AOTI International Affiliation with WFOT, COTEC and ENOTHE
Rachel Glennane WFOT Delegate
Patricia Regan WFOT Alternate
Janice Crausaz ENOTHE Delegate
Margaret McGrath ENOTHE Alternate
COTEC Delegate vacant
COTEC Alternate – Sarah Lee on maternity leave
International Delegates and AOTI council agreed to trial a new way of working as reported at AOTI AGM 2012 where Delegates and Alternates meet with AOTI Council Officers - Chair and Vice Chair, during the year rather than having separate International Committee meetings with no direct link with AOTI. Delegates and Alternates continue with their work outside of these meetings and communication between delegates and alternates and AOTI happens on a needs basis. This new way of working commenced in 2012 and will continue in 2013
Highlights of the year are
WFOT
· AOTI now has corporate membership of WFOT so all members will have full WFOT membership and website access and receive WFOT newsletter. For full details go on to www.wfot.org website
· Patricia Regan was welcomed as new WFOT Alternate Delegate
· Patricia negotiated with AOTA to agree that AOTA apps database be available on AOTI website in member’s area. List can be added to. Patricia Regan leading on this.
· WFOT information is uploaded to AOTI website and emails are sent to members
· WFOT Human Resources Project – Rachel linked this project with the Vocational Group in Ireland and with AOTI for Workforce Planning agenda.
· International student placements were discussed by delegates and AOTI council chair and vice chair. Need for clear information on AOTI website has been identified as well as revision of current AOTI policy of placing an advert in the Newsletter.
· Review of WFOT Minimum Standards for Education is ongoing and will be for followed up for AOTI Accreditation Committee work.
· WFOT Congress and Council meeting in Japan 2014 – information has been put on AOTI website and sent to members via email.
ENOTHE
· Janice has been actively working as ENOTHE Delegate for past four years – see appendix.
· ENOTHE meeting in Vilnius Oct 2012 – Margaret attended and 2-year strategic plan was passed. AOTI is only Associate member so has no vote at AGM. Only academic institutions can be Full member of ENOTHE to differentiate from COTEC.
· 2 projects are ongoing at present: Expert Group on Citizenship and work also being done on Evidence Based Practice.
· In 2016 NUI Galway will be hosting a joint ENOTHE/ COTEC conference.
COTEC
· COTEC now have a general assembly once per year with expectation that someone with decision-making powers will represent the Member Association.
· Delegates and AOTI Chair and vice Chair discussed AOTI Council proposal to assign the role of COTEC representative/Delegate and Alternate to elected members of AOTI Council and that being on Council will support them in this new role. The representative would then be more familiar with AOTI business and better placed to make decision on behalf of AOTI at the annual COTEC general assembly. Sarah Lee is standing down from position of COTEC Alternate Delegate.
Websites for AOTI members to visit for more information
www.wfot.org
www.wfot/org/wfot2014
www.enothe.eu
European Network of Occupational Therapy in Higher Education (ENOTHE) is on Facebook
www.cotec-europe.org/
www.conference.ie/Conferences/index.asp?Conference=182
for further information about the/ First joint congress of the COTEC & ENOTHE 2016
(Council of Occupational Therapists for European Countries &
European Network of Occupational Therapy in Higher Education)
NUI Galway, Galway, Ireland
June 2016
Report compiled by Rachel Glennane, AOTI Delegate for WFOT
11/04/2013
Appendix – Report from Janice Crausaz, ENOTHE Delegate
Report ENOTHE delegate 2013
ENOTHE delegate: Janice Crausaz
Alternate delegate: Margaret McGrath
I assumed the post of AOTI delegate to ENOTHE effective 2009. According to the current Standing Orders for the International Committee, the ENOTHE delegate term of office is for four years. Hence, I will be stepping down at the 2013 AGM.
I have been active in ENOTHE since 2006. I first attended as a University College Cork representative
Date Venue Theme
2006, Oct Ankara, Turkey European Year of Workers’ Mobility
2007, Oct Cork, Ireland (UCC hosted) European Year for Equal Opportunities for All
2008, Sept Berlin, Germany European Year of Intercultural Dialogue
then as the AOTI delegate to ENOTHE
2009, Oct A Coruna, Spain European Year of Creativity and Innovation
2010, Oct Stockholm, Sweden European Year of Combating Poverty & Social Exclusion
2011, Nov Ghent, Belgium European Year of Volunteering
In 2012 I was not able to attend so I was replaced by the AOTI alternate ENOTHE delegate Margaret McGrath
2012, Oct Vilnius, Lithuania European Year for Active Aging and Solidarity between Generations
The next meeting will be:
2013, 17-19 Oct. York, U.K. European Year of Citizens
In 2016 NUI Galway will be hosting a joint ENOTHE/ COTEC conference.
In my role I have collaborated with contact persons at each of the four occupational therapy programmes at University College Cork, Trinity college, NUI Galway and the University of Limerick. My primary objective has been to keep AOTI Council and OT faculty and students well informed about ENOTHE meetings and ongoing project groups so as to maximise Irish participation in ENOTHE and to promote and raise the profile of Irish occupational therapy education internationally. ENOTHE meetings are also an excellent opportunity to make contacts to explore international faculty and student exchanges between universities.
Besides submitting reports on annual ENOTHE meetings to the International Committee and a general report to the AOTI AGM each year my activities have included:
Summer 2009 short article announcing upcoming ENOTHE meeting for AOTI Newsletter
2009 – 10 Produced an informational dvd about ENOTHE on which I interviewed two UCC students and one faculty member individually talking about how participating in ENOTHE meetings/ projects had enriched their international understandings of occupational therapy education and practice. A copy of this dvd was sent to each of the four Irish OT schools as a promotional tool for encouraging faculty and student participation in ENOTHE.
Summer 2010 co-authored an article on ENOTHE for the Irish Journal of Occupational Therapy (with Sarah Quinn and Margaret McGrath)
December 2011 wrote an article for the AOTI Newsletter showcasing the contributions of Irish attendees (12 educators and students) to the 2011 ENOTHE Meeting.
In 2010, 2011 & 2012 I set up an informational table about ENOTHE at the AOTI annual conference. Many students, practitioners and educators have taken the opportunity to discuss ENOTHE’s projects and activities with me.
I have greatly enjoyed my work as AOTI ENOTHE delegate.
Janice Crausaz, ENOTHE Delegate 2009 - 2013