As an interdisciplinary community of scholars, practitioners, advocates, and students interested in the application of critical, scientific, and humanistic perspectives to the study of vital social problems, the SSSP is engaged in multiple avenues of social justice research and action. In addition to SSSP publications, the Society regularly participates in calls to action on various social justice issues.
2024 Approved Resolutions
Resolutions were solicited via several calls sent out to the membership by the SSSP Administrative Office as well as by emails sent to the Chairs of the 23 Divisions. This year, two proposed resolutions were submitted.
The resolutions were provided online for the membership to review and comment on prior to the Society’s Annual Business Meeting on Friday, August 9, 2024. Immediately following the meeting, current members were able to vote online for or against each resolution or abstain. The voting period lasted two weeks.
Thank you for voting on the 2024 Proposed Resolutions. 207 votes were cast by 2024 SSSP members. Both resolutions passed. Per the Society’s By-Laws, a resolution passes if two-thirds of the members voting online by the deadline vote in favor of the resolution.
Click here to view the 2024 Approved Resolutions.
Click here for past years Approved Resolutions.
The SSSP Anti-Harassment Committee opposes and condemns the current administration’s assault on our immigrant and refugee communities and would like to send our support to our members, colleagues, students, family members and friends by sharing some resources related to immigrant rights. Please share these with others as we know that many campuses and organizations are not offering this type of support.
Rapid Response Toolkit - Legal Aid Justice Center
General Resources:
National Education Association Resources:
Related to ICE threats, Chicago-Specific:
The committee also encourages folks to seek out and share resources focused on self-care, mutual aid, and building community in your area.
The faculty governance at Lehman College in the City University of New York recommended this syllabus statement with campus-specific resources:
“On classroom norms/community: Undocumented students have every right to safety as their documented counterparts. For attendance: Excused absences include court hearings and immigration appointments. No documentation is needed to receive an excused absence.”
Finally, we know that many of our members rely on federal data for teaching and research, some of which has been removed by the current administration. We would like to share this resource for those of you seeking access:
Purged Federal Agency Data Available on PolicyMap
On Friday, numerous essential datasets were purged from federal agency websites, including data from CDC PLACES (Population Level Analysis and Community Estimates), the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), and the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST)—to name just a few. While we don’t know when or if this data will return, we want to assure you that they are still accessible on PolicyMap.
If a passed resolution requires letters or e-mails to be sent, the Administrative Office distributes these to appropriate individuals or agencies.
Click here to read the letters.SSSP is proud to be part of the Scholars at Risk (SAR) Network. SAR is an international network of institutions and individuals whose mission it is to protect scholars and promote academic freedom.
They are currently working with over 70 scholars seeking placements within the network, including many scholars of sociology. If you believe your institution or research center may be in a position to host a scholar, please reach out and ask them to consider joining SAR and thereby help protect academic freedom. You can learn more about information for scholars currently at risk here or fill out this Google form to explore hosting opportunities.
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Free to Think is an annual report by Scholars at Risk’s Academic Freedom Monitoring Project. The report explores concerning trends in attacks on higher education communities around the world with the aims of raising awareness and urging diverse state and non-state stakeholders to join us in protecting and promoting academic freedom. This year’s report documents 391 attacks on higher education communities in 51 countries and territories. |
At-risk scholars can face significant challenges in securing academic positions due to limited career support and mentorship. Each year, many turn to Scholars at Risk (SAR) for assistance in advancing their academic aspirations in a safe environment. Among its many activities, SAR provides assistance through the Volunteer Proofreader Initiative (VPI), which provides scholars with professional proofreading services to enhance their job search materials. Since its launch in 2020, our dedicated volunteers have supported over 60 scholars, helping them refine CVs, cover letters, teaching/research statements, and other essential documents. As demand for this service continues to grow, we are seeking additional volunteers to expand our impact.
We are looking for volunteers with academic experience, professional proofreading/copy editing skills, or expertise in academic hiring to provide individualized feedback and edits. Given the diverse backgrounds of SAR scholars, we especially welcome volunteers from all academic disciplines who can offer subject-specific insights and knowledge of country-specific job market expectations.
For more details on program expectations, time commitment, and how to get involved, please visit the SAR website or contact us at sar-volunteerproofreader@nyu.edu.
The Society for the Study of Social Problems | 901 McClung Tower, University of Tennessee | Knoxville, TN 37996-0490
E-mail: sssp@utk.edu | Phone: 865-689-1531 | Fax: 865-689-1534
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