ASEP National Office
1200 Kenwood Ave
Duluth, MN 55811
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
______________________________________________________________________________
BACKGROUND
The ASEP Board of Directors has recently
expressed a desire to strengthen its relationship with state associations
that have similar objectives in representation of the professional needs
of exercise physiologists.
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVE
The rationale for affiliation is fundamentally
related to three beliefs:
1. That by working together, exercise physiologists
are in a better position to accomplish their organizational goals and objectives.
2. That such affiliations are expected
to add strength to the professionalization of exercise physiology in the
United States.
3. That the process provides a consistent
and more powerful lobbying agenda for each state’s specific needs to license
exercise physiologists.
BENEFITS
Professional benefits include, but are
not limited to:
1. Unity equals power, and power equals
control and self-regulation, which ultimately equals prestige, respect,
and the professional status desired by exercise physiologists.
2. Performance defined by a common Code
of Ethics and Scope of Practice that heightens professional integrity.
3. Increased understanding and support
of each organization's goals and objectives.
4. Sharing of concerns, issues, and information
pertaining to the professionalization of exercise physiology.
5. Dissemination and support of ASEP Position
Statements and Standards.
6. Support of education, advertisement,
and marketing of exercise physiologists.
7. Mutual support and facilitation of ASEP
national certification, licensure, and accreditation.
8. Access to reciprocal exercise physiology
forums and conferences.
9. Small grants financial support for research
and development of the state organization.
10. Facilitated identification of state
members interested in membership on national committees.
11. Dissemination and support of the development
of ASEP Student Chapters in the colleges and universities specific to the
state organization.
12. Professional recognition and web page
development and support of state organizations via the ASEP national web
site.
13. Assistance to state organization's
members in advertising and securing jobs.
14. Each state organization member shares
in a 10% reduction in the ASEP annual fee and the ASEP certification fee.
OPERATIONS
The ASEP Board proposes that each state
organization be recognized as a functional part of ASEP's national effort
to unite exercise physiologists. While each state affiliation represents
the collective ideals of its own state membership, all state affiliations
work together to support and further develop the agenda of ASEP, including
code of ethics, accreditation, certification, licensure, and scope of Practice
To improve interaction and cooperation between states in efforts toward licensure and the promotion of other ASEP directives, it is recommended that one member of each state organization within each 4-region division of ASEP will comprise an ASEP-regional committee. These regional committees will function to assist other states of the region towards accreditation, certification, and licensure, as well as other ASEP initiatives.
It is important that all state organizations recognize that the licensure of exercise physiologists in their state will influence how other states can progress towards the same objective. Hence, a conceived scope of practice of an exercise physiologist that is too narrowly focused or inadequately prepared, that eventually attains approval for licensure, may actually be more detrimental to the professionalization of exercise physiology than no licensure at all.
To assist in the development of bills submitted to state specific legislatures, state organizations need to submit their bills to ASEP for evaluation, feedback, and support. This process is not meant to provide a constraint to state-specific licensure, but rather:
1. To provide a review process that exists
to improve the quality of the bill;
2. To adhere to the content and stated
scope of practice of exercise physiologists adopted by other states; and
3. To establish a consistent understanding
of what exercise physiologists are professionally prepared to do.
Such a nation-wide approach to state-specific
licensure can only benefit the efforts by state organizations, ASEP, exercise
physiologists, and the profession of exercise physiology.
EXISTING STRUCTURES
Each state organization has its own specific
structure and function that is appropriate to its membership and by-laws.
The proposed relationship between each state organization and the national
office is in no way intended to alter this structure.
MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS
ASEP and each state organization maintain
its own entry requirements for membership. It is the organization
itself that has become affiliated and not the individual members within
the organizations.
PROCESS
After careful discussion with officials
of each state organization, ASEP Board Members via the ASEP President extends
a Memorandum of Understanding "Agreement" to the state organization President
to affiliate with ASEP. The Memorandum itself is the "Agreement"
that outlines the details of the pledge between the individual state organization
and ASEP. Respective members of both parties sign the “Agreement”.
The original "Agreement" is kept with official records at the ASEP National
Office. A copy is sent to the President of the state organization.
A state organization web site is created within the existing ASEP Internet
pages. Other web sites originating from each state organization may
also be developed and linked to the ASEP home page.
ONGOING FUNCTIONS
This “Agreement” is based on the need for
state exercise physiology organizations to associate with ASEP for the
further improvement of state and nation-wide efforts toward the professionalization
of exercise physiology. The affiliation itself also sets into motion the
promotion and support of reciprocal ideals and objectives via the Internet
web sites, periodic meetings, and conferences. Time tables, schedules,
and agendas can proceed accordingly.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
AGREEMENT
On behalf of the ASEP Board of Directors
and the ASEP President, we look forward to working with you and the membership
of your state organization to unite and continue national efforts to professionalize
exercise physiology. As President of the exercise physiology state
organization, if you agree with the contents and good faith of this "Agreement"
please sign both copies and forward one copy to the ASEP National Office.
______________________________________________State________________
__________
President, Exercise Physiology State
Association
Date
__________________________________________________________________
__________
President, ASEP
Date
__________________________________________________________________
__________
ASEP Board Member
Date
Copyright ©1999American Society of Exercise Physiologists. All Rights Reserved.