III. The Divisions

III. The Roles and Responsibilities of Division Chairs

III. A. 1. Nominations Committee

III. A. 2. Division Elections

1. Term

2. Division Election Procedures

3. Division Name Change

III. A. 3. Council of the Divisions

III. A. 4. Divisional Meetings

III. A. 5. Publications

III. A. 6. Division Newsletter

III. A. 7. Annual Meeting Program

III. A. 8. Guidelines for Participation

III. A. 9. Division Special Project Policy

III. A. 10. Division Sponsored Projects Policy

III. A. 11. Division Sponsored Workshop Policy

III. A. 12. Student Paper Competition and Awards

III. A. 13. Division Budgets

III. A. 14. Division Listservs and Mass E-mail Announcements

III. A. 15. Division Websites

III. A. 15. A. Website Hosting

III. A. 15. B. Content Requirements

III. A. 15. C. Copyright Guidelines

III. A. 15. D. Content Suggestions

III. A. 15. E. Accessibility Requirements

III. A. 15. F. Continuity

III. A. 16. Division Social Media Accounts

III. A. 17. Lapsed Division Membership Data

III. A. 18. Division Chair Calendar

The Roles and Responsibilities of Division Chairs

Introduction

The Administrative Office recognizes and greatly appreciates the dedicated efforts of the Division Chairpersons. Without your support in maintaining the deadlines for the various activities, the business of the Society could not be conducted by our staff.

The following information is designed to answer any questions you may have regarding your role. Please do not hesitate to contact the Administrative Office for assistance.

Chairpersons should be able and willing to serve their full term. This service includes attending the annual meeting in addition to service time during the year. Prior to the annual meeting, Chairpersons will be given an annual report of their division activities by the Administrative Office.

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III. A. Nominations Committee

The Nominations Committee consists of the Chairperson of the Council of the Divisions, the Chairperson-elect of the Council of the Divisions, and four members appointed by the Board of Directors.  The four appointed members will serve two-year terms, with the terms staggered so that at least two members are appointed each year, depending on the number of vacancies.  The Chairperson of the Council of the Divisions will serve as Chair of the Nominations Committee and will be the primary point of contact with the Board of Directors.

The Nominations Committee nominates persons to stand for the following elected positions: President-Elect/President; Vice-President-Elect/Vice-President; Board of Directors; Anti-Harassment Committee; Budget, Finance, and Audit Committee; Committee on Committees; Editorial and Publications Committee; and the Membership and Outreach Committee.  Prior to the annual meeting, it would be helpful to identify willing nominees for these positions to suggest to the Nominations Committee.  There should be a commitment to nominating a diverse slate of nominees.  This includes diversity based on racial-ethnic background, gender and sexual identities, geographic locations, and institutional settings (e.g., academia, practitioners, organizations, etc.).  Nominees must be current members and must have attended at least one annual meeting to be considered for an elected office.  Self-nominate and encourage nominees to complete an online nomination form by June 15.

The Nominations Committee may conduct their work and meeting(s) via e-mail and within an online meeting platform (e.g., Zoom, Webex) before the annual meeting, if desired.

In order to protect the integrity of the Society, members of a committee, or the Board of Directors, must disclose any conflict of interest or even the appearance of a conflict of interest to the other members of the committee in any process involving the awarding of funds or anything else of value to an individual or group. The Committee Chair will then discuss the conflict or the appearance of the conflict with the Executive Officer, to determine the appropriate next step, which may be to require said member to withdraw from the process entirely or some portion of the process. Click here to access the policy. 

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III. A. 2. Division Elections

1. Term

Each division should elect a Chairperson, a Chairperson-elect, and other officers as determined by the division. Chairpersons are elected for two years. In the event that a division is unable to elect a new Chairperson, the current Chairperson may continue to serve as Chairperson, but for no more than an additional year, until a new Chairperson is elected. The transfer of responsibility of the Chair should be made at the appropriate divisional meeting before or at the annual meeting.

2. Division Election Procedures

a. Nominations for candidates will be solicited through a minimum of three emails with at least one email each sent by the Division Chairperson and the Chairperson, Council of the Divisions. While it is intended for elections to include at least two candidates, a Division will be allowed to move into an election with a single candidate, following the minimum of three email solicitations. Nominees must be current division members to accept nominations. The Chairperson is responsible for confirming that all nominees are current division members and seeing that there is the widest possible participation in the nomination procedure. If not, the Chairperson will work with the Administrative Officer if nominees need to join/renew and/or become division members. Initial nominations may be solicited in one or more of the following ways:

  • Call for nominations in the division newsletter
  • E-mail division members and solicit nominations
  • Nominations from the floor at the divisional meeting

The latter two actions are more effective recruiting strategies than posting the call for nominations in the division newsletter. If only one action is taken, the nominees should be reported in the division newsletter along with a call for additional nominees. Self-nominations are acceptable, but self-nominees must be current division members in order for the nomination to move forward.

b. The Chair is responsible for providing the Administrative Officer with a list of confirmed nominees. The GRA & Webmaster will ask candidates to complete an online candidate form which includes biographical information that appears on the ballot under their name. Candidates will be given two weeks to complete this task. If a candidate fails to submit this information in a timely manner their name will appear on the ballot with the following notation: Candidate did not provide biographical information.

c. Division elections for incoming Chairs should be held during the Chair’s first year in office. This will ensure that the Chairpersons will help in the planning of programs and other division functions and give the Chair-Elect some experience regarding the responsibilities of the Chair before taking office. Names of the nominees must be sent to the Administrative Officer no later than May 1.

d. Elections should be held in the fall. No division elections will take place between June 15 and August 15 due to work associated with the annual meeting. Some divisions elect the Chair-elect earlier so that they may serve two years before becoming Chair.

e. The election process is handled by the Administrative Office. The preferred method of communication with members is by electronic mail. Electronic mail will be used for the notification of elections. It is considered the member’s responsibility to notify the Administrative Office of any changes in e-mail or postal address in a timely fashion.

