Brief Descriptions of SSSP Elected Positions
The following are the SSSP elected positions. Click on the name to jump to the relevant description of the position.
President Elect and the President
Vice-President Elect and the Vice-President
Board of Directors/Student Board Members
Budget, Finance, and Audit Committee
Editorial and Publications Committee
Membership and Outreach Committee
PRESIDENT ELECT AND THE PRESIDENT
The membership elects the President Elect and President in the General Election. The President has many responsibilities and opportunities to advance the organization. The person elected serves on the Board of Directors for three one-year terms as President-elect, President, and Past-President. Each year, the President has a different role within the Board of Directors. The first year is one of observing, planning, and recruiting persons to serve on various committees. These duties are described in Section II B. of the Operations Handbook. The second year begins with the announcement of the program theme in the final program for the year preceding the meeting over which he or she will preside. In the third year, the past-president serves in an advisory capacity.
VICE-PRESDIENT ELECT AND THE VICE-PRESIDENT
The Vice-President Elect and the Vice-President serve a one-year term and are nominated by the Nominations Committee. The membership elects the Vice-President Elect and the Vice-President in the General Election. Both serve as voting members of the Board of Directors. The Vice-President serves as chair of the Resolutions Committee. The Resolutions Committee meets at the Annual Meeting. The Vice-President will present all resolutions to the membership at the Annual Business Meeting. The Board of Directors screen and act on the resolutions that are introduced and passed at the Annual Business Meeting. The Vice-President will forward a copy of the approved resolutions to the Administrative Office. The Administrative Officer will consult with the President and forward the resolutions to the appropriate persons. The Vice-President may be asked to introduce the President at the Presidential Address. He or she becomes the Vice-President at the end of the Annual Business Meeting. The Vice-President is responsible for selecting the Chair and members of the Joseph B. Gittler Award Committee. As compensation for these duties, the Society provides a complimentary room during the Annual Meeting.
SECRETARY
The Secretary serves a one-year term and is nominated by the Board of Directors. The Board nominates one or more candidates for the office. The membership elects the Secretary in the General Election. Traditionally, the Secretary serves for a number of years. The primary duties are recording the minutes of the Annual Business Meeting and the meetings of the Board of Directors. These minutes must appear in the fall issue of the Social Problems Forum: The SSSP Newsletter. The Administrative Officer will review the unapproved minutes before publication. The Secretary must give due notice of all meetings of the members and of the Board of Directors. Additional duties may be assigned by the Board, such as formal correspondence for the Society. The Administrative Office assists the Secretary in the performance of the duties of the office. As compensation for these duties, the Society provides transportation to the meeting, if needed and a complimentary room during the Annual Meeting.
TREASURER
The Treasurer serves a one-year term and is nominated by the Board of Directors. The Board nominates one or more candidates for the office. The membership elects the Treasurer in the General Election. Traditionally, the Treasurer serves for a number of years. The Treasurer is assigned oversight responsibilities for the funds of the Society and their management and expenditure. The Treasurer works closely with the Executive Officer and Administrative Officer in this task. The Treasurer reviews the purchases journal and approves the expenditures before the Administrative Officer prints the checks. This review serves as an appropriate segregation of duties for cash disbursements, considering the Society's limited personnel available. The Treasurer’s signature appears on all checks and deposit transfers in excess of $1,000. As an ex officio, voting member of the Budget, Finance, and Audit Committee, the Treasurer helps to project and revise the budgets and to determine the allocation of reserve funds in various investments. The Treasurer reports on the financial condition of the Society to the Board of Directors and to the membership. As compensation for these duties, the Society provides a complimentary room during the Annual Meeting.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS/STUDENT BOARD MEMBERS
Each elected member of the Board of Directors serves a three-year term and is nominated by the Nominations Committee. The membership elects the Board members in the General Election. The Editor of Social Problems and the Editor of Social Problems Forum: The SSSP Newsletter are nominated by the Editorial and Publications Committee and appointed by the Board of Directors as Board members. These two positions hold ex officio, non-voting memberships on the Board. Two Student Board members are elected for a two-year term on a staggered basis so that one member is elected each year. The Student Board Representatives conduct a meeting with the graduate students at the Annual Meeting. As compensation for these duties, the Society provides $500 to each Student Board Representative to help subsidize their meeting expenses.
The Board of Directors meets at the Annual Meeting and manages the Society’s affairs. The Board employs the Executive Officer and Administrative Officer to assist them in managing the Society’s business. The primary responsibility of a Board member is attendance at the Board of Directors meetings. The Board must be informed of any issues that come before the Society so they can vote to support courses of action that they believe are in the best interest of the organization and will advance the purpose of the organization as stated in the By-laws. Since proxy voting is not done at these meetings, attendance is very important. Occasionally, the Board is polled via e-mail on important issues. Prompt response is requested. Quarterly financial reports are sent to Board members via e-mail for their review. Board members must carefully review mailings for the purpose of making informed decisions. If clarification is needed, the Administrative Office will help. (For more information on the Board of Directors, see Section I. C in the Operations Handbook.)
BUDGET, FINANCE, AND AUDIT COMMITTEE
The Budget, Finance, and Audit Committee consists of the Treasurer and three members elected by the membership to staggered three-year terms. The committee selects its own chair from the three elected members each year. The tradition has been to select the member who has served on the committee the longest. At both the mid-year and the annual meeting a member of the committee will act as secretary/minute taker. In order to maximize efficient transitions, the minute taker shall be the individual who will assume chair responsibilities in the following calendar year. This committee develops the most detailed knowledge of the financial situation of the Society. The Administrative Officer provides the committee with quarterly financial statements.
