Faculty Members

Vedanta Aspioti BIO

Ravi Pagnamenta BIO

Nikolaos Athanassakis BIO

Faculty Role and Responsibilities 

Faculty members are expected to meet their professional commitments at the Institute on a regular basis throughout the academic year. These commitments include time spent on teaching, research, student advising, and various kinds of Institute or outside activities and in administrative or advisory roles.

Members of the faculty are expected to handle their teaching assignments with professional skill. They should be cooperative and efficient in meeting deadlines, submitting grades, and returning students’ work with appropriate comments. They should be active participants as committee members, student advisers, or in whatever other capacity they can render the best service in the affairs of the Institute. Ideally, they should also maintain interest in the current activities and problems of the larger community and in how the community and the Institute can benefit each other.

 The Faculty should also aim at the steady expansion of knowledge in their fields—by expanding their own knowledge through continuing study and by expanding the knowledge of others through teaching. Faculty should keep themselves informed about new developments in their subject area, and attend and actively participate in relevant meetings, courses or trainings.   

 As teachers, the Faculty encourage the free pursuit of learning of their Students. The Faculty demonstrates respect for Students as individuals and adhere to their proper roles as guides and counselors. Faculty make every reasonable effort to foster honest academic conduct and to assure that their evaluations of Students reflect each Student’s true merit. They respect the confidential nature of the relationship between instructor and Student. They avoid any exploitation, harassment, or discriminatory treatment of Students. 

 The integrity of the Faculty-Student relationship vests considerable trust in the Faculty member, who, in turn, bears authority and accountability as mentor, educator, and evaluator. The unequal institutional power inherent in this relationship heightens the vulnerability of the Student and the potential for coercion. The pedagogical relationship between Faculty member and Student must be protected from influences or activities that can interfere with learning consistent with the goals and ideals of the Institute. 

 As the Institute is a Therapist training program, much of the time Faculty members are also in the Therapist position and Students are in the participant or client position. This adds a deeper, more challenging dynamic to the Instructor – Student relationship. This means that within the context of the training, the Instructor – Student relationship is additionally governed by the principles of the Therapist – Client relationship. For this reason, in addition to the principles outlined in the Faculty, Staff and Administration Code of Conduct all EPI persons assuming the Therapist position must also adhere to the EPI Therapist Code of Ethics with regard to the Therapist – Client relationship. 

When a Faculty member is responsible for education and training programs, he/she seeks to ensure that the programs are competently structured and provide appropriate experiences and training to fulfill the stated objectives. The Faculty member recognizes the power he/she holds over Students and supervisees and therefore conducts him/herself with respect toward Students and supervisees.

The Faculty member attempts to ensure that any education and training programs for which he/she is responsible have accurate descriptions of the program content, training goals, objectives, and requirements that must be met for satisfactory admission to and completion of the program. This information is made readily available to all interested parties.

When engaged in teaching or training, Faculty members present pertinent information accurately and objectively with respectful critiques when appropriate. 

The Faculty member establishes appropriate processes for providing feedback to Students and supervisees. He/she evaluates Students and supervisees on the basis of their actual performance on relevant and established program requirements. 

Faculty members maintain a level of confidentiality appropriate for the teaching environment. Faculty, Staff and Facilitators discuss trainees and supervisees only in accord with publicly stated policy or mutual agreement, for the purpose of enriching the educational opportunities of the individual or for the perceived benefit of their therapeutic process. 

 Meeting Courses

The regulations of the Institute require all members of the faculty to be present for teaching duty and additional activities (e.g., committee work and student advisement) during the academic sessions to which they have been assigned. In addition, all members of the faculty are required to meet all their assigned courses at the place and hour scheduled.

In case of illness or some other emergency necessitating absence from teaching, the trainer should communicate with the Director, who will determine what arrangements, if any, should be made to provide a substitute instructor or to make up the work of the course at a later date.