Committee Responsibilities

Committee Structure: The IMTA Credentialing Committee shall consist of a diverse group of individuals with expertise in mindfulness and education. The committee shall strive for diversity and inclusion in its composition, considering factors such as gender, race, age, practice type, and geographical representation.

The committee structure shall include the following key positions:

Co-Chairpersons: The Chairpersons shall be appointed by the IMTA Board and will serve as the leaders of the Credentialing Committee.

Members: Committee members shall be appointed by the IMTA Board. Members will include subject-matter experts (SMEs) in mindfulness, education, and related fields.

A staff liaison will be assigned to assist with scheduling monthly review meetings, and maintaining records of committee meetings, decisions, and activities.

Term: One year (renewable for up to two consecutive terms)

Time commitment: Monthly review of applications, attending a majority of monthly review calls (conducted via Zoom), as well as additional committee calls to review and define IMTA credentials and accreditations and serve on one or more task forces.  

Task Forces:

Committee members may also be asked to serve on one or more of the following Task forces:

• IMTA Credentialing Exam Development Task Force

• IMTA Standards, Ethics, and Appeals Task Force

• IMTA Approved CE Provider Development Task Force  

Credentialing and Accreditation Review Committee Application Requirements: To serve on the IMTA Credentialing Committee, you must be a current IMTA member in good standing for a minimum of two years and hold a current IMTA certification and/or accreditation for a minimum of one year.  

Monthly meetings:

Each month the committee members will receive credentialing and certification applications to review, they will then hold a monthly meeting. Meetings will be set at a reoccurring day/time each month for approvals for example on the third Tuesday of each month. Applications must be approved by a minimum of 3 committee members (in-person, on Zoom), with no opposition to be accepted. If an application requires further information for approval, the committee will notify the staff liaison in advance of the monthly call, who will ask the candidate for more information. If an application is opposed the candidate will be notified and given information on steps they can take to apply in the future. 

Committee Purpose and Scope:

The Credentialing Committee of the International Mindfulness Teachers Association (IMTA) is established to oversee activities and policies within the IMTA Certification and Accreditation programs. 

Duties and Responsibilities:

The Credentialing Committee shall have the following duties and responsibilities:

1.     Monthly application reviews and approvals.  

2.     Review the overall eligibility standards for participation in IMTA Certification and Accreditation programs.

3.     Develop and update standards for maintaining certification and program accreditation as needed.

4.     Development of certification examination(s)- through a task force.

5.     Select diverse subject-matter experts (SMEs) to contribute to the certification process.

6.     Provide guidance and recommendations to the IMTA Board regarding competency-focused resources and program enhancements.

The IMTA Credentialing Committee is committed to upholding the highest standards of certification and accreditation for mindfulness teachers, ensuring that IMTA remains a leading authority in the field of mindfulness education.

Purpose and Goals

The Education Committee is an appointed group charged with developing a plan to advance IMTA’s educational offerings to serve the professional development needs of IMTA members and mindfulness professionals. The committee provides input and guidance on new education /programs, program delivery models and serves as subject matter experts.

Members are appointed.

Selection Criteria and Composition

IMTA aspires to have the composition of the education committee reflect the diversity of mindfulness professionals with a range of experiences. This should include members from various regions, types of institutions, etc. IMTA is committed to transparency around the selection criteria and recruitment of volunteers which is supported by the members’ ability to effectively contribute to the committee’s work and goals. 

• Volunteer role may be appointed by participation, special application or nomination 
• Individuals from the same organization should not serve on the same committee
• An individual should not serve the association in more than one significant volunteer role capacity at any time

Terms

Volunteers serve for a fixed term of two years. Continuous rotation of volunteer roles ensures that new perspectives and ideas are continual. In some cases, volunteer roles can be renewed if the composition of the committee continues to meet IMTA’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

Leadership

The committee is assigned to a staff liaison to support the work of the volunteers. This includes administrative and logistical support, including guidance and leadership. The chairperson will work closely with the staff liaison to create a success plan for achieving the committees goals and is expected to manage the work and facilitate meetings. Additional responsibilities of the chairperson include:

• Reviewing and approving reports before distribution
• Guiding the group in proposing new activities and service that will further the mission and goals of the association
• Reporting any decision of the Board that affects the committees work

Attendance and Participation

IMTA recognizes that members have work, family and personal commitments outside of their volunteer roles. Volunteers are expected to participate in scheduled meetings and activities. 

• Members who are unable to attend a meeting should notify the chairperson in advance.
• Members are expected to provide thoughtful input to deliberations and focus on the best interests of the association and committee goals rather than on personal interests. 

Communication and Meetings

The committee will establish a regular meeting cadence and hold meetings at a time and in a manner that is convenient to the majority of participants. Committee members should communicate regularly with one another and the chairperson to ensure the group has the resources and information it needs to succeed and to check on progress towards goals. Healthy communication includes responding promptly to emails, meeting requests, and other forms of outreach. Most volunteer work will be done online through virtual meetings.

Professionalism and Confidentiality

Committee members should conduct themselves professionally and respectfully, both in their interactions with other members and with external stakeholders. Volunteers should avoid conflicts of interest and adhere to IMTA’s code of ethics. Committee members may have access to confidential information about IMTA, its members, or its partners, and should not disclose it to others.

Reporting

Most committee work is informal or part of a project/program plan and does not require additional or external report outs. On occasion, the committee may be asked to provide updates of the committee’s work, recommendations, and issues of concerns in a more formalized manner. These types of reports can range from preparing a special board presentation, creating published guiding principles about a particular issue, or developing tools/products that are shared with the entire membership.

Appointments

All committee appointments will be reviewed by the IMTA president, based upon recommendations from the staff committee liaison following a careful consideration of a list of volunteers as well as other sources. Chairs of the committees will also be reviewed by the IMTA president, with thoughtful consideration given to recommendations of committee members and/or staff liaisons.