"The Future of Massage in California" was the topic of a March 4, 2003, panel meeting at De Anza College in Cupertino, Calif. The program, hosted by De Anza massage program coordinator Jeffrey Forman, PhD, featured a wide variety of distinguished panel members, including David Palmer, president, TouchPro Institute of Chair Massage; Chris Voltarel, California Chapter President of the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA); Burt Boss, general manager of Soma Therapy in Palm Springs, Calif.; Keith Eric Grant PhD., instructor at the McKinnon Institute in Oakland, Calif., and Massage Today columnist; Les Sweeney, vice president of Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP); and Beverly May, AMTA-CA government relations chair.

Topics discussed during the meeting included: what a "bad" regulation bill might look like; what a tiered system might look like; the potential for use of demonstrated competencies versus required hours of education; the unique California environment of massage education; and the inadvisable language associated with a current licensing bill.

Overall, the tone of the meeting was positive. Panelists and the predominantly student audience reported a welcome lack of polarization and considerable sharing of ideas among the key players. The primary outcome of the meeting was that attendees gained a much better concept of the key issues relevant to massage therapists in California - and everyone is still talking, which is a positive thing indeed!

Massage Schools Enter a New "Domain"

The U.S. Department of Commerce recently approved the expansion of the ".edu" Internet domain to include nationally accredited postsecondary institutions specializing in health services, education, technology and other professions. As a result of the decision, all schools accredited by the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA), the official accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Dept. of Education, are now free to use the domain in their Web sites.

Established in 1985, the ".edu" domain is one of the original seven high-level Internet domains (.com; .net; .org; .mil; .int; .gov and .edu). Originally reserved for four-year colleges and universities, its use was expanded in 2001 to include community colleges. The latest expansion goes into effect on April 15.