IV. The Committees of the Society
IV. A. 1. C. Wright Mills Award Committee
IV. A. 2. Lee Founders Award Committee
IV. A. 3. Racial/Ethnic Minority Graduate Fellowship Committee
IV. A. 4. Lee Student Support Fund Committee
IV. A. 5. Lee Scholar Support Fund Committee
IV. A. 6. Erwin O. Smigel Award Committee
IV. A. 7. Thomas C. Hood Social Action Award Committee
IV. A. 8. Joseph B. Gittler Award Committee
IV. A. 9. Arlene Kaplan Daniels Paper Award Committee
IV. A. 10. Doris Wilkinson Faculty Leadership Award Committee
IV. A. 11. Kathleen S. Lowney Mentoring Award Committee
IV. B. Budget, Finance, and Audit Committee
IV. C. Committee on Committees
IV. D. Editorial and Publications Committee
IV. D. 1 Policy Statement: SSSP Online Membership Directory
IV. E. Elections Committee and Election Procedures
IV. F. Membership and Outreach Committee
IV. G. Permanent Organization and Strategic Planning Committee
IV. H. 1. Policy Statement: Author Meets Critics Session
IV. H. 2. Policy Statement: Submitting Previously Published Papers
IV. H. 3. Policy Statement: Multiple Submissions of the Same Paper
IV. H. 4. Policy Statement: Excursions and Tours
IV. H. 5. Policy Statement: Virtual Permissions Policy
IV. I. Accessibility Committee
IV. J. Site Selection Committee
IV. L. Committee on Social Action
IV. M. Transnational Initiatives Committee
IV. N. Anti-Harassment Committee
IV. A. Award Committees
IV. A. 1. C. Wright Mills Award Committee
The C. Wright Mills Award Committee consists of a Chair, Chair-Elect, and at least five other members (per the Board of Directors, consider including winners and finalists from the past five years on the committee). Following criteria specified by the Board of Directors, the committee must select among books submitted by individuals and/or publishers, the book(s) which critically addresses an issue of contemporary public importance; brings to the topic a fresh, imaginative perspective; advances social scientific understanding of the topic; displays a theoretically informed view and empirical orientation; evinces quality in style of writing and explicitly or implicitly contains implications for courses of action. Self-nominations are accepted. Edited volumes, textbooks, fiction, and self-published works are not eligible. The book(s) considered for the award must have been copyrighted in the calendar year before the award is made. Exceptions may be made for a book bearing a copyright in the calendar year before the award is made, but that was not released until the year the award is made for the first time. The committee must verify that the version of the book submitted is a first edition (not a reprint or later edition). A member of the committee who has a book nominated for the award may not continue service on the committee.
The Administrative Office sends the Call for Nominations to a list of publishing companies. The Call for Nominations is published on the Society’s website. The deadline for nominations is December 15. After the nominations have been received, publishers are contacted by the Administrative Office to obtain missing books for the committee. All committee members must read the books and provide an initial evaluation of the nominees. The way in which this process is conducted is determined by the Chair in consultation with the committee members.
After the initial screening of the books, a cut may be made depending upon the consensus of the committee. For example, if all are agreed that a book does not meet the criteria listed in the call for nominations, a given book may be dropped from the list after the initial reading. All books that survive the initial screening may be assigned to a subset of committee members for a more thorough reading. From the scores based on the more intensive reading, several (usually five or six) books become finalists for the award. The list of finalists is prepared by the Chair and sent to the Administrative Officer no later than May 1. This assures that the full list of finalists is listed in the preliminary program and on the Society’s website.
All committee members evaluate each of the finalists. The ratings of each of the finalists are sent to the Chair who tabulates them. If the committee determines that there are two equally deserving books, co-winners are selected. After a winner(s) is determined, the Chair will send the winner’s name to the Administrative Officer no later than July 1. The Chair will also send out notification letters of the results to all finalists. The non-winner finalists will be recognized with a certificate of recognition for being a finalist and a letter will be written by the Executive Officer to relevant officials at the author’s institution.
The Administrative Office will invite the finalists and their publishers to advertise in the Annual Meeting final program. All finalists’ books will be displayed at the Annual Meeting Book Exhibit. The winner and guest as well as the editor and guest are invited to attend the Awards Ceremony. A $1,000 check and plaque are awarded to the winning author. The cash award will be divided equally among co-winners. Either the President or the Chair presents the award at the Awards Ceremony.
