Academy Education Costs

Academy Education Costs

Tom Gorski, CAE

Dear Colleagues,

As President of the Academy, I have watched with interest the recent
discussion on the O&P Listserv regarding the cost of hotel rooms at the Annual
Meeting in Miami. I would like to offer some insight.

The sites for the Annual meeting are chosen several years in advance in order
to keep our preferred dates. Because our members tell us they want everything
(scientific sessions, workshops, and exhibits) to be in one hotel, there is
usually only one or two hotels in any city that can meet those specs. This
convenience comes with a cost, just as the amenities of any nice hotel are
reflected in the room rates. The Academy negotiates a discounted room rate on
behalf of our members - this is usually about ¼ to 1/3 off the standard rack
rate.

Is it the lowest hotel cost in the city? No. But it is a fair and reasonable
cost to accommodate such a large group. Do you have to stay in the meeting
hotel? No. I'm sure the local hotel association or convention bureau can
provide a list of other hotels and their rates. You may have noticed that
hotels, like airlines, have changed how they structure their fees. Depending
on how you book and when you call, your room rate can vary. If you are
willing to do the research and are tenacious about calling, you can find lower
rates on an individual basis.

I am very aware of the financial constraints on young or recent certifees - my
son is one of them. I also remember how as a young practitioner with very
little money, I had to carefully plan my business trips and our family
vacations. We looked for every way possible to economize, from sharing rides
to sharing rooms. The Academy is also mindful of the young practitioner's
needs. We offer a number of ways to obtain the required 15 PCE credits
annually without the high cost of travel:

· JPO quizzes can provide 8 PCE credits for well under $100.

· Some publications and videos also offer 6 or more PCE credits and are a
bargain.

· Our 5 CECs are held at smaller hotels around the country with the average
room rate below $100.

· Our new one-day seminar format, which debuted last week in Dallas, provided
a full certificate course worth 10.5 PCE credits for $250 and was held at an
airport hotel on a Saturday for the convenience of our members.

· As part of that one-day seminar, we experimented with a teleconference
portion of the meeting linking six sites with the speaker. I believe all were
very please with the convenience and low cost associated with this innovative
offering. We'll be pursuing other long distance learning possibilities.

· We're also exploring how to offer educational programs by CD ROM or over the
Internet.

I might also add that the Board authorized a special introductory rate in 1998
of $200 to attract new certifees to join the Academy and about 35 have done so
in the last two months.

The Academy is changing. We want to be responsive to member needs and are
taking significant steps to listen carefully to our members through our focus
groups, surveys, and dialog such as the President's monthly chat on the
Academy web site (www.oandp.com/academy). Please feel free to voice your
comments and suggestions. We appreciate hearing from you. You can also reach
me via the Academy's email <Email Address Redacted>

Robert N. Brown, Sr., CPO, FAAOP
1998 AAOP President