Election notification will be sent by e-mail from the Administrative Office when voting is opened. At least four weeks will be allowed from the opening of the election website to receive votes before the voting is closed. The election website will include a link to candidate qualifications. The Administrative Office will monitor the computer tabulation of votes and will report any irregularities to Division Officers and to the Board of Directors. A majority of votes cast will be necessary to elect any Division Officer. If there are more nominees for an office and there is not a clear majority, a run-off election will be held between the two candidates receiving the most votes. The same election procedures described above will be followed for the run-off election.

f. The Administrative Officer will advise the Chair in writing who the winner is and the ballot count. The Chair will have the responsibility of notifying, in writing, the candidates of the results. It is not our policy to publicize the ballot count in order to respect the privacy of candidates. According to the bylaws, Article VI, Section 1F, “The results of division elections shall be announced prior to the Annual Division Business Meeting either in the division newsletter or by a special mailing to the Division members.” A copy of the notification should be sent to the Administrative Officer. The election results will be posted on the Society’s website once all candidates have been notified.

3. Division Name Change

a. If a division wants to change its name, it must be voted on by the entire division. One option must be the current division name, no change needed. The Chair will provide the Administrative Officer with a list of options to be included on the election ballot and a short rationale for the division name change.

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III. A. 3. Council of the Divisions

The Council of the Divisions is comprised of the Chairpersons of the Divisions, the Chairperson of the Council, and the Chairperson-elect of the Council. The Chairperson of the Council is nominated and elected by the Division Chairs to serve as a voting member of the Board of Directors for a three-year term. The Council meets to communicate common concerns and to convey through its Chairpersons these concerns and policy recommendations to the Board of Directors. If a Division Chair cannot attend these meetings, it is their responsibility to appoint someone else to represent their division.

The Chairperson of the Council of the Divisions may recommend replacing a Division Chair to the Executive Officer and the Administrative Officer if the Division Chairperson fails to fulfill one or more of the following requirements after at least two reminders/warnings: (1) distribute at least one newsletter per year, (2) provide an annual division budget on time, and (3) maintain a current division mission statement on the division’s webpage. In addition, the Society requests that Division Chairpersons review their mission statement at least every two years, and each time a new Division Chair begins their term, and make changes as necessary. The Executive Officer will discuss the recommendation to replace a chairperson who is not fulfilling their responsibilities as Division Chair with the Chairperson of the Council of the Divisions and the Administrative Officer. If they agree to proceed with the recommendation to replace, the Executive Officer will forward the recommendation to the Board of Directors for the final decision, and invite the Division Chairperson to submit to the Board, through the Administrative Office, a challenge to the recommendation if they do not agree with the recommendation within two weeks of notification. If the Board decides to replace the Division Chair, an emergency election will be held within one month to elect a replacement chair.

The Executive Officer may initiate efforts to review the viability of any division that fails to comply with one or more of the following requirements: (1) have at least 50 members for two years running, (2) have a replacement chair elected by the end of the current chair’s term of office, (3) organize at least two sessions for the annual meeting, (4) be represented at every meeting of the Council of Divisions, and (5) hold a divisional meeting before or at the annual meeting. If the Executive Officer finds that a division is no longer viable according to these criteria, the Executive Officer will discuss the recommendation to eliminate the division with the Council and invite the division in question to respond to the Executive Officer’s recommendation. The Executive Officer will then decide whether to forward their recommendation to the Board for the final decision.

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III. A. 4. Divisional Meetings

1. Divisions can hold virtual business meetings before the annual meeting, as long as the division leadership notifies the Administrative Office, maintains responsibility for scheduling and publicity, and submits attendance and business meeting minutes to the Administrative Office after the virtual divisional business meeting. All virtual meetings must take place prior to July 31.

2. If a division does not wish to hold a virtual business meeting before the annual meeting, they must hold a divisional meeting at the annual meeting with the Chairperson presiding. There will be two different time slots available for divisional meetings on the first day and one time slot on the second day. The divisional meeting should serve as a forum to discuss concerns of the division and nominees for Chairperson-elect. The divisional meeting can be a place to: a) suggest sessions for next year’s program, b) plan special activities of the division, c) discuss awards sponsored by the division, d) recruit members for the division and the Society’s leadership, e) plan publishing projects, and f) discuss division's proposed budget. After the divisional meeting, each Division Chair must submit their attendance and business meeting minutes as a plain text file (no graphics or formatting and has the file extension (.txt)) and a pdf file (contains graphics and formatting and has the file extension (.pdf)) to the Administrative Office for posting on their division's website.

