By Maureen Weiss, NAK President
In an historic decision made in colonial Williamsburg on October 9, 2010, the Fellows of the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education (AAKPE) voted to change its name to the National Academy of Kinesiology (NAK) effective immediately. A name change was initially inspired by a recommendation from an ad-hoc Future Directions committee, whose charge was to re-examine the organizational mission, structure, and function of the Academy. The committee recommended modifying the definition of kinesiology appearing in Academy materials to include physical education pedagogy as falling under the umbrella of Kinesiology. As a result, they recommended that physical education be eliminated from the Academy name.
Because a name change would necessitate modifications to the by-laws of the Academy, the proposed amendment was distributed to Fellows in writing 30 days prior to the meeting as required of such actions. Prior to the annual business meeting at which the vote would be taken, the Executive Board discussed the proposal and its implications. Some suggested that changing from AAKPE to AAK may cause some confusion because we already have the AKA (American Kinesiology Association). Because the Academy is, among other functions, an honorary organization of elected Fellows it was suggested that a more appropriate name could be National Academy of Kinesiology to be analogous to similar organizations such as National Academy of Sciences. Others agreed that National Academy of Kinesiology would be consistent with frequent referral to the organization as simply the Academy. The Academy executive board shared these ideas with members of the AKA executive board in a pre-conference meeting on October 7 that had been organized to discuss mutual collaborations. Both groups were in agreement that National Academy of Kinesiology would be a good choice of name.
At the annual business meeting two days later, Debbie Rose, chair of the ad-hoc future directions committee, summarized the recommendation and rationale for changing the organization’s name to American Academy of Kinesiology. Jerry Thomas proposed a friendly amendment that the name instead be changed to National Academy of Kinesiology. Penny McCullagh seconded the motion. A two-thirds affirmative vote was required to pass the proposed name change and this was achieved with an overwhelming majority voting in favor of the motion. In the collegial spirit of this historic event, several sponsors of new Fellows invoked the new name, National Academy of Kinesiology, in introducing their nominees at the Saturday evening banquet and induction ceremony.
The Executive Board of the National Academy of Kinesiology has engaged in in-depth discussions this past year about its mission, function, responsibilities, and activities. The 2010 conference theme, Bridging Kinesiology and Society, organized by Bev Ulrich, was a big step in this direction by addressing important societal themes (Role of Physical Education; Multicultural Issues in Physical Activity and Health) and including a variety of stakeholders (i.e., Congress legislator, county public school coordinator, superintendent of public instruction, and executive directors of ACSM and APTA). The Executive Board is committed to continuing the momentum by: (a) forming national partnerships and collaborating on mutual interests and goals, (b) demonstrating the impact of kinesiology research on broader society issues, (c) broadening our visibility by building capacity and becoming involved in policy advocacy, and (d) developing a blueprint for the future in the form of a multi-year strategic plan.
The Executive Board welcomes any ideas you might have for moving forward on these objectives, and also invites you to become involved or to nominate others to become involved in National Academy of Kinesiology committees, activities, and strategic planning. Please contact current president, Maureen Weiss, with your ideas and nominations, mrweiss@umn.edu.
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