Dear Eric,
We here at the By Laws committee are hoping to receive soon your
committee's reply to the questions from Jim Bryant, as they raise some
very important questions. In the meantime, I have a few comments and
suggestions of my own.
As one of Jim's questions suggests, it is unclear from the text
submitted, whether the "endorsement" that you are proposing is one that
is available only to RPTs, or also available to others members? While
the term "endorsement" suggests that this is a credential that is added
to another credential (presumably the RPT), your use of the following
formulations creates ambiguity:
"**_PTG members may be eligible to earn other endorsements in
specialties within the field of piano service and maintenance."
_
"The PTG may provide educational assistance to its members who wish to
attain standards of competence required by the RPT credential _or any
other endorsements."
_
The term "other" implies an equality of status between the RPT and these
endorsements, and may be interpreted as implying that the RPT is not
necessary in order to earn them. In any case, it is never explicitly
stated in the proposed by-laws text whether or not the RPT is a
prerequisite for the new endorsement - and this is not a good way to
go... (The subsequent regulations text prescribes the RPT as a
prerequisite for enrolling in certain classes to be offered - but then
the exams may be taken without attending the classes, and - in any
case, even if that is sufficient - burying this in the Regulations
among class prerequisites does not make for great clarity). All this
ambiguity needs to be clarified in the text, in order to present a
cogent proposal to Council. And I do concur with Jim's statement that
qualifications must be stated in the By-Laws. Another issue that you may
need to deal with is that some RPTs are under the impression that you
are proposing a new membership category (and I am not kidding you - I
have seen and heard that in some chapter communications) and that's
very, shall we say, volatile territory...
As an example, this is how all this might be accomplished (assuming that
the RPT is intended to be a prerequisite to the proposed endorsement):
_2. The PTG may make available additional endorsements in identifiable
specialties within the field of piano service and maintenance to those
members who earned the RPT credential. Any such endorsements shall not
constitute separate membership categories, and their holders shall
continue identifying and promoting themselves as RPTs. Qualifications
for such endorsements shall be stated in the By Laws, and general
procedures for earning them shall be detailed in the Regulations.
P__rocedural details shall be published __in Policy Manuals which shall
be subject to PTG Board review. _
a. _RPT's who have demonstrated sufficient knowledge in
the field of institutional pia_no
_service shall be awarded the College and University
Technicians endorsement. Such
_ _knowledge shall be demonstrated by passing written
exams in the areas of:
_ _ 1._
_ 2._
_3._
_ 4._
_ b. All written examinations for such endorsements shall be
developed in conjunction
_ _with the __Examinations and Test Standards Committee.
_9. The PTG may provide educational assistance to its members who wish
to attain standards of competence required by the RPT credential _or its
subsequent endorsements. _
<END>
Of course this will require some surgery on the Regulations language,
since much of the language that's currently there should be in the By
laws. In my opinion, structurally speaking,the Regulations language
really does not belong in the CAUT committee charges either, but in an
Article all its own, Article VI - entitled "Endorsements to the RPT
credential" All that the CAUT committee charge should state is a charge
to 1. administer the written exams and
2. offer preparatory classes. All this follows the pattern currently
set by the RPT exams language, and should be followed for the sake of
clarity and consistency if or when other credentials or endorsements are
legislated.
Israel Stein
__
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