3. The Council can hold virtual meetings before the annual meeting, as long as the Chairperson of the Council notifies the Administrative Office, maintains responsibility for scheduling and publicity, and submits attendance and meeting minutes to the Administrative Office afterwards. If the Council does not wish to hold virtual meetings before the annual meeting, they will meet as a group three times during the annual meeting: a) as the Council of the Divisions (outgoing and incoming Division Chairs) to review the Roles and Responsibilities of Division Chairs, b) as the Council of the Divisions (current Division Chairs) to focus on timely divisional business, and c) with the Program Chair, President, and the Administrative Officer in planning the following year’s meeting. The Council will meet twice on the first day and once on the last day of the annual meeting. The Executive Officer attends the first Council meeting to provide a brief orientation (e.g., 10 minutes) to all Chairs including: a substantive overview of how SSSP operates; orienting Chairs to their role in the larger SSSP structure and functioning; an update of what is happening at the executive level so the Chairs are informed and can also inform their members (e.g., any pressing issues facing the Society); answering questions, as needed. The Administrative Officer also attends the first Council Meeting to answer any questions.

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III. A. 5. Publications

1. Each division must have a current introductory statement located on the division’s webpage. This statement provides current and potential members with a clear idea of what is unique about their division, i.e., what defines it, and the ways in which the division advances the cause of social justice. SSSP’s mission statement is "scholarship in pursuit of a just society."

2. Some divisions have compiled edited readers published as SSSP-sponsored books. Proposals and contracts for such sponsorship must be reviewed and approved by the Editorial and Publications Committee and the Board of Directors. Responsibility for editorship of such a volume must be assumed by a member of the division.

3. Occasionally, special issues of Social Problems have been edited by a division. Proposals for such special issues must be submitted to the Editor(s) of Social Problems for consideration of contents and the logistics of the editorial process.

4. Any division proposing a new journal must provide the Editorial and Publications Committee with a proposal outlining how it plans to fund the journal (i.e., subscription fees, institutional support), including production, publication format, and dissemination costs, potential publisher, office location, and staffing.

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III. A. 6. Division Newsletter

1. The newsletter is a way to build networks of scholarly support and exchange within your interest area. Each division is entitled to have three division newsletters distributed electronically by the Administrative Office each year. Electronic distribution saves time, money, and natural resources, and it makes them accessible to all of the Society’s members. All division newsletters will be posted on the division’s webpage.

2. The division newsletter may be prepared by the Chairperson or someone within the division designated by the Chairperson.

3. The content of the newsletter is entirely up to the division. Some divisions have used the newsletter as a means of communicating substantive content of professional concern to the division. It is recommended that the division newsletter concern itself at a minimum with the following:

a. Program planning for the division sessions at the next annual meeting (to augment the call for papers) in the fall or late spring newsletter

b. Call for nominations or additional nominees for division office(s) and the division election results

c. News or articles of interest to the division members

d. Recently published work in the area

e. News related to division members’ research, publications, and awards

f. Job announcements that may be of interest to division members

4. Newsletters must be sent as a plain text file (no graphics or formatting and has the file extension (.txt)) and a pdf file (contains graphics and formatting and has the file extension (.pdf)) to the GRA & Webmaster at ssspgra@utk.edu for distribution. No other formats will be accepted. This approach makes the newsletters accessible to all members, resulting in equity amongst our membership in terms of access to information.

5. The Administrative Office recommends that the length of newsletters not exceed ten pages.

6. If stipends are used for Division Newsletter Editors, they must be awarded after completion of two newsletters. At the discretion of the Division Chair, a Division Newsletter Editor may receive a portion of the stipend for producing a single newsletter in a year. Please supply the Administrative Officer with the person's name, mailing address, and stipend amount. Payables are processed mid-month and end of the month.

7. No division newsletters will be distributed electronically between July 15 and August 15 due to work associated with the annual meeting.

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III. A. 7. Annual Meeting Program

The annual meeting is designed to give as many persons as possible an opportunity to participate. However, the number of sessions cannot be increased to the point that there is not enough audience left to attend and not enough meeting space. Paper submitters must use referencing capitalization established in the ASA Style Guide for their paper title(s). The Administrative Office reserves the right to edit paper titles for uniformity for title capitalization. The procedures below are designed to transform this very delicate balance into a great meeting.

1.Each division is entitled to two division-sponsored sessions and up to five co-sponsored sessions. We encourage divisions to co-sponsor sessions with one another. Please shape the themes of the solo-sponsored and co-sponsored sessions broadly to attract an optimal number of submissions. If the division is co-sponsoring sessions with other divisions, make sure to submit the same session title and contact information for each organizer. Sessions titles can be modified after papers have been submitted and before a session is organized.  

A regular session must consist of five papers with a discussant or a maximum of six papers without a discussant. All traditional paper sessions are required to have a presider. With the approval of the Program Chair, additional sessions may be added if meeting space is available. These paper sessions are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis to those divisions that indicate in writing to the Program Chair and the Administrative Officer the names of presenters on panels or paper sessions. Priority is given for additional sessions to divisions planning joint sessions with each other or with the Program Committee.

2. Each division has full determination in regard to how the program sessions are used. However, consider using one session for an overall theme proposed by the President. Other sessions can reflect a particular interest(s) or an intriguing topic(s) within the Division scope. Consider crafting the division’s thematic session in the format of a “Critical Dialogue.” This format includes short (5 minute) presentations by up to eight authors followed by a facilitated dialogue that critically explores connections among the papers. The audience will have an opportunity to participate in the dialogue as well. Emphasis is placed on exploring interesting connections between papers with a broadly similar theme. This provides the opportunity for both presenters and the audience to make new and deeper connections between their own unique insights and presented ideas. The presider/discussant (same person serves in both roles) plays the important role of moderating and facilitating the dialogue, while making sure that presentation times are followed. 

