ABMP School Issues Forum

Owners/Administrators: Schedule & Session Descriptions

> Schedule of Events
> Session Descriptions

Owners/Administrators:Schedule of Events
Thursday, April 22, 2010

11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.	Registration
12:30 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.	Welcome/Orientation
1:15 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.	Session 1: Massage School Curriculum: What’s Next?
2:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.	Break
3:00 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.	Session 2: MT Body of Knowledge Project
3:45 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.	Session 3: Advanced Certification: What’s the Impact?
4:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.	Large Group Recap
5:30 p.m.	Reception and dinner

Friday, April 23, 2010

8:15 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.	Breakfast
9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.	Session 4: Building a Better Business
10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.	Break
10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.	Session 5: Online Education: What are the Trends?
12:15 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.	Lunch
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.	Session 6: Effective Admissions Workshop
2:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.	Large Group Recap
2:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.	Break
2:45 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.	Optional Session: Effective Retention Strategies

Saturday, April 24, 2010

8:15 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.	Breakfast
9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.	Session 7: The Future of Vocational Education
10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.	Break
10:45 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.	Session 8: Comprehensive Orientations--Why You Should Integrate One Now
11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.	Recap for Attendees and Closing

Owners/Administrators: Session Descriptions

Session 1: Massage School Curriculum – What’s Next?
In the November/December 2009 issue of Massage & Bodywork magazine the article “Is Swedish Massage Dead?” generated a stir. Schools, professionals. and students sent letters describing their experiences, challenges, and perspective on Swedish massage and Swedish massage training. This session starts with a discussion of the role of Swedish massage in foundation curriculum and expands into the wider topic of what schools are teaching, why they choose to teach the topics they teach, and how curriculum might evolve to better prepare graduates for a career in massage therapy.

Session 2: Massage Therapy Body of Knowledge Project
The Massage Therapy Body of Knowledge (MTBOK) project is a cooperative effort of representatives from the American Massage Therapy Association, the former AMTA-Counsel of Schools, Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals, Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards, Massage Therapy Foundation, and National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. The MTBOK Task Force will present its findings to the massage profession at the Massage Therapy Foundation “Highlighting Massage Therapy in CIM Research” conference in Seattle May 13-15, 2010. School Issues Forum attendees learn about the current status of the project and can ask questions of one of the MTBOK Task Force members during this session.

Session 3: Advanced Certification: What’s the Impact?
The National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork is working on advanced certification. According to the NCBTMB, the certification will be completely voluntary and build on the educational, experiential, and ethical requirements of national certification. Schools discuss the challenges, opportunities, and impact of advanced certification on the massage profession.

Session 4: Building a Better Business
Massage school leaders must manage a variety of diverse areas to ensure the success of their school businesses. How do school leaders balance the demands of a thriving faculty and education program with financial aid issues, admissions, graduate placement, the need for great branding, marketing, new innovations, expansion, change, and finally, work-life balance? A panel of attendees will tackle this topic and take comments from the floor.

Session 5: Online Education: What are the Trends?
Noted author and educator, Whitney Lowe, is a massage profession leader in online training for continuing education. In addition, many schools are using online units to teach components of foundation training. Whitney will lead a session where attendees discuss the trends in online education and explore its place in both foundational and continuing education curricula.

Session 6: Effective Admissions Workshop
An expert in the art of admissions and enrollment will lead a workshop on reaching prospective students and helping them transition successfully into a massage training program. Learn practical skills to improve your admissions success and share your ideas with the group.

Session 7: The Future of Vocational Education
Vocational schools face many challenges as they contemplate the future. Changes in student attitudes, the prevalent socioeconomic factors that impact student attrition, student access to learning, as well as the credit crunch affecting students’ ability to get funding in order to pay for massage training add to a complicated educational environment. Share your thoughts with a panel of peers as we explore the future of vocational schools and discuss ways to meet challenges.

Session 8: Comprehensive Orientations: Why You Should Integrate One Now!
Colleges across the country are facing many of the same challenges as massage schools. These challenges include students who are not prepared for the academic nature of post secondary education, sweeping attrition, poor interpersonal and study skills, low grades, and poor critical thinking skills. In this session attendees will review research that demonstrates the value of a comprehensive orientation and explore comprehensive orientation models.

Optional Session: Effective Retention Strategies
We all know the massage school business is more competitive then ever before. Schools invest significant money and time to attract and enroll students. Retaining those students presents some challenges for every school. This session explores tools for building persistence and resilience in massage students so that they have the life-skills they need to overcome challenges and thrive in your program.

* Presenters subject to change.