The ASEP National Meeting is important. Start making plans to attend. If you are not a member, there are many reasons why membership pays back benefits.

1. The most obvious is the annual meeting. It is different from most meetings in that both professional and scientific papers are presented to enhance skills and education of those in attendance.  Also, the President of ASEP, Steve Jungbauer, MA, MBA, FASEP, EPC, and the members of the Indiana Association of Exercise Physiologists are working hard to have exhibitors so that you can get a chance to talk about and touch the latest in products and technology.  Of course, as always, there will be the opportunity to focus on the hottest topics in exercise physiology.  The Board Certification exam for Exercise Physiologists (EPC) will be offered at the meeting.  This prestigious credential is the only certification offered by ASEP to its members.  Successful completion of the exam comes with it the professional title, Exercise Physiologist.  The title is backed by the only professional organization of exercise physiologists in the world.  That's right - ASEP.  In this regard, if you have not had a chance to view the extended arm of the ASEP organization for accreditation, certification, and licensure, you should.  They are now located under the new title:  The Center for Exercise Physiologistsonline.  Another obvious benefit of attending the meeting is to network with friends and colleagues.  The opportunity to meet members from state affilitate organizations will put you in contact with new ideas and plans for the 21st century professional development of exercise physiology. 

2. Another important benefit of ASEP membership is the relationship members have with the electronic journals.  The Journal of Exercise Physiologyonline is packed with research articles.  The Professionalization of Exercise Physiologyonline is the first of its kind in exercise physiology.  Unlike JEPonline, it is a monthly electronic journal with articles that address important issues in the development of exercise physiology as a healthcare profession.  This month's issue presents two different views of the use of sports supplements in athletics. The issue also begins the publication of research articles as part of the professionalization of exercise physiology.  Missing out reading articles from either electronic journal could cost you new information or an interesting discussion with a colleague.  University teachers, in particular, should point their students in the direction of both journals. 

3. Although not for public consumption, your personal resource for networking with other ASEP exercise physiologists is the listing of your name and important information in the ASEP Membership Directory.  This is an important reason to belong to ASEP.  Each member's name is listed in both alphabetical and geographic listings.  Members can look to the membership for a reference when someone in a distant area needs the professional service of an exercise physiologist.  Please note that the Directory is protected with a login and password; both will be sent to members by late September, 2003.

4. Another benefit of being a member of ASEP is that national and international presence that is available to other professionals through the historical and monthly updates of the ASEP web pages.  Pointing friends, parents, employers, and colleagues to the ASEP web pages will help clarify what is exercise physiology and what exercise physiologists do in the public sector.  This is so important, since it is different from past thinking that still prevails today, that ASEP has the definitions of each on the home page. 

Exercise Physiology is the identification of physiological mechanisms underlying physical activity, the comprehensive delivery of treatment services concerned with the analysis, improvement, and maintenance of health and fitness, rehabilitation of heart disease and other chronic diseases and/or disabilities, and the professional guidance and counsel of athletes and others interested in athletics, sports training, and human adaptability to acute and chronic exercise. 

Exercise Physiologist is a person who has an academic degree in exercise physiology, or who is certified by ASEP to practice exercise physiology [via the Exercise Physiologist Certified exam (EPC)], or who has a doctorate degree with an academic degree or emphasis in exercise physiology from an accredited college or university.

5. The first-ever Standards of Professional Practice for Exercise Physiologists is critical to the professional development of exercise physiology.  It is based on the ASEP accreditation guidelines for undergraduate programs, the EPC board certification and linked, therefore, to the practice of exercise physiology in the public.  ASEP is working on behalf of its members to establish professional thinking and responsibility for students in educational institutions that should be accredited.  Just in the past two years, ASEP accredited "six" academic programs of study.  If you are a parent reading this newsletter, and if you want your son or daughter to attend an attended school to study exercise physiology, then look at the following list:

Slippery Rock University (Exercise Science Program)
Wright State University (Exercise Science Program)
University of New Mexico - Abuquerque (Exercise Science Program)
Marquette University (Exercise Science Program)
Bloomsburg University (Exercise Science Major)
The College of St. Scholastica (Exercise Physiology Major)

6. The first-ever Code of Ethics for exercise physiologists.  That in itself should tell you about the important of the ASEP organization.  Have you read the code lately?  You should, especially if you are an EPC.

7. The "ASEP E-mail Updates" of this newsletter is an important connecting point with the ASEP organization.  You can get the newsletter by registering, using the following:

Register for ASEP email updates

And, as always, if you want to contribute to the ASEPNewsletter, send me a Word document attached to your email:

Almost last, it is very important to let the world know about the following great news!!!

THINKING BACK: From the 1st ASEPNewsletter - Year, 1997....
Are Exercise Physiologists Ready?
Again, the question may be raised, "To what extent are exercise physiologists ready for a vision?" In short, the answer is that there are indications that a vision is needed to give direction and certainity to what they do. From the results of a survey (n=186) by the Publisher of the ASEPNewsletter, it is clear that exercise physiologists believe they:

1.  Need their own professional organization to address standards of competence, accountability, and employability (81%);
2.  Need a Code of Ethics to distinguish itself as a profession (91%);
need their own professional journal (69%),
3.  Need an exercise physiology directory (registry) to facilitate interaction (88%);
4.  Need to restrict the identification of an exercise physiologists to someone with an academic emphasis or degree in exercise science or exercise physiology (87%);
5.  Need more input into their professional development than presently realized via ACSM and AACVPR (86%); and
6.   Although there is continued interest in licensure (76%), exercise physiologists also believe that they need a non-governmental form (such as ASEP) to grant certification recognition to individuals who has met certain predetermined outcomes (83%).