3. Each division is encouraged to have a “Works in Progress” or "Research Feedback Forum" session to promote increased submissions. Think creatively about the possibilities of this format to encourage discussion. These sessions are composed of several tables in the same room, each with a different theme. Each roundtable consists of five to six paper presentations and should have an established scholar serving as presider and/or discussant. Discussion proceeds simultaneously at all tables. At each table, the discussant leader(s) will introduce the topic and facilitate discussion among all the participants. These are informal opportunities to present and discuss works in progress and are somewhat self-organized. Authors in turn should start out detailing their projects or papers for about 10-15 minutes, after which participants around the table (authors and others) are invited to offer suggestions, reflect on content, and provide constructive feedback.

4. Each Call for Papers session may include a session description to be displayed in the Call for Papers. These descriptions are essential for organizers to clearly communicate the types of papers they are seeking. It is your responsibility to craft a session description that is both informative and relevant. Please ensure that session descriptions are concise, with a maximum length of 120 words.

5. Session organizers are required to submit a written description of their session(s) for the online session management system before submitting their session. Session descriptions not only provide an overview of the session, but also create interest and generate excitement about the presentations. It is the organizer's responsibility to craft a session description that is informative, stimulating, and relevant. Session descriptions are limited to 120 words. 

6. LCD projectors and screens will be available for all traditional sessions. Works in Progress, Research Feedback Forum, and Critical Dialogue sessions will not have audio-visual equipment. For all traditional sessions, presenters and/or session organizers must bring their own laptop (and the connection cord if you have an Apple computer or HDMI connection cord). We recommend saving your presentation to a thumb drive in the event you need to use a fellow participant’s computer for your presentation. Powered speakers for audio will not be available for any sessions. As such, we discourage the inclusion of short video clips in your presentation due to accessibility purposes (it will be difficult for the audience to hear them). Internet access will be available in all meeting spaces in the conference hotel. 

7. At the conference hotel, poster sessions are available in addition to the regular sessions at the discretion of the Program Committee. You may have as many participants as you wish in poster sessions. Posters are graphic presentations of the author’s report. They consist of illustrative materials that may take the form of graphs, diagrams, charts, tables, or photos. For example, the slides of a PowerPoint presentation might be printed as 8x10 documents and displayed on a poster board if they include a minimal amount of text. Posters must be headed by a title. Any lettering should be large enough to be visible from 5’ and the individual displays should fit on a 3’ x 4’ poster. The Society will provide a way to mount the posters. While the poster is on display, the author(s) should be present to answer questions. If several poster sessions are proposed, they may be combined in a large room.

Authors of poster reports must submit an abstract to the session organizer or Program Chair and must bring the completed posters to the meeting. Depending upon the number of submissions, presenters will be allotted a regular session period to display their materials in an assigned space during the annual meeting. Each day there may be one or two poster sessions during which the authors must be present to explain and/or discuss their presentations. Poster sessions receive the same academic credit as paper sessions. This is an established practice at scientific and other academic organizations. If a poster session is planned, please notify the Administrative Office no later than September 15, since display equipment must be rented.

8. Individual preferences for dates/times for presentations cannot be accommodated. Sessions will be assigned to a day of the conference that works best for the Program Committee and the Administrative Officer, which are charged with ensuring the overall coherence of the program and maximizing the number of sessions and papers included in the program.

9. Session Organizers are responsible for screening papers or topics that will appear in the program sessions of the division. Division leaders can serve as session organizers, if desired.

10. All program participants (except community, labor, and comparable organizations working on social problems or social justice issues who have been invited to serve on a panel or to make a presentation) must be current members of the Society (they may join on acceptance of their presentation) and must register (paying the guest registration fee will not be accepted for program participants) for the annual meeting by June 1. Persons failing to register by June 1 will have their presentations deleted from the final program.

In order to expedite registration, the e-mail of acceptance specifies that participation is contingent on current membership and registration for the annual meeting. Participants may pay membership dues and registration fees online or by mailing or faxing the paper membership and meeting registration forms along with payment information.

The Administrative Office will process all qualified exemption requests for conference registration in the order that they are received. In addition, the Program Chair will notify the Administrative Officer when they approve a direct request. Twenty exemptions may be granted per year. Exemptions beyond this amount must be requested and approved by the Budget, Finance, and Audit Committee.

All exemptions must be submitted by May 15. Exemptions from paying registration fees will be considered for:

a. Non-students who are unemployed and/or receiving monthly financial assistance to meet living expenses.

b. Individuals from community, labor, and comparable organizations working on social problems or social justice issues who have been invited to serve on a panel or to make a presentation.

c. Non-U.S. and non-Canadian scholars residing in economically disadvantaged countries who without these funds would be unable to attend the meeting.

d. Co-authors of papers who will not be attending the meeting. One of the co-authors must be a paid registrant. Both co-authors must pay if both expect to attend the meeting.

e. Persons excused by direct request of the Program Chair.

11. Registration fees will be refunded to persons who notify the Administrative Office that they will not attend the annual meeting prior to July 15. Once participant packets have been prepared, processing costs have occurred. Unfortunately, under no circumstances will SSSP issue refunds for no-shows.

