile its current position with the position statement they issued in 2014 in which they recommended that the profession move to a single point of entry for the OT at the doctoral level?

https://www.aota.org/aboutaota/get-involved/bod/otd-statement.aspx#sthash.B2g7T9MK.dp

 

This position statement was one piece of evidence we used to support the transition.

 

Barb

 

 

From: ot-pd@aotalists.org <ot-pd@aotalists.org>
Sent: Friday, August 10, 2018 7:41 PM
To: ot-pd@aotalists.org
Subject: RE: [OT-PD List - AOTA] - A Message from AOTA Board of Directors on the OTD and OTA Mandates

 

Hello all,

The U.S. Department of Education (DOE), under the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 34, Chapter VI, Part 602, Subpart B, Section 602.14, outlines criteria for purpose and organization for an accrediting body to be recognized by the Department of Education. Paragraph b describes the requirement to be “separate and independent” from the Association. In this section it states that the accrediting body can jointly share personnel, services, etc. as long as joint use “does not compromise the independence and confidentiality of the accreditation process”

Here is a direct excerpt

 

(1)   The members of the agency's decision-making body - who decide the accreditation or pre-accreditation status of institutions or programs, establish the agency's accreditation policies, or both - are not elected or selected by the board or chief executive officer of any related, associated, or affiliated trade association or membership organization;

 

The federal law explicitly states that an elected board is not to interfere with the accreditation process. 

 

Please understand what just happened.  The AOTA BOD, with consultation with their legal counsel, has decided that their authority as a board supersedes this USDE requirement.  There is leeway in what is allowed in terms of written agreements between professional associations, but we are required to have written agreements and abide by themPer our agreements and actions for the last 20 years,  the authority to determine entry level degrees has for 20 years been left to ACOTE unchallenged by our profession.   There is no language anywhere in any official document of AOTA that says this decision should be AOTA’s and not ACOTE’s.

 

Your professional accreditation is now at risk.  Without professional accreditation we don’t exist. 

This folks is a dark day for our profession.  

Best wishes to you all

Tim

 

Timothy J. Wolf, OTD, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA

Associate Professor and Chair

Department of Occupational Therapy

University of Missouri

810 Clark Hall

Columbia, MO 65211

573-882-8403

wolftj@health.missouri.edu

 

 


 

From: ot-pd@aotalists.org [mailto:ot-pd@aotalists.org]
Sent: Friday, August 10, 2018 5:33 PM
To: ot-pd@aotalists.org
Subject: [OT-PD List - AOTA] - A Message from AOTA Board of Directors on the OTD and OTA Mandates

 


---

Amy J. Lamb, OTD, OT/L, FAOTA
President, American Occupational Therapy Association (2016 - 2019)

Associate Professor, Eastern Michigan University Occupational Therapy Program

Owner, AJLamb Consulting LLC

 

Occupational Therapy is a health and wellness profession that assists people in developing the skills they need to participate in everyday life where they live, learn, work and play.

Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. 
~Ralph Waldo Emerson