IV. A. 2. Lee Founders Award Committee
The Lee Founders Award Committee consists of a Chair, Chair-Elect and at least five other members. Following criteria specified by the Board of Directors, the award is made in recognition of the significant achievements that, over a distinguished career, have demonstrated continuing devotion to the ideals of the founders of the Society and especially to the humanistic tradition of Alfred McClung Lee and Elizabeth Briant Lee.
The Call for Nominations is published on the Society’s website. Nominations are eligible for the year of the nomination and the following two years, should the nominee not be selected for the award the first year. It is not uncommon for the committee to only receive one nomination. The deadline for nominations is April 15. If no person is deemed worthy of the award, the award is not given. The committee must reach a consensus on the winner no later than June 1. The Administrative Office will send out notification letters of the results to all nominators. The winner and guest are invited to attend the Awards Ceremony. A $500 check and plaque are awarded to the winner. Either the President or the Chair presents the award at the Awards Ceremony.
IV. A. 3. Racial/Ethnic Minority Graduate Fellowship Committee
The Racial/Ethnic Minority Graduate Fellowship Committee consists of a Chair, Chair-Elect, and at least five other members. The committee must be comprised of members at all levels of seniority, although there will be no student members on the committee. Following criteria specified by the Board of Directors, the committee has the responsibility of selecting the most deserving minority student(s) to receive a fellowship from the Society. The applicants must be enrolled in or accepted to a social and/or behavioral science doctoral program, have financial need and a strong commitment to a career of scholarly activism. The deadline for online applications is February 1 (receipt date).
The committee receives approximately 20 applications. The committee must work diligently to read and evaluate the applications, keeping in mind the July 15 deadline. This is not an easy task, given the high degree of quality among the pool of applicants. Each member must submit their top choices and the committee must reach a consensus on the winner. Online application materials are verified by the Administrative Office and distributed to the committee.
The Administrative Office sends the Call for Nominations to a variety of regional and national social science associations and to departments with graduate programs in Sociology. The Call for Nominations is published in ASA Footnotes and on the Society’s website. The Administrative Office will supply information to potential candidates, if requested.
Two winners must be selected by July 15. The Administrative Office will send out notification letters of the results to all applicants. The committee will award at least two $15,000 stipends with an additional $500 awarded to each winner for attendance at the annual meeting. Payments will be made in equal installments in September and January. An additional $500 stipend will be available for each winner to attend the following year’s annual meeting. Honorable Mentions will receive a complimentary one-year membership in the Society. The winners and guests are invited to attend the Awards Ceremony. Either the President or the Chair presents the awards at the Awards Ceremony.
IV. A. 4. Lee Student Support Fund Committee
The Lee Student Support Fund Committee consists of a Chair, Chair-Elect, and one other member. Following criteria specified by the Board of Directors, the committee has the responsibility of allocating funds to facilitate conference attendance by undergraduate and graduate students.
The announcement and application are available on the Society’s website. The deadline for applying is March 15. An automated e-mail is sent to each applicant confirming the receipt of their application. The Administrative Office will confirm that each applicant is a current member, is participating in the annual meeting, and if the applicant received funding from this fund last year.
The committee has a specific amount, currently $15,000, to distribute among the qualified applicants. Only complete applications submitted online will be reviewed. A maximum of $500 is to be granted for travel support (transportation costs only) to any one recipient. Applicants may only apply for one travel fund. If an applicant is a foreign student, he, she, or they must apply to the Lee Student Support Fund. Travel support does not include luggage fees, hotel, per diem, or other costs not associated with airfare, railway, or driving expenses between the applicant’s university and the conference location. All applicants who include unqualified costs will be eliminated from consideration. Applicants must upload a pdf or .rtf of their price quote from a travel website or from the website of a travel company to be considered.