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III. A. 8. Guidelines for Participation

Each participant is permitted two sole-authored papers, regardless of the submission type. There is no limit on co-authored papers. In addition, a participant may also appear on the program as an organizer, presider, facilitator, moderator, discussant, presider/discussant, panelist, or critic. 

Look through the Call for Papers sessions and identify a 1st choice session for the closest fit for your paper/extended abstract and then a 2nd choice session for the next closest fit. If your paper is not accepted by the 1st or 2nd choice session organizer, your paper will be forwarded to the paper repository where it may be placed in a session by the Program Committee.

All papers/extended abstracts must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Time) on January 31, in order to be considered.

All program participants will be notified by the Administrative Office of their program participation by April 15.

All program participants must send a copy of their paper to the session presider and/or discussant by June 30. 

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III. A. 9. Division Special Project Policy

Divisions may sponsor special projects (i.e., virtual events such as webinars/sessions/workshops/etc.) involving outside funding with the Board of Directors' approval.

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III. A. 10. Division Sponsored Projects Policy

In an effort to allow divisions to sponsor special projects, the Board of Directors will approve a budget to support such projects each year.  The Committee on Social Action can work with divisions to fund special initiatives. If a division would like to sponsor a project, a detailed proposal must be submitted to the Administrative Officer no later than February 28.  The proposal must include a detailed narrative addressing each of the following proposal sections: (1) Project Description, (2) The Role of the Division(s), (3) Benefits to Division Membership(s), and (4) Budget and Budget Justification.

In regard to the budget, the Chairperson of the Council of the Divisions, the Budget, Finance, and Audit Committee, and the Board of Directors will determine whether items included in the budget, such as honoraria and travel funding, are reasonable given the overall proposal.  It should be noted that funds allocated to activist organizations for their value added to our meetings/sessions will be given serious consideration.  SSSP will not allocate funds for individual members nor academic individuals/organizations.  Co-sponsored activities will receive priority, but solo-sponsored activities will also be considered.

The Budget, Finance, and Audit Committee will review and prioritize all proposals for the Board of Directors by March 15.  The Board of Directors will make the final decision on what proposals to fund and the amount of funding prior to March 31.  The Executive Officer and the Administrative Officer will inform the Division Chair of the Board’s decision by April 15. 

Until the Society's financial picture dramatically improves, the Division Sponsored Projects budget is $2,500. Though any amount may be requested, it is expected that single project requests will rarely exceed $1,250.  This budget is in addition to the $600 that is already allocated to divisions.  It is recommended that Division Chairs review their request with the Chairperson of the Council of the Divisions prior to submission to the Administrative Officer.  The Chairperson of the Council of the Divisions can provide feedback on how to make the proposal stronger to give it the best chance of being approved.  If you decide to do this, please submit the information to the Chairperson of the Council of the Divisions no later than February 23 (five days in advance of the deadline) to ensure enough time for the review.

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III. A. 11. Division Sponsored Workshop Policy

In an effort to allow divisions to sponsor workshops at the annual meeting, SSSP has created the following policy.

All division sponsored workshops must be held the day before the SSSP Annual Meeting begins or the day after it ends, depending on the hotel contract. There will be no exceptions. The maximum number of meeting rooms that can be reserved for a division sponsored workshop is two. The division will be responsible for payment: if the hotel charges a meeting space rental fee, if the division wants to offer coffee/hot tea service, or if audio-visual equipment is utilized.

If approved by the Board of Directors, the Meeting Manager will work closely with organizers of division workshops to ensure a successful workshop. In exchange for providing the following services, the division will pay the Meeting Manager a $500 fee at the conclusion of the workshop. If additional services are required and the Meeting Manager can provide them, there will be an additional charge determined by the Meeting Manager in consultation with and with the approval of the Executive Officer.

  • Serve as liaison between the workshop organizer(s) and the conference hotel
  • Coordinate room set-up needs
  • Coordinate audio-visual needs, if applicable
  • Coordinate catering needs, if applicable 
  • Incorporate the workshop program into the online SSSP program, if desired 
  • Answer all questions via e-mail 

The Board of Directors must approve all division sponsored workshops. If a division wishes to sponsor a workshop, a proposal must be submitted to the Administrative Officer no later than July 1 of the year before you plan to hold the workshop. Hotel contracts are signed up to three years in advance, and it is recommended to also plan workshops in advance so that meeting space can be accommodated. The Board of Directors will consider all proposals at the annual meeting the year before a workshop is planned to be held, and the Administrative Officer will inform the Division Chair of the Board’s decision.

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III. A. 12. Student Paper Competition and Awards

Each division is tasked with holding a Student Paper Competition. The Student Paper Competition allows students, regardless of their divisional membership, the opportunity to be recognized for their scholarly contributions.

When drafting the Student Paper Competition Call for Papers, the announcement must state:

1. Applicants are required to submit their papers through the Annual Meeting Call for Papers process as a condition for consideration for the award. This will ensure that winning papers are placed and designated in the program.

a. Papers are not eligible for presentation or division competitions or awards/scholarships/ fellowships if they have been published or accepted for publication before being submitted for consideration. Papers are not eligible if they have been presented previously at SSSP or presented or accepted for presentation at other professional meetings, unless they have been revised substantially with new data, findings, or theoretical contributions. Click here to review the approved annual meeting policy statements (link will open in a new window).

