Board Establishes New Financial Policies, Approves Programs, Accepts New Affiliate
ISTSS
January 1, 2001
At its November meeting, the ISTSS board of directors dealt with many issues, discussed briefly below. See www.istss.org for detailed information.
Financial Operations: Measures approved were: the charge for the Finance Committee, which will appropriate available funds based on board priorities; a mandatory annual contribution to an ISTSS reserve fund; a revision of the annual budgeting cycle so annual meeting revenue is recognized at the beginning of the budget year, rather than the end, allowing for budget to be based on actual resources available.
Fee Increases: ISTSS fees for dues and meetings have been static since 1994. New services have been added and costs have increased in the interim. As a result, fees for dues and meetings no longer cover expenses. The board approved a membership dues increase to $135 for regular members and $90 for retired members. This increase will apply to new members and 2000 members who renew after March 1. Student membership rate is unchanged at $60. The board established a task force to address international exchange rate and economic constraints that make membership dues difficult for those in nations with developing economies.
Annual Meeting: The board agreed to discontinue the practice of holding the ISTSS annual meeting at rotating east/central/west U.S. locations. The revived Calendar Committee will evaluate future meeting locations based on costs, member proximity and the meeting schedules of related organizations. A task force was created to study issues and present options for annual meeting improvements.
Governance: The board approved the the new president's executive committee appointments. Issues regarding board size and structure were referred to the Past Presidents Council for further exploration.
Programs: The board affirmed the 2001 charges for program work continuing through the International Trauma Training Task Force, Treatment Guidelines Dissemination Task Force, Ethics Task Force and Foundation Development Task Force.
Student Research Grants: The board approved enhancements to the new ISTSS grant program application process and follow-up reporting. Award recipients will present the funded work as a poster at the ISTSS annual meeting.
Web Site and Communication: The board approved Web site improvements, including development of a "members only" area and discussion areas for Special Interest Groups. The Organizational Publications Committee was restructured to facilitate integration of print and electronic communications.
International Society for the Study of Dissociation (ISSD): The ISTSS board met with the ISSD board to discuss improved cooperation and communication between the two societies, including a half-day of shared meeting programming in 2002, when the ISTSS and ISSD meetings will overlap in Baltimore, Maryland.
International Structure & Affiliates: The board accepted the Deutschsprachige Gesellschaft fur Psychotraumatologie (DeGPT), or German Language Society for Psychotraumatology, as an ISTSS affiliate society. The International Structure and Affiliations Committee was formed to examine the ISTSS affiliate society program.