The committee is charged with determining the amount and allocation of the awards. As there is very little guidance on what to consider for the distribution model, previous committees have used a point system based on the following criteria:
- Location: 0 for Pacific, 1 for Mountain, 2 for Central, 3 for Eastern, 4: International (Canada is International)
- Conference role: 3 for multiple roles, 2 for discussant (or being a Division Chair), 1 for organizing/ presiding
- Presenting a paper: 3 for 3 papers, 2 for 2 papers, 1 for 1 paper, 0=no paper but playing another role (which should be counted above)
- Received an award last year: 0 for yes, 1 for no
Each applicant is assigned a total point score based on the criteria above. There are three categories from the point totals:
- 7-9 points
- 4-6 points
- 1-3 points
From this, the $15,000 travel funds can be distributed as follows:
- Those who total 7-9 points receive $250
- Those who total 4-6 points receive $150
- Those who total 1-3 points receive $75
The Chair provides a list containing the applicant’s name, contact information, and award amount to the Administrative Officer. All applicants will be notified no later than May 15 by the Administrative Office whether their application was accepted or rejected.
If a qualified applicant notifies the Administrative Officer that he, she or they are unable to attend the annual meeting before award checks are processed, their award money will be redistributed to the remaining qualified applicants. Following the annual meeting, if a qualified applicant returns his, her, or their award money, the unspent funds will be returned to the Society’s general fund, unless the applicant is denied a travel visa. In this case, the award money is carried over to the following year and will be redistributed to the applicant, as long as he, she, or they meet the travel fund guidelines.
The committee is also responsible for coordinating the Meeting Mentor Program with the assistance of the Administrative Office. The meeting mentor announcement and application is available on the Society’s website. The deadline for applying is June 30. In an effort to recruit more meeting mentors, an e-mail blast will be sent to SSSP members one month prior to the Meeting Mentor Program deadline requesting participation. In addition, it is recommended that the Chair be in regular contact with Division Chairs and encourage them to recruit mentors from their division members. All participants will be notified no later than July 31 by the Administrative Office, so they can communicate prior to or early in the meeting, so mentees can get the most out of this program. Following the annual meeting, the Administrative Officer will work with the Chair and send a thank you e-mail to those who served as mentors.
IV. A. 5. Lee Scholar Support Fund Committee
The Lee Scholar Support Fund Committee consists of a Chair, Chair-Elect, and one other member. Following criteria specified by the Board of Directors, the committee has the responsibility of allocating funds to facilitate conference attendance by foreign scholars from economically disadvantaged countries who without these funds could not attend the annual meeting. The specific purpose is to facilitate scholarly participation by persons engaged in research related to labor, gender, race-ethnicity, less advantaged countries, and other struggles. More generally, the purpose of this fund is to foster cooperative relations among persons and organizations engaged in applying sociological findings to confront social problems and create social change. Preference will be given to applicants who have not received support from the Lee Scholar Support Fund Committee before.
The announcement and application are available on the Society’s website. The deadline for applying is March 15. An automated e-mail is sent to each applicant confirming the receipt of their application. The Administrative Office will confirm that each applicant is a current member, is participating in the annual meeting, and if the applicant received funding from this fund in the last decade.
The committee has a specific amount, currently $6,000, to distribute among the qualified applicants. Only complete applications submitted online will be reviewed. You may only apply for one travel fund. If an applicant is a foreign student, he, she, or they must apply to the Lee Student Support Fund.
The committee is charged with determining the amount and allocation of the awards. The Chair provides a list containing the applicant’s name, contact information, and award amount to the Administrative Officer. All applicants will be notified no later than May 15 by the Administrative Office whether their application was accepted or rejected.
If a qualified applicant notifies the Administrative Officer that he, she or they are unable to attend the annual meeting before award checks are processed, their award money will be redistributed to the remaining qualified applicants. Following the annual meeting, if a qualified applicant returns his, her or their award money, the unspent funds will be returned to the Society’s general fund, unless the applicant is denied a travel visa. In this case, the award money is carried over to the following year and will be redistributed to the applicant, as long as he, she, or they meet the travel fund guidelines.
IV. A. 6. Erwin O. Smigel Award Committee
The Erwin O. Smigel Award Committee consists of a Chair, Chair-Elect, and one other member. Following criteria specified by the Board of Directors, the committee has the responsibility of allocating funds to facilitate conference attendance by unemployed and underemployed sociologists.