2. Students may submit to only one division.

Once finalists are selected, contact the Administrative Officer so they can verify that the papers are on the program. Students are ineligible for this award if they do not meet the above criteria.

Deadlines: Notify the Administrative Officer of the name, address, e-mail address, and award amount of the division’s Student Paper Competition winner no later than April 1 and the division’s Outstanding Scholarship Award winner(s) no later than May 31.

Award: SSSP will provide each Student Paper Competition winner with complimentary student membership and conference registration (limited to one per division). All paper authors will receive a plaque, which will be handled through the Administrative Office. These items will not be deducted from the division budget. The division should consider providing the winner with a modest cash prize from the division budget.

Awards Ceremony: In order to streamline the Awards Ceremony, only paper award winners will be recognized. The division should recognize honorable mentions or runners up or outstanding scholarship award winners at the divisional business meeting, in the division newsletter, and on the division’s social media account(s). Division Chairs are responsible for obtaining additional plaques for their honorable mentions or runners up or outstanding scholarship award winners, if desired. These items will be deducted from the division budget.

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III. A. 13. Division Budgets
  1. The amount of discretionary money per year available to divisions is set by the Board of Directors, upon recommendation of the Budget, Finance, and Audit Committee.  Each Division Chair is asked to provide budget projections and requests for the current year and the following year.  These projections should be sent to the Administrative Office no later than March 31.  The Budget, Finance, and Audit Committee will review these requests at their annual mid-year meeting.  If a Division Chair does not supply a written request, the committee will allocate $300 for that division.  The Board of Directors set a limit of $600 annually for each division. Divisional monies may only be used to fund items that enhance divisional activities (excluding items such as gift memberships and gift annual meeting registrations).  Some divisions award a cash prize to the student paper competition winner, contribute to the division co-sponsored reception, serve refreshments at an informal division social function, provide a newsletter honorarium or social media honorarium, or pay expenses of participants on the program. 

    a. Division sponsored receptions and use of the divisional budgets. Divisions who wish to hold a SSSP sponsored or co-sponsored reception off-site and not at the conference hotel will be required to hold their receptions at a restaurant or bar that is adequately insured.  Should the division choose not to do this, including holding the reception at someone’s house or suite in the hotel if it is not covered by the hotel’s liability insurance, the SSSP will not sponsor/co-sponsor or provide funds for the event because of liability issues.  Furthermore, do not schedule a reception during SSSP plenary sessions (SSSP Business Meeting, Presidential Address, or Awards Ceremony).  All requests for reimbursements for money spent must be accompanied by a receipt as proof of expenditure.  This is required by the Society's auditors.  The Division Chair must authorize expenditure.

  2. Requests for reimbursement must be made to the Administrative Officer before the Society’s calendar year ends on December 31. All unspent funds will return to the Society’s general fund. Unspent balances will not be carried over to next year’s budget.

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III. A. 14. Division Listservs and Email Announcements

Divisions may create a listserv to disseminate division related information. Upon request, the Administrative Office will supply Division Chairs with the names and e-mail addresses of current division members who want to receive group announcements. Division listservs should be monitored by a member of the division.

An alternative to a formal listserv is mass e-mail announcements to the division membership. If you want to send out mass e-mails to the division, contact the Administrative Office to request an updated membership list each time. The membership is constantly changing, so requesting an updated list ensures that recently added members receive your announcements.

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III. A. 15. Division Websites

The Administrative Office maintains webpages for all divisions containing a mission statement, details about the division (“who we are?”) and benefits of membership (“why should you be a member?”), newsletters, elected officers, and links to the division’s social media page(s). Any division that wishes to create and maintain a website apart from the SSSP maintained division website must submit a proposal for approval by the Board of Directors. The proposal must address the issues of website hosting, content, accessibility, construction, and continuity as outlined below. In addition, the division must adhere to the guideline requirements approved by the Board of Directors.

III. A. 15. A. Website Hosting. The division will provide all financial support and effort to develop and maintain a website. The website may be hosted at a location determined by the Division Chair such as a university. Alternatively, if a division would like an extended website but lacks the expertise or resources to develop and host a website, they may use the current content management system used by SSSP. The cost would be an undetermined initial consulting fee (depending upon the amount of time required of the consultant and the web designer’s expertise level) plus an additional monthly charge for hosting. The SSSP uses the Averra Content Management System.

III. A. 15. B. Content Requirements. Following is a list of items that should be included on each division webpage. In general, the content of the division website should reflect the mission and values of SSSP. The division website should not have libelous content or content not related to the SSSP division. If you have a question about the appropriateness of any content on a division website, contact the SSSP Webmaster.

a. SSSP Acknowledgement. The Society for the Study of Social Problems name, logo, and link to the SSSP site, www.sssp1.org, should appear on the division website home page.

b. Division Mission Statement. The mission statement should be published on the division website home page as it appears in the SSSP division webpage.

c. Disclaimer Link. A disclaimer link should appear at the bottom of each webpage stating the division is responsible for the information contained within the website and it is not maintained by SSSP. An example disclaimer is “This page was authored and designed by the (name of division) division who is fully responsible for its contents. This site is not maintained by SSSP. Please send all comments or corrections to (e-mail address of division webmaster) .”

