March 24, 2008
Dear Clinical Psychology Students:
I am pleased to report that Pacifica Graduate Institute's application for APA Accreditation is in the "home stretch." In conjunction with the President, Dr. Stephen Aizenstat, Clinical Psychology’s Acting Chair, Dr. Jim Broderick, and the current Chair, Dr. Allen Bishop, we have taken a number of actions to complete the application.
The draft of our Self-Study is expected to be completed by June 15, 2008. Upon completion we will send the Draft to two separate APA consultants for an external review to be completed by July 15, 2008. Subsequently, baring unforeseen circumstances, we will make any final changes and submit the application to the Office of Accreditation by September 1, 2008.
After APA receives the document, they will review our Self-Study to assure it meets APA guidelines. During this review, APA can reject the document, ask for further clarification or schedule a Site Visit. If a Site Visit is scheduled and the Institute is approved, APA guidelines indicate that all students registered and in good standing in any aspect of the Program on the second day of the Campus Visit and who later complete all applicable degree requirements will be deemed to have graduated from an APA approved Program. As you can see, there could possibly be further work to complete before a Site Visit is scheduled. If our Self Study application is approved, it is our hope that we would have a Site Visit in early 2009. Typically, the entire APA Accreditation process takes eighteen months from the date of application to final approval.
Your help in the process is fourfold:
1) continue working toward excellence in your course work and/or in your dissertation process,
2) read carefully the research handbook and follow the guidelines that are mission centered and of high academic stature,
3) respond immediately to the “Clinical APA Survey 2008” which can be accessed by following this link: (www.pacifica.edu/clinical.html) and,
4) follow the developments of Pacifica’s interaction with the APA accreditation process on our web site (www.pacifica.edu/apa.html) in order to understand the principles of our Self-Study process. Please direct any questions related to the Clinical Survey to Adam Marsh at extension 118.
Dr. Gary Groth-Marnat is the lead author for the completion of the Self-Study, the guiding document for Accreditation. It consists of eight Domains which include: Eligibility, Program Philosophy, Resources, Cultural Diversity, Student-Faculty Relations, Program Self-Assessment, Public Disclosure, and Relationship with Accrediting Body. Dr. Laura Grillo, a core faculty member in Mythological Studies who assists with WASC Accreditation, along with Dr. Dan Hocoy, will also support the Clinical team in writing the application document. In addition, a Steering Committee, composed of Drs. Aizenstat, Broderick, Bishop, Groth-Marnat, Hocoy, Grillo and myself, is meeting on a regular basis for collaborative review and critique.
Dr. Jim Broderick, in concert with the dedicated web site, will from time to time offer information on this process as it moves toward completion. However, whenever you may need a current update on this matter in order to make plans, or for another reason, please contact Dr. Broderick directly at extension 145. Although, making application to APA, of course, does not necessarily mean that Accreditation will be granted, the faculty of the Clinical Program and the administration at Pacifica are committed to doing what we can to achieve a positive outcome.
It is exciting to arrive at this stage after so much hard work by so many members of our community. We are inspired by what we feel is the significant contribution that Pacifica, through its perspective of Depth Psychology, will make to clinical psychology and the community of APA accredited institutions.
Best Regards,
Cindy Carter, Ph.D.
Chief Academic Officer
Pacifica Graduate Institute
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