Erwin O. Smigel Award Guidelines:1) the Smigel Fund monies are to be used to help pay for three or four unemployed or severely underemployed sociologists’ transportation to and registration fees for the SSSP meeting (students must apply to the Lee Student Support Fund and foreign scholars must apply to the Lee Scholar Support Fund); 2) applicants must be SSSP members who are presenting a paper at the main SSSP meeting (rather than at an adjacent workshop or meeting) or participating as a SSSP elected or appointed officer or committee member; 3) a maximum of $500 dollars is to be granted to any one recipient.
The announcement and application are available on the Society’s website. The deadline for applying is March 15. In an effort to increase applications, the Chair will send an outreach letter with the assistance of the Administrative Office on January 15 and February 15 to current members who fit the dues categories for un(der)employed members. An automated e-mail is sent to each applicant confirming the receipt of their application. The Administrative Office will confirm that each applicant is a current member, is participating in the annual meeting, and if the applicant received funding from this fund last year.
The committee has a specific amount, currently $1,500, to distribute among the qualified applicants. Only complete applications submitted online will be reviewed. A maximum of $500 is to be granted to any one recipient. The Chair provides a list containing the applicant’s name, contact information, and award amount to the Administrative Officer. All applicants will be notified no later than April 1 by the Administrative Office whether their application was accepted or rejected.
IV. A. 7. Thomas C. Hood Social Action Award Committee
The Thomas C. Hood Social Action Award Committee consists of a Chair, Chair-Elect, and no more than six members. If possible, committee members should reside in the area where the annual meeting is to be held. Following criteria specified by the Board of Directors, the committee has the responsibility of selecting a local grassroots social justice organization in the Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (as defined by the U.S. Bureau of Census) in which the annual meeting is held that year. While the recipient can be an organization that engages in direct service work, preferred recipients for the Social Action Award will be organizations that also work at the level of systems change. The organization may not be a local or regional chapter of a national or international organization, and must be one that will benefit significantly from the award. The nomination of organizations that include directly impacted people and communities in leadership positions and decisions are also encouraged.
The Call for Nominations and nomination form are available on the Society’s website. The deadline for nominations is April 1. The committee receives between 4-6 nominations. The committee must work diligently to read and rank the nominations. Each member must submit their top choices to the Chair. The committee must reach a consensus on the winner no later than June 1.
The Administrative Office will send out notification letters of the results to all nominators. The winning organization will be invited to speak up to 15 minutes at the Awards Ceremony about the organization’s mission and crucial work. A $5,000 check is awarded to the winning organization. Either the President or the Chair presents the award at the Awards Ceremony. All revenue from the raffle ticket sales will be used for the award and the Society will make up the difference to equal $5,000.
IV. A. 8. Joseph B. Gittler Award Committee
The Joseph B. Gittler Award Committee consists of a Chair and no more than seven members. The current Vice-President is responsible for selecting the Chair and members of the committee. Following criteria specified by the Board of Directors, the award should be given to the SSSP member whose scholarship over the preceding three or more years has most significantly promoted ethical solutions to social problems. By ethical solutions, we mean scholarship that promotes awareness and/or activism to increase public recognition that social problems and social injustices are ethical issues; or scholarship that identifies and promotes societal level responses to social problems and injustices. By scholarship, we mean academic work including both applied research (qualitative or quantitative research) and normative work (e.g., argumentative, historical, philosophical, textual or theoretical analyses).
The Call for Nominations and nomination form are available on the Society’s website. In addition, the award should be advertised via division newsletters. Active solicitation of nominees will be part of the committee’s duties. The deadline for nominations is April 15. If no person is deemed worthy of the award, then the award is not given. The committee must reach a consensus on the winner no later than June 1. The Administrative Office will send out notification letters of the results to all nominators. The winner and guest are invited to attend the Awards Ceremony. A $500 check and plaque are awarded to the winner. Either the President or the Chair presents the award at the Awards Ceremony.
IV. A. 9. Arlene Kaplan Daniels Paper Award Committee
The Arlene Kaplan Daniels Paper Award Committee consists of a Chair, Chair-Elect, and no more than four members. Following criteria specified by the Board of Directors, the committee has the responsibility of identifying the best paper published within two calendar years prior to the award on Women and Social Justice which addresses contemporary issues of women’s justice locally, nationally, and globally; brings a fresh perspective to women’s inclusion in global society and advances new theoretical directions discussing women and social justice; is theoretically informed and possesses and empirical orientation.