Duties of the Committee
- to examine, acknowledge, and approve the Society’s budget as proposed by the Administrative Officer in consultation with the Executive Officer
- to acknowledge and approve the audit of the Society’s financial records each year by the Administrative Officer with the assistance of a certified public accountant
- to supervise the Society’s investments
Meetings of the Budget, Finance, and Audit Committee
The mid-year meeting is scheduled in late May or early June at which point a detailed examination of the Society’s finances takes place. A budget item for committee expenses is included in the Society’s budget. The Chair will prepare a report summarizing the meeting. The committee will:
- review the Society’s investments and recommend any changes
- review the financial relationship between the Editorial Offices of the Newsletter and Journal, the Administrative Office and the Executive Officer
- review the relationship between the Society and the host institution of the Administrative Office
- review the performance of Social Problems and the publisher of the journal
- discuss investments and socially responsible mutual funds
- review the audit performed by an independent accounting firm and recommend its acceptance or revision
- review the current year’s budget and make any revisions, if needed
- project the following year’s budget
- elect the next Chair
The Committee meets twice during the Annual Meeting to revise the current and following year’s budget and to review the Society’s investments. The Chair presents the current year’s budget to the Board of Directors for approval. The Treasurer presents the auditor’s report to the Board of Directors for approval. The newly appointed Chair presents the following year’s budget to the Board of Directors for approval.
COMMITTEE ON COMMITTEES
The Committee on Committees consists of six members elected by the membership to staggered three-year terms. The committee selects its own Chair each year. The committee must secure members to serve on the following committees prior to the Annual Meeting. Per the Board of Directors, individuals may serve on no more than two committees within the Committee on Committee' authority.
The President-Elect can appoint members to serve as well. The Committee on Committees Chair contacts the President-Elect to see if the committee can offer assistance with additional nominations.
- Secure two persons to be considered for appointment by the Board of Directors to serve on the Committee on Standards and Freedom of Research, Publication, and Teaching for a three-year term.
- Secure three persons from the area hosting the next Annual Meeting to be considered for appointment by the Board of Directors who are willing to serve on the Local Arrangements Committee for a one-year term. The President-elect nominates the Chair. The Chair often recruits his or her own committee.
- Secure one person to serve as Chair of the Elections Committee for a one-year term. The Chair often recruits his or her own committee.
- Secure two persons to be considered for appointment by the Board of Directors to the Permanent Organization and Strategic Planning Committee for a three-year term. The President-Elect will appoint a Chair from among the members who have served on the committee for at least one year.
- Secure at least five persons for each committee to be considered for appointment by the Board of Directors to the C. Wright Mills Award Committee, Lee Founders Award Committee and the Racial/Ethnic Minority Graduate Scholarship Committee for a one-year term.
- Secure not more than six persons from the area hosting the next Annual Meeting to be considered for appointment by the Board of Directors to the Thomas C. Hood Social Action Award Committee for a one-year term.
- Secure one person for each committee to be considered for appointment by the Board of Directors to the Accessibility Committee, Erwin O. Smigel Award Committee, Lee Scholar Support Fund Committee and Lee Student Support Fund Committee, for a one-year term.
EDITORIAL AND PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE
The Editorial and Publications Committee consists of six members elected by the membership to staggered three-year terms. The Chair of the Budget, Finance, and Audit Committee serves as a voting, ex-officio committee member. The Editor of Social Problems and the Editor of Social Problems Forum: The SSSP Newsletter serve as non-voting, ex-officio committee members. The out-going editor of Social Problems shall serve a three year term on this committee, voting ex officio. The committee selects its own Chair each year.
Duties of the Committee
- Provide oversight responsibilities with respect to the publication of Social Problems and Social Problems Forum: The SSSP Newsletter. The committee must ensure quality and timeliness of these publications.
- Conduct bi-yearly evaluations of the editors of Social Problems and Social Problems Forum: The SSSP Newsletter. The committee can recommend reappointment of the editors to a second term not to exceed three years.
- Review periodically and publish its criteria for the oversight of the Editorial Offices and for the selection of editors. Final decisions regarding the editorial policies of Social Problems is made by the Board of Directors or by the membership by vote or referendum. The Editor remains the final judge over acceptance and rejection of manuscripts and over format within the limits set by the budget.
- Supervise the preparation and the arrangements of publications of the Society other than Social Problems.
MEMBERSHIP AND OUTREACH COMMITTEE
The Membership and Outreach Committee consists of nine elected members serving three year staggered terms. The first three elected shall replace those whose appointed terms expire in 2010. The second three elected shall replace those whose appointed terms expire in 2011. The next three elected shall replace those whose appointed terms expire in 2012. Thereafter replacements will be elected as elected terms expire. Unexpired terms may be filled by appointment by the Board of Directors. Each cohort of elected committee members should include at least one graduate student. The members of the committee shall each year elect a chair from among those committee members who are serving their third year on the committee. The duties of the committee are to recruit new members, to raise awareness of SSSP and to recommend retention strategies to the Administrative Office, to the Executive Officer and to the Board of Directors.
Timetable for Various Committee Activities:
- Promotional Strategy and Schedule Set: October 15*
- Updates to promotional web sites to Administrative Office: October 31
- Updates to printed promotional items to Administrative Office: November 15
- Selections of target e-mail lists: November 30
*This schedule is to be modified on an annual basis in consultation with the Membership and Outreach Committee Chair at the beginning of the term according to the promotional strategy in place for the year.
