Graduate and professional psychology programs are key gatekeepers to the future of personality assessment. Yet, in many programs, formal training in personality assessment has diminished or disappeared altogether. Limited faculty expertise, competing curricular priorities, and misconceptions about the relevance or scientific grounding of personality assessment have contributed to a widespread reduction in its presence in graduate education. Reversing this trend requires a strategic, coordinated response. A Board-appointed committee could help SPA tackle the institutional and structural challenges affecting personality assessment training and build collaborative relationships with academic programs that share its educational mission. As such, we propose the SPA Board establish a Committee on Academic Partnerships (CAP).
Committee’s Purpose
The purpose of CAP will be to strategically engage with higher education institutions and graduate training programs in psychology across the globe to advocate for, support, and expand personality assessment education. It will also help translate contemporary research findings into educational resources and curriculum guidance, ensuring that personality assessment training reflects the field’s evolving scientific base. If established, CAP’s activities will include, but not be limited to:
- Advocating for the inclusion of personality assessment in core curricula across graduate programs
- Promoting integration of current research findings into teaching materials and classroom content
- Offering model training syllabi and materials that programs can adopt or adapt
- Supporting programs with limited internal assessment expertise by connecting them with SPA-affiliated educators
- Developing educational content for faculty and students to access via SPA’s educational platform
- Hosting faculty roundtables or webinars to share innovations and address training challenges
- Advising the SPA Board on trends and institutional barriers in assessment education
Importantly, CAP will not be redundant with SPA’s Education and Training Interest Group (ETIG). The ETIG has long worked to improve the quality of personality assessment training by sharing resources and fostering collaboration among educators. However, it functions as a member-driven network focused on supporting individual faculty in teaching and supervision. This is different from the proposed CAP, whose work would focus on engaging at the institutional and program levels.
Alignment with SPA’s Strategic Framework
If implemented, CAP will help advance SPA’s strategic goals and ensure the Society continues to lead in promoting high-quality and evidence-based personality assessment training. CAP’s activities will contribute to SPA’s strategic outcomes by:
- Promoting the application of contemporary research in academic settings, helping to define and disseminate evidence-based practices in personality assessment. (Lead the Field)
- Enhancing student and faculty engagement in personality assessment education, contributing to the development of a diverse and skilled profession. (Grow the Profession)
- Forging institutional partnerships that raise SPA’s profile in higher education, attract new student and faculty members, and strengthen SPA’s role as a key resource for personality assessment. (Grow the Society)
Committee Charge
If developing CAP is supported, we suggest the following Committee Charge be approved and implemented by the SPA Board of Directors:
Committee on Academic Partnerships (CAP)
Committee Objectives
The Committee on Academic Partnerships (CAP) serves as the Society for Personality Assessment’s central body for building relationships with higher education institutions to advance the accessibility and quality of personality assessment education and training. This is an international effort. The committee supports SPA’s strategic goals by translating research into educational practice, fostering student and faculty engagement, and establishing institutional partnerships that strengthen SPA's role in training future assessment professionals.
Key responsibilities of CAP include:
- Advocate for the inclusion and integration of personality assessment in graduate training programs across psychology subfields.
- Develop and disseminate resources to support faculty in teaching and supervising personality assessment, such as model syllabi and supervision guides, instructional planning tools, and reference materials.
- Develop SPA-hosted educational content, including student-accessible modules, to support academic programs and promote the visibility of personality assessment training.
- Establish and maintain a network of SPA-affiliated speakers who can offer guest lectures, webinars, and consultation to academic programs seeking to enhance their personality assessment training.
- Monitor trends in higher education and advise the SPA Board on implications for assessment education and professional training.
- Liaise with academic training councils, psychology education organizations, and accrediting bodies to represent SPA’s values and educational standards.
- Collaborate with SPA staff and other SPA committees to ensure coherent, aligned initiatives.
- Keep the Board of Directors informed, in a timely and appropriate manner, of the committee’s work.
- Carry out additional activities as requested by the Board to support SPA’s educational mission.
Authority of the Committee
The Committee on Academic Partnerships is authorized to make recommendations to the SPA Board of Directors. It may implement initiatives approved by the Board but is not empowered to act on behalf of the Board or the Society without authorization.
Committee Composition
Members will be recruited through SPA’s established volunteer engagement processes. The committee will include 5 to 9 members, selected to represent a diverse mix of roles and institutions, including:
- A Representative-At-Large who will serve as committee chair
- SPA members with experience in graduate education and curriculum development
- Academic staff from a range of program types (PhD, PsyD, Master's, clinical, counseling, and school psychology)
- International representation is necessary
- At least one student or early-career member, when feasible
- A liaison from the Education and Training Interest Group, when feasible
- A liaison from the Diversity and Social Justice Committee, when feasible
Ideal members will:
- Have experience or a strong interest in personality assessment education and training
- Understand challenges and opportunities within academic institutions
- Be willing to support educational resource development
- Align with SPA’s mission and values, particularly in regard to education and equity
Time Commitment and Meetings
Committee members will serve for renewable one-year terms (April–April). The expected time commitment is approximately 1–3 hours per month, depending on ongoing initiatives and Board priorities. Meetings will be held virtually, with additional asynchronous collaboration as needed.
Ethical Commitment
By serving on CAP, members agree to act in accordance with SPA’s ethical guidelines, including:
- Upholding the values of integrity, inclusion, and professionalism in all interactions
- Respecting confidentiality and avoiding conflicts of interest in activities
- Representing SPA’s mission faithfully when engaging with academic partners
Application Deadline: February 5, 2026 at 11:59 pm (EDT)!
Questions? Please email Nathan Victoria at nvictoria@personality.org.