III. A. 15. C. Copyright Guidelines. Information on copyright law is available at https://www.copyright.gov/.

a. Website Content. All website content must follow copyright laws. You should always assume all information is copyrighted and obtain proper permission before using it on your website. If you have a specific question about using links, images, articles, excerpts or quotes from articles or books, movies, recorded lectures, presentations, and other intellectual property, always contact the owner of the material. You should follow the individual’s procedure for obtaining permission online, by e-mail, or in writing. Please be aware that many websites specify free use of materials such as images, articles, etc., but they usually have an agreement which specifies the terms you must follow to use their materials such as requiring you to link to their site, etc. Please read and follow such agreements in their entirety before using the material on the division website.

b. Copyright Protection Disclaimer Statement. In addition to using a disclaimer statement at the bottom of each division website as shown in section “15Bc.” above, you should add the following sentence to the disclaimer statement if your website provides links to other websites. “The (name of division) division does not endorse and is not affiliated with any of the organizations listed on this website.”

c. Copyright Infringement. If you are contacted about possible copyright infringement, take down the content in question immediately, even if you do not feel you have violated any copyright laws, and contact the SSSP Webmaster. 

d. Copyright Protection Statement. To protect the division’s intellectual property provided on the division website such as links, images, articles, excerpts or quotes from articles or books, movies, recorded lectures, presentations, and other intellectual property from copyright infringement by others, you must add a copyright statement at the bottom of each webpage as follows. Typically, the disclaimer statement is listed first, and the copyright statement follows although this is not required. Copyright© (year material is copyrighted) (divison website URL), All rights reserved.

III. A. 15. D. Content Suggestions. The following is a list of suggestions which may be useful in determining appropriate website content. Division website content should be reviewed by the SSSP Webmaster before the website goes live to ensure there is no duplication of information within the division website. A division may link to the Society’s website to avoid duplication of information. We recommend you schedule at least one maintenance day per month to remove any information that is not current and to update website content.

a. Links to websites containing information relevant to division members

b. Resources and other useful information for division members

c. Announcements and awards relevant to division members

d. Career opportunities

e. Division newsletters

f. Division listserv registration (if division has a listserv)

g. Discussion forum used to connect members to discuss issues and resolutions, share experiences and views, communicate with student members, and leverage expertise specific to a division

h. Solicit session topics and ideas for newsletters and the annual meeting

III. A. 15. E. Accessibility Requirements. These requirements are taken from the W3C’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1.

a. Limit the use of graphics

b. Text Alternatives: Provide text alternatives for any non-text content such as graphic images

c. Graphs and Charts: Summarize the content of all graphs and charts

d. Typefaces/Fonts: Limit the number of typefaces/fonts used and ensure they are readable

e. Contrast: Avoid using text colors that may be difficult to read against a background color. For example, a plain white background and black text is usually safe on any monitor.

f. Blinking or Moving Content: Do not use blinking or moving content in your webpages

g. Multimedia/Flash: If you use multimedia/flash on your website, provide a text alternative

h. Frames: Avoid using frames if possible

i. Keyboard Accessibility: Make all functionality available from a keyboard. Website visitors should be able to navigate the site without a mouse by using the keyboard, for example, the Tab key, Enter key, and up and down arrow keys. The only time this may be an issue is if a form is created on your website where you would need to ensure the tab key moves between fields properly.

III. A. 15. F. Continuity. When a newly elected Division Chair assumes responsibility, it will be necessary to review the division website and determine if it is a priority for the current chair. If so, they will make arrangements with the previous Division Chair to facilitate continuing the maintenance of the website. During this transition, the website can be temporarily disabled if necessary. If the newly elected Division Chair opts not to use the current division website, the webpages and content should be sent to the SSSP Webmaster so they can be archived.

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III. A. 16. Division Social Media Accounts 

Social networking tools offer three main capabilities beyond those of e-mail lists. First, online discussion groups can help maintain institutional memory over the years, maintaining discussion archives and shared documents through the turnover of leadership. Second, it is possible to maintain an electronic presence beyond the official Society’s website. Division Chairs have the flexibility in what to post, how to organize content, and whether to include interactive discussions. And third, the more of an electronic presence that SSSP has, the more SSSP announcements will be disseminated across the internet and reach a wider, broader audience.

  1. Social Media Options. There are social media outlets that divisions may want to consider. Facebook, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, and many other online platforms may be good options for divisions.

    Statement for Division Facebook Pages
    Please make sure that the following statement appears on the division Facebook page:

    While we are fully committed to providing an open platform for the free exchange of ideas and spirited debate, we are equally committed to ensuring that these conversations are conducted in a manner that respects the human dignity of participants.  Consequently, participants on the SSSP Facebook pages are expected to comply with the SSSP’s policy against discrimination and harassmentwhich may include, but not be limited to, “offensive jokes, slurs, epithets, name calling … intimidation, ridicule or mockery, and insults and put-downs.” Thank you for your participation and cooperation.

  2. Continuity. The Administrative Office requests that Division Chairs consider how to ensure continuity and transitions with all social media accounts. The Administrative Office suggests that Division Chairs do the following when creating and maintaining social media accounts:

    a. Make sure that the incoming Chairperson becomes an account administrator, with all the necessary information. If the incoming Chairperson does not desire to continue the account, then it is your responsibility to remove the account before signing off as an administrator.

    b. The Administrative Office needs to be able to terminate inactive accounts. Please add the SSSP Administrative Facebook account as an admin. SSSP will not regularly monitor the pages; admin privileges will be used solely for administrative access in the unlikely event that it is needed. To add the SSSP Administrative Facebook account to your group, begin at your News Feed and follow the instructions below:

    1. Click Groups in the left menu and select your group. If you do not see Groups, click See More.
    2. Click People below your group's cover photo.
    3. Click  next to the person you want to make an admin or moderator.
    4. Select Invite as admin or Invite as moderator, then click Send Invite.
    5. The SSSP Administrative account will be the first name of the current webmaster and "GRA" as the last name.

