The dean of Psychological Studies at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was recently elected by American Psychological Association (APA) to pilot the organization's affairs. The story can be read here. Ike Okonkwo, PhD. NSU, 2003
That's BAD, BAD NEW! In my opinion, he is bad, bad news. He is militant pro Gay and Lesbian lobby and attacks aggressively traditional masculine roles. He wants to frame gender as primarily a "social construct" (as in "constructivism" which believes that there is no true reality and that you create your own reality.) I once interacted very graciously with him on masculine issues and he immediately and harshly jumped all over me while trashing me for my "antiquated and archaic" beliefs. I immediately felt that he did not reciprocate my open-mindedness but acted with bigottry towards my world view. A psychologist I work with (over 20 years in the field and a grad from Nova Southeastern) doesn't think much of him. At a future Florida Psychological Association meeting he plans to dress with his "manly" Harley Davidson attire and sit next to him to see what reaction he can get from this guy. If you have any doubts about what Levant stands for read his journal articles and the mission statement of APA Div. 51 (I believe I have the right number) that deals with masculinity and gender. It is extremely anti-traditional family roles and masculine roles. It has a political agenda and a BIG axe to grind.
Division 51 Mission Statement Here is the web address for the mission statement of the APA Division that Levant started: http://www.apa.org/divisions/div51/governance.html It is not neutral at all.
Nova is a large DL school besides being a "brick and mortar" one also Levant is at Nova. He could not be there unless he was pro-distance education. Nova has been a pioneer in DL. Many of Nova's Behavioral courses are also taught online besides the classroom option.
Hi, Ike. Things like this help raise a department's (and its university's) general profile. What's more, since the APA position is elected, this news gives us some indication of the extent to which Nova is already accepted by its professional peers. That shouldn't be an issue, but in the case of DL-heavy schools, one occasionally wonders. I think that it's great news for Nova.
Re: That's BAD, BAD NEW! Blackbird: As a social conservative (on selected issues), I must say that I fully understand your concerns but it’s unfair to prejudge his future leadership based on his past professional works. As a leader, he will not serve only gays’ and lesbians’ interests. He is expected to lead both gay and heterosexual psychologists. As you already know, he is a professor and dean of psychology at Nova Southeastern University and there is no conceivable reason to presume that his leadership will be antagonistic toward DL. One good thing that his leadership may usher is an increase in the number of DL psychology programs that are APA accredited. Ike Okonkwo, PhD (2003) Nova Southeastern University
Re: Re: That's BAD, BAD NEW! Ike, I agree with you that Levant will be good for DL. I understand that he is a good friend of the Executive Director of my DL graduate school of psychology. He seems very user-friendly to DL. I, however, don't think he will be good for Christian institutions such as Rosemead, Wheaton, Fuller, Seatle Pacific, George Fox, Regents, etc. who have APA programmatic accreditation and take a conservative approach to gender issues. My personal experience with him and some psychologists that I know sour me on him and see him as a force that is trying to militantly blur gender lines and shame traditionalists. I see it as an attempt to masculinize women and feminize men, to put it in simpler terms. Thanks for your thoughts.
