I often rely on TAP for information about our organization, like upcoming meetings, conferences, and the achievements of candidates and members. I enjoy reading the communications from the president, the profiles of analysts, and the accounts of the work they do for our profession. Stories of creative outreach and service in the community can be inspiring and instructive. I would be happy to hear more about little-known aspects of APsaA's history, the activities of inconspicuous but crucial committees, and people's ideas about directions for our profession.
What made me unhappy and prompted this letter was the column in the last issue that was headlined “From the Board on Professional Standards” [See “From Fear, Distrust and Loss: A Possible Path Forward,” TAP48/3, page 5]. From that headline, I presumed that the article would include news of what our Fellows have been doing. I would also have expected anything with that headline to represent the whole of BOPS's consensus about its content and include some practical ideas about moving forward.
Instead our official organization newsletter printed a position paper from two members misusing their offices to advance their personal views. There were also numerous confusions and inaccuracies in the column by Lee Ascherman and Betsy Brett. Among them were:
Their misuse of their self-defined term “real institute choice” when a 2009 vote by the whole APsaA membership has shown a majority in favor of actual institute choice. The Chicago Institute has recently decided that they can admit qualified candidates irrespective of whether their analysts are TAs or not—a locally-decided choice to meet their community's needs;
An alarming suggestion to dismantle APsaA's advantageous Regional Association status in the IPA; and
Their apparent inability to accept a reasonable compromise modeled on the British Society's “Live And Let Live” arrangement of heterogeneous groups within one organization.
I hope the editor reconsiders how headlines are written and ensures that all members have equal access to a balanced presentation of all viewpoints in TAP's pages, without misassigned privilege from office.
Kerry Kelly Novick
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Editor's Note: Kerry Kelly Novick is correct. The BOPS column does not necessarily reflect the position of the Board on Professional Standards. It is authored by the chair and secretary alone. In fact the column had previously been titled “From the BOPS Chair,” and has returned to that title once again in this issue. Because it is a column, it is edited as an opinion piece.