    To add the SSSP Administrative Facebook account to your page, begin at your News Feed and follow the instructions below: 

    1. Click your page in the left menu. Facebook may prompt you to switch into management of your page. If so, click Switch.
    2. Click Manage under your page’s cover photo.
    3. Scroll through the left-hand menu and select Page Access.
    4. Next to People with Facebook Access, click Add New. Search the current SSSP Administrative account name, and add them by searching in the search bar.

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III. A. 17. Lapsed Division Membership Data

The Board of Directors agreed to permit Division Chairs to request up to than five years of lapsed Division membership data from the Administrative Office to use for recruiting efforts. Once requested, the Administrative Office will supply the Division Chair with the names, affiliations, and e-mail addresses of division members who want to receive group announcements for each requested year.

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III. A. 18. Division Chair Calendar

SEPTEMBER:     

Prepare information for the Call for Papers and send to the Administrative Officer (in response to request).

Prepare information for the Student Paper Competitions and Outstanding Scholarship Awards and send it to the Administrative Officer (in response to request).

Identify candidates for Chair and/or Chair-elect if the division is electing new officers and verify that the nominees are current division members before contacting the Administrative Officer.

OCTOBER:         

Prepare fall newsletter for division members and send a plain text file (no graphics or formatting and has the file extension (.txt)) and a pdf file (contains graphics and formatting and has the file extension (.pdf)) to the GRA & Webmaster at ssspgra@utk.edu for distribution.

NOVEMBER:      

Send candidate information to the Administrative Officer if the division is electing new officers and verify that the nominees are current division members before contacting the Administrative Officer.

Send social media account information (administrator name(s) and e-mail address(es)) for each social media outlet to the Administrative Office (in response to request).

If the division’s mission statement has not been updated within the last two years, prepare a revision and send to the Administrative Office (in response to request).

DECEMBER:      

Submit any outstanding receipts for reimbursement to the Administrative Officer (in response to request).

Submit an end of the year division newsletter for division members and send a plain text file (no graphics or formatting and has the file extension (.txt)) and a pdf file (contains graphics and formatting and has the file extension (.pdf)) to the GRA & Webmaster at ssspgra@utk.edu for distribution.

JANUARY:          

Prepare winter newsletter for division members and send a plain text file (no graphics or formatting and has the file extension (.txt)) and a pdf file (contains graphics and formatting and has the file extension (.pdf)) to the GRA & Webmaster at ssspgra@utk.edu for distribution.

Encourage division members to submit a paper/extended abstract by 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Time) on January 31 (submission deadline).

Submit a detailed proposal to the Administrative Officer by February 28, if the division would like to sponsor a project (in response to request).

FEBRUARY:        

Remind session organizers to accept or referall papers/abstracts via the online session management system by mid-February (in response to request).

Remind session organizers to submit their program information, including session descriptions, via the online session management system by March 1 (in response to request).

MARCH:             

Send budget request to the Administrative Officer (in response to request).

Prepare spring newsletter for the division members and send a plain text file (no graphics or formatting and has the file extension (.txt)) and a pdf file (contains graphics and formatting and has the file extension (.pdf)) to the GRA & Webmaster at ssspgra@utk.edu for distribution.

Notify the Administrative Officer if the division is participating in the Division-Sponsored Reception (in response to request).

APRIL/MAY:       

Send candidate information to the Administrative Officer if the division is electing new officers and verify that the nominees are current division members before contacting the Administrative Officer no later than May 1.

Remind Division Chairs to notify the Administrative Officer of the name, address, e-mail address, and award amount of the division’s Student Paper Competition winners no later than April 1 and the division’s Outstanding Scholarship Award winners no later than May 31 (in response to request).

JUNE:                  

Remind session organizers to inform their program participants that they must send a copy of their paper to the session presider and/or discussant by June 30.

Submit a detailed proposal to the Administrative Officer by July 1, if the division would like to sponsor a workshop at next year’s annual meeting (in response to request).

JULY/AUGUST:  

Prepare an agenda for the divisional meeting. Feel free to consult with members of the division for suggestions for agenda items. Be sure to include recruiting organizers for the following annual meeting division paper sessions as an agenda item.

Remind session organizers to communicate with each presider and/or discussant and presenters/panelists regarding their duties at the annual meeting (in response to request).

AUGUST:            

At the annual meeting, attend division sessions, the divisional meeting (unless held virtually prior to the meetings), and the Council of the Divisions meetings (unless held virtually prior to the meetings). Attendance is mandatory. If you cannot attend, appoint someone else to represent the division.

After the divisional meeting, each Division Chair must submit their attendance and business meeting minutes as a plain text file (no graphics or formatting and has the file extension (.txt)) and a pdf file (contains graphics and formatting and has the file extension (.pdf)) to the Administrative Office for posting on their division’s website.

Prepare for the program for the following year. Talk about sessions at the divisional meeting, line up session organizers, etc. If the division needs to elect new officers begin to identify candidates.

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