At the request of the membership (via ballot last summer), IASI has agreed to accept new members based on the SI training program that they graduated from. A committee of SI faculty from five different schools was convened to determine the minimum number of hours and course content required for a novice SI practitioner to get started in practice. The Board of Directors has approved the findings of this committee and this approval process will be in place until we have had sufficient time to investigate all the ways there are of creating a hands-on evaluation and determining what works for IASI's members. We anticipate that a lengthy period of time will be required for the in-depth dialogue necessary to gain a general consensus defining the boundaries of SI. Next on the agenda will be: how best to evaluate this, and how much variation exists in each branch of SI while still remaining within these boundaries. We have already sent one questionnaire to faculty to begin this dialogue, and down the road will be asking our members to participate. We hope that all of you will give us your feedback.

The school program requirements are as follows:

I. School Training Requirements
(these are minimums)

1. 650 total in-class hours.

2. 300 of these hours must be in SI theory and practicum (does not include anatomy, physiology, movement, ethics, business, contraindications, etc.). Content: we will look for inclusion of a series process, the concept of the body as integral with gravity, the fascial system as the structural organizer, in-class supervised work on at least 2 models, with students receiving and giving the complete series with classmates under instructor supervision.

3. 100 of the 650 hours must include anatomy/physiology/kinesiology and be from a structured bodywork training program (a bodywork school with a structured curriculum aimed at providing all of the basics for a professional career). Continuing education workshops will not be included in these hours.

4. The SI school that the practitioner graduates from is only required to provide 300 hours of SI training. If the SI school wishes its graduates to be IASI certified, then it must require that its students get the remaining 350 hours (or whatever number is lacking to complete the 650 hours) in prerequisites from a structured bodywork program that includes general bodywork, ethics/business practices, and 100

hours of anatomy, physiology and kinesiology. These cannot be acquired through CE workshop credits but may come from a school other than the SI specialty school. So for example: if your school teaches a SI specialty program of 350 hours, then incoming students will need 300 hours as prerequisites for your program; 100 of these hours in anatomy/physiology/kinesiology, and 200 hours in general bodywork, ethics and business practices. It is the school's responsibility to ensure that these prerequisites are met for IASI certification.

II. Faculty Criteria

1. Primary SI faculty, which does not include assistants, need to have at least 5 years experience sometime in their career as a full time SI practitioner before entering a teacher training track program.

2. Primary SI Faculty must have some sort of previous experience teaching before becoming the primary instructor. The teaching experience may be in any type of school, whether bodywork or academic. Experience as an assistant SI faculty or in a teacher training track program is also sufficient.

Exceptions

Entering IASI from an approved school is the main entry route for new members. For practitioners who feel they know SI but did not receive "approved" training, the committee felt we should allow them to prove themselves an exception. We have set up a 4-step portfolio review process to be overseen by a committee of five primary SI faculty from different schools. This process includes a transcript/experience review, juried paper, committee review that will include requests for hands-on evaluation or whatever else the committee determines they need to make a decision.