As you’ve likely seen in emails, website announcements, and social media posts recently, we are currently in the midst of the APA’s open nominations period. This time of year—September 15 through October 31—is when the APA puts out the call for nominations to fill upcoming vacancies on 18 APA committees and the Graduate Student Council (GSC), as well as nominations for an at-large seat on the APA board.
Service is, of course, a key part of academic life, alongside teaching and research. But service in APA leadership—on committees, for example—is more than that. It’s an opportunity to have a real impact on the discipline, the profession, and the association.
The APA’s eighteen committees and the GSC are at the heart of the association’s work. They represent various constituencies within the field and ensure those constituencies’ needs, interests, and priorities are addressed throughout the APA. They organize sessions at APA divisional meetings and APA Live online events that focus on issues central to their charges. They take on projects that serve and support their constituencies. And the board relies on their expertise—committees and the GSC advise and make recommendations to the board about programs, initiatives, and statements relevant to their charges and those they serve.
I’ll offer just a few examples. The Committee on the Status and Future of the Profession created the Department Advocacy Toolkit, which offers guidance to philosophy departments to help them secure their place on campus and respond to—or, hopefully, avoid—threatened cuts. The APA Committee on Inclusiveness in the Profession created and oversees the Diversity & Inclusiveness Syllabus Collection, which provides sample syllabi to help philosophers diversify their course materials. The Committee on the Teaching of Philosophy created the Teaching Hubs, now a part of every APA divisional meeting. The Committee on Lectures, Publications, and Research oversees the selection processes for over thirty APA prizes and awards, helping philosophers gain recognition for their scholarship. The Committee on Academic Career Opportunities has created guidance documents on the academic job market. And the Committee on Non-Academic Careers has developed Beyond the Academy, a resource for philosophers interested in pursuing careers outside the professoriate, and recently launched a Non-Academic Mentors program.
Again, these are just a few examples of projects and initiatives that APA committees have taken on—I could go on for days!
Often, when someone suggests to me or another APA board member that the APA should start a new program or initiative, we immediately turn to the APA committees. We rely on committees’ expertise, networks, and experience to help determine where and how the APA focuses its resources, to move the association forward, and to ensure that a broad range of voices and perspectives are represented in APA leadership.
This is all to say that this time right now—the open nomination period, which runs through the end of October—is an incredibly important time for the future of the APA. Committees—and the APA itself—are only as strong, only as effective, as the people who make them up.
If you have ideas you want represented in APA leadership, or if you know of someone who’s has passion and energy for improving the discipline and making change, take advantage of this opportunity. Nominate yourself and your colleagues for service on the Graduate Student Council, an APA committee, or the APA board! And make sure to include a nominator/nominee statement—those statements are among the more important factors in determining which nominees are ultimately appointed.
Submit your nominations today!
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.
