American Statistical Association to
Begin Program of Voluntary Individual
Accreditation of Statisticians
A
fter reviewing a report from a group of dis- Survey results indicated that 41% of members
tinguished ASA members, including results would apply for the accreditation program present-
of a sample survey of ASA members, the ed by the committee (standard error 2.4%). Twenty-
ASA Board of Directors has endorsed a recommen- nine percent said they would not apply, and 30%
dation to begin a program of voluntary individual did not know or weren’t sure if they would apply.
accreditation of statisticians. In so doing, the ASA A majority (53%) of members felt accreditation
joins the Royal Statistical Society (RSS), the would be beneficial to ASA members, while 12%
Statistical Society of Canada (SSC), and the thought it would not be beneficial. The remaining
Statistical Society of Australia, Inc. (SSAI) in offer- 35% indicated they did not know or were not sure
ing such a service to members. if it would be beneficial to ASA members.
“An accreditation program is a significant way Kettenring’s report noted, and the board
of meeting the challenge, identified in the ASA affirmed, that such accreditation would be vol-
Strategic Plan, to reach out to under-served groups untary and not everyone will need or want to be
while continuing to serve our traditional constitu- accredited. The general criteria for accreditation
encies,” said ASA President Sally Morton. “After include an advanced degree in statistics or a relat-
carefully studying such a program and after hear- ed quantitative field with sufficient concentration
ing from a large number of our members through a in statistics, at least five years of experience in the
sample survey that such a program would be useful practice of statistics, evidence that the applicant’s
to them, the board felt it was time for the ASA to work as an applied statistician is of high quality,
provide this distinction to members who feel they effective communication skills, adherence to the
will benefit from it.” ASA’s “Ethical Guidelines for Statistical Practice,”
Morton reiterated that such accreditation is vol- an ongoing record of professional growth, at least
untary; it is not the same as certification, which, in two supporting letters from persons of substantial
other professions, may be required before one can stature and first-hand knowledge of the work and
practice. “ASA accreditation is for those who feel it skills of the applicant, and ASA membership. Once
will help them professionally,” she said. “As is dem- granted, accreditation will be for five years, after
onstrated by similar programs offered by statistical which it may be renewed.
societies in other countries, not everyone will need Applications for accredited status will be
or want to be accredited.” reviewed and accreditation decisions will be made
The report was developed at the request of by the Accreditation Committee, which will be
the board by a committee headed by former ASA broadly representative of the association and, over
President Jon Kettenring. The other committee time, made up in majority by statisticians who,
members were Mary Ellen Bock, Roger Hoerl, themselves, have been accredited.
Nancy Kirkendall, Bob Mason, David Morganstein, Of course, there are many details to work out,
Vijay Nair, Bob O’Neill, Len Oppenheimer, and including how to make the criteria for accredita-
Ron Wasserstein (ex-officio). Mason and Bock are tion more specific, providing guidelines for appli-
also former ASA presidents. Wasserstein is the exec- cants with regard to documentation of the various
utive director of the ASA. criteria, and cost. An implementation committee is
Kettenring’s committee reviewed a proposal being formed, which will make recommendations
developed by another panel of ASA members, to the board regarding these details.
chaired by Mary Batcher and including members Board members praised the efforts of both the
familiar with accreditation offered in other coun- Kettenring and Batcher committees for their thor-
tries. Kettenring’s group conducted separate research ough and thoughtful work, which made this pro-
on the subject, including a large randomized survey gram possible.
of 1,000 ASA members and interviews with leader- The Kettenring report can be viewed at
ship from the RSS, SSC, and SSAI.
www.amstat.org/news/pdfs/Kettenring_Accreditation
Report.pdf. n
8 AMSTAT NEwS SEPTEMbER 2009
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