There are many ways that members can make their voices heard in the APA—you can join or work with an APA committee or task force, come to a divisional business meeting, reach out to me or another member of the association staff or leadership, and participate in public discussions at divisional meetings and online. But one of the most important ways you can make your voice heard is to participate in the annual APA elections, which are now underway.
Unfortunately, most APA members don’t participate in elections. In recent years, despite the fact that these elections directly impact the direction and priorities of the association, fewer than 10% of eligible APA members have voted in the annual elections. Voting is important! Since this year’s elections are going on right now, I hope you’ll consider going to the APA website to review the candidates up for election and submit your votes.
There are three different sets of APA elections going on right now. Until about a decade ago, there was just one kind of APA elections—divisional elections. But in 2013, three member-at-large positions were added to the board, and in 2017, the Graduate Student Council was established, each of which expanded the APA election process. Below, I’ll briefly discuss each of these elections—who can vote, how to vote, and what the elected roles are.
Divisional Elections
For most of the APA’s history, divisional elections were the only opportunity for APA members to vote for members of APA leadership. Each of the three divisions—Eastern, Central, and Pacific—have their own executive committee, and most of the members of each executive committee are elected by the members of that division. In addition, in two of the three divisions—Eastern and Central—the members of the nominating committee, who nominate candidates for election to the executive committee, are themselves elected by members of the division.
Each year, the divisions hold elections for the following positions:
- Vice President / President-Elect
The person elected serves a one-year term as vice president, a one-year term as president, and a one-year term as past president. During this three-year term, they serve on the executive committee of their division and on the APA board of officers. - Divisional Representative to the Board of Officers
The person elected serves a three-year term on the executive committee of their division and on the APA board of officers. Only one division elects a representative each year. - Executive Committee Members-At-Large
Each divisional executive committee includes members-at-large. The Eastern Division has six members-at-large and elects two each year, whereas the Central and Pacific Divisions have three members-at-large and elect one each year. All executive committee members-at-large serve three-year terms on the executive committee of their division. - Nominating Committee
Each division has a nominating committee that is responsible for nominating members for the next round of divisional elections. The three divisions each have different approaches to the composition of their nominating committees and their members’ terms, but in the Eastern and Central Divisions, some of the members of the nominating committees are elected by the members of the division.
The leaders elected through divisional elections make up 12 of the 29 members of the APA board of officers—over 40% of the board. And divisional executive committees make all the major decisions about how the divisional meetings are run. So, participating in the voting process is an important way of making your voice heard within the APA.
The Pacific Division does not normally run competitive elections—the nominating committee prepares a slate including one nominee for each vacancy, and unless other nominees are added by member petition, the slate is approved at the business meeting at the Pacific Division each year.
The Eastern and Central Divisions, on the other hand, do run competitive elections, with multiple candidates running for each seat. So, while the Pacific Division’s elections for this year have already taken place, members of the Eastern and Central Divisions can go to the APA website to vote now:
All regular members of the APA—including graduate students and emeritus members—may vote in the elections for the division to which they belong.
Board Member-At-Large Elections
The APA board of officers was long made up of three types of members: divisional officers (who are elected as described above), association officers (the chair, vice chair, treasurer, and executive director, all of whom are elected or appointed by the board), and chairs of the six APA standing committees (who are nominated by APA members and appointed by the board). This means that, for most of the APA’s history, there were no APA leaders who were elected by all of the members of the APA. Moreover, nearly all the members of the board served because they were elected or appointed to some other role—no members served on the board simply to represent the APA membership.
In 2012, a task force reviewing the APA’s governance and structure recommended that three at-large members be added to the board. After the bylaws were amended to establish these positions, the very first association-wide election was held in 2013, and the first members-at-large joined the APA board on July 1, 2014.
Now, one member-at-large is elected to a three-year term on the board every year. Nominations for members-at-large are open for six weeks each fall—September 15 through October 31—along with nominations for the APA committees and the appointed seats on the Graduate Student Council (more on that below). The selection committee, made up of the three divisional representatives to the board, then narrows down the nominations, selecting at least two and up to four candidates to stand for election to the member-at-large seat on the board that year.
All regular members of the APA—including graduate students and emeritus members—may vote in the elections for member-at-large of the board of officers. You can go to the APA website to vote now:
Graduate Student Council Elections
As mentioned above, the Graduate Student Council (GSC) was established in 2017 to provide a more direct voice for graduate students within the APA and to ensure that graduate students could share their concerns directly with the APA board. The GSC has taken up many exciting initiatives over the last several years, including pushing for voting rights in the above APA elections to be extended to graduate students.
When creating the Graduate Student Council, the APA board aimed to balance two competing priorities. On the one hand, the board wanted the GSC to be by and for graduate students—that is, the GSC should have members who are directly elected by graduate students themselves. On the other hand, elections are prone to bias—for example, people at institutions that are perceived to have high prestige are more likely to win elections than those at institutions without that perception of prestige—and the board wanted the GSC to include members with a wide variety of perspectives and experiences. So, the board opted to have both elected and appointed seats on the GSC.
There are 12 members of the GSC, each of whom serve two-year terms. Eight of the members—four each year—are nominated by APA members during the fall open nomination period mentioned above and appointed by a selection committee made up of the three board members-at-large, the executive director, and two current GSC members.
The remaining four members of the GSC are elected by student members of the APA, with two elected seats open each year. For the elected seats, nominations can be submitted by any APA member during a second nomination period in the winter (normally in January and February), and the current members of the GSC select between four and nine candidates to stand for election.
Though any APA member can nominate a graduate student to be appointed or elected to the Graduate Student Council, only student members of the APA (graduate as well as undergraduate) can vote in GSC elections. If you are a student member of the APA, you can access this year’s GSC ballot at the link below:
Now that you know a little bit more about APA elections and why they are so important, I hope you’ll take the time to vote this year. And even better, consider nominating yourself or others for APA leadership—whether an elected position or an appointed one, such as serving on an APA committee—when nominations open again this fall.
The APA is here to serve and support philosophers, and that work is most effective when APA leaders reflect and represent the perspectives, priorities, and experiences of the membership. So, go vote—elections are open through May 20!
Amy Ferrer
Amy Ferrer has been Executive Director of the APA since 2012. She holds a bachelor's degree in women's studies and a master's degree in public policy and administration, both from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She has spent more than 15 years in nonprofit management, having previously worked for national and regional organizations focusing on civil liberties, public health, and advocacy. Both her work and educational background have focused on diversity issues, communications, development, and program management. She currently serves on the boards of Delaware Humanities and the Academic Placement and Data Analysis project, and has previously served on the boards of the National Humanities Alliance, the American Council of Learned Societies, and the Association of American Colleges and Universities.
