Substitute Motions (2)

I move to accept the following principles in re-organizing existing governance structures in consideration of the recommendations of the Participation Ad Hoc committee found in the President's report:

  1. Create the Council for Professional Policy and Standards in place of the RA with the same authority for professional policy and standards. The Council would have 21 members, comprised of a Chairperson who would be elected by the entire membership and would be a voting member of the BOD; 15 members, elected from 5 regions (similar to AOTPAC regions, but would include Puerto Rico and OTs in Foreign Countries), 3 people from each region; an OTA Councilor; an Ethics Councilor; a Councilor on Practice; a Councilor on Academic Education; and a Councilor on Continuing Competence and Professional Development. All the Councilors would be elected by the membership, with the Academic Education, Continuing Competence & Professional Development, Ethics and Practice Councilors being elected in staggered terms. Instead of a position as an elect Councilor, the Councilor up for election could be elected by Feb or March (as is usual) and then trained before July 1 (similar to current process for the treasurer ).

    The Academic Education, Continuing Competence & Professional Development, Ethics and Practice Councilors would work together to provide leadership for the newly created Communities of Practice with the lead Councilor on this being the Councilor on Practice. These Councilors would also oversee ad hoc committees related to their areas with the help of the regionally elected Councilors. The Council would elect a recorder from its members to keep minutes and to handle data coming in from members.

    The Council would convene an annual forum at AOTA's Annual Conference & Expo to provide a regularly scheduled opportunity for direct, face-to-face member participation for the purpose of giving feedback with regard to prioritizing issues for the profession. The Council's agenda would be created on an ongoing basis thorough continuous input from AOTA members, Council members, the AOTA Board of Directors and its organizational advisors, Program Directors, and the Communities of Practice/SIS. The upcoming meeting agenda along with previous meeting minutes will be posted on the AOTA web site.
  2. ASAP, AOTF, WFOT, AOTPAC, and ASD would continue their role as organizational advisors to the Board; and ACOTE would continue its role as an associated body of the Board. The Board for Advanced and Specialty Certification (BASC) would become a part of AOTA's programmatic and operational groups in order to better support the Board and Specialty Certification program.
  3. Transition the current SIS structure into Communities of Practice (CoPs). The purpose of these communities is to bring together practitioners, educators, students, scientists, and other interested stakeholders for advancing and changing practice. This transition would involve the current SIS leadership creating a structure that supports Communities of Practice starting within the six broad areas of practice defined in the Centennial Vision as overarching Practice Sections. These 6 Practice Sections would include: Mental Health; Health & Wellness; Children and Youth; Productive Aging; Work & Industry; and Rehabilitation, Disability and Participation. Multiple CoPs would eventually be created by members; some of these new CoPs could emanate from the 6 Practice Sections (e.g., an autism CoP may emerge from the Children & Youth Practice Section, while a stroke CoP may emerge simultaneously from the Rehabilitation, Disability and Participation Practice Section) and others could develop outside of these 6 areas, especially to accommodate the needs of the profession as we move forward toward the Centennial Vision.
  4. Reconstitute the Nominations and Recognitions committees as the Volunteer Leadership Development Committee (VLDC) as a committee of the BOD. The Chair of the VLDC would be elected by the membership with other members appointed jointly by the Chair of the Council and the President. The VLDC will consist of seven members serving 3 year staggered terms and be led by a chair; members would include the chairperson of the Emerging Leaders Development Committee and a representative of ASAP. This new committee would go beyond preparing annual slates for AOTA elected positions and recognizing achievements of members; it would assist in populating ad hoc committees, identifying potential volunteers via the COOL (a new centralized database), recruiting potential leaders, and overseeing new Association initiatives to cultivate and train leaders.

I move to charge the President to appoint a re-structuring planning ad hoc committee composed of the following people: Commission Chairs (4), SISC Chair, RA Speaker, an RA member, a member from the current Participation Ad Hoc committee, 2 at large members, and a Chairperson. This Planning ad hoc group would:

  1. flesh out what work of the current Commissions needs to continue and how they would propose the Councilors on Education, Practice, Ethics, and Continuing Professional Development align their work with the Centennial Vision and the Association's strategic plan
  2. gather additional data as necessary about key issues;
  3. work with the AOTA General Counsel and EC chair to refine the proposed adjudication process that is addressed in the Addendum to the President's Report;
  4. work to vet a plan for regional representation and how those regional Councilors would be elected; 
  5. work with the current SISs in planning their transition over to 6 CoPs and in gathering any additional member input in relation to this process.

An interim progress report would be presented to Fall RA On-line meeting with the Planning group bringing back the final proposal to the RA in the form of a Bylaws vote at the 2011 RA meeting if possible.

Rationale for substitute Motion:

  1. Still meets the intent of the Membership Participation Ad Hoc Committee to increase participation through use of ad hocs and to develop leadership. The alternative proposal retains the proposed relationships of other groups, such as ASAP, ASD, WFOT delegates, Program Directors with the Council and the Board.
  2. It meets the requirement for nimbleness as there is a smaller Council and ability to put ad hocs together to meet the needs of the Profession and the Association. However, the Council is now expanded to 21 with a clearer division of work load.
  3. It addresses the concerns of the Commission Chairs by retaining these chairperson positions permanently. However, the plan does ask these chairs to examine current agendas and align the work with the Centennial, Vision and the Strategic plan. Plus these Chairs work together strategically to oversee the work of the Communities of Practice.
  4. There is more time allowed for the Ethics Commission to examine the plan for adjudication and to make further recommendations.
  5. It addresses the issue of representation by creating 5 regions with 3 elected from each region. The VLDC could vet each of these candidates to ensure we have 3 from each region. It allows for the planning committee to vet this idea of regional representation with the membership before the final plan comes forward.
  6. This alternative provides for current exploration and data gathering about how Communities of Practice would function.
  7. All the major positions are elected to belay concerns, of appearance of control by the Board of Directors.
  8. There is an interim progress report to the RA with data being collected to ensure ongoing input from members.

Last Updated: 10/7/2010
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