The Call for Nominations and nomination form are available on the Society’s website. The deadline for nominations is April 15. If no person is deemed worthy of the award, then the award is not given. The committee must reach a consensus on the winner no later than June 1. The Administrative Office will send out notification letters of the results to all nominators. The winner and guest are invited to attend the Awards Ceremony. A $500 check and plaque are awarded to the winner. Either the President or the Chair presents the award at the Awards Ceremony.
IV. A. 10. Doris Wilkinson Faculty Leadership Award Committee
The Doris Wilkinson Faculty Leadership Award Committee consists of a Chair, Chair-Elect, and no more than two members. Following criteria specified by the Board of Directors, the committee has the responsibility of identifying an outstanding faculty member who has exercised an extensive leadership role within the SSSP and other professional societies and within the larger community. The nominees must address social issues of contemporary public importance; bring a deepened public understanding to these issues; advance social understanding of leadership for change within the larger society; and propose courses of action to effect that change.
The Call for Nominations and nomination form are available on the Society’s website. The deadline for nominations is April 15. If no person is deemed worthy of the award, then the award is not given. The committee must reach a consensus on the winner no later than June 1. The Administrative Office will send out notification letters of the results to all nominators. The winner and guest are invited to attend the Awards Ceremony. A $500 check and plaque are awarded to the winner. Either the President or the Chair presents the award at the Awards Ceremony.
IV. A. 11. Kathleen S. Lowney Mentoring Award Committee
The Kathleen S. Lowney Mentoring Award Committee consists of a Chair, Chair-Elect, and two current members of the Teaching Social Problems Division. The Chair-Elect and other members shall be nominated by the President-Elect in consultation with the Committee on Committees and appointed by the Board of Directors. They shall serve during the President-Elect’s term as President. The Chair-Elect shall serve as a member of the committee during the year prior to becoming the Chair. Ideally, one of these members would be the previous year’s award recipient.
Following criteria specified by the Board of Directors, the committee has the responsibility of identifying an outstanding faculty member or community activist. The award was established to recognize the value of quality mentoring relationships between mentor and mentee and/or mentoring programs especially those for undergraduate or graduate students and/or for social activists, particularly for younger scholars and activists. The goals of effective mentoring should include: fostering sensitivity and understanding of significant problems of social life; encouraging understandings of institutional inequalities and strategies for overcoming them; promoting problem centered social research and/or social activism.
The award will be given to a scholar, activist, or a program that demonstrates these goals by: creating and implementing innovative mentoring approaches; and/or creating and implementing innovative mentoring programs; and/or involving peers and mentees in publications, grants, and conferences, as well as readily sharing knowledge of such opportunities.
The Call for Nominations and nomination form are available on the Society’s website. The deadline for nominations is April 15. If no person is deemed worthy of the award, then the award is not given. The committee must reach a consensus on the winner no later than June 1. The Administrative Office will send out notification letters of the results to all nominators. The winner and mentees are invited to attend the Awards Ceremony. The winner will receive a plaque and up to three of the winner’s mentees will receive a one-year SSSP membership as well as annual meeting registration fees for the year the award is presented. Either the President or the Chair presents the award at the Awards Ceremony.
IV. B. 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 Investment Advisor is appointed by the Board and serves as a non-voting member. The committee selects its own chair from the three elected members each year. The tradition has been to select the third-year member. 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 committee will:
- review the Society’s investments and recommend any changes
- review the financial relationship between the Editorial Office of the 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.l.
Investment Advisor
The Investment Advisor is appointed by the Board and serves as a non-voting member of the Budget, Finance, and Audit Committee for a three-year term. The duties of this person are to investigate sound opportunities to invest the Society’s reserves which are consistent with the purposes of the organization and to review our investment policy.
IV. C. 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.
Duties of the Committee
The committee must secure members to serve on the following committees prior to the annual meeting. A member may not serve on more than two committees within the Committee on Committees’ authority. 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.).
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. The Administrative Officer will contact the Committee on Committees Chair in early March and request that he, she, or they contact their committee members and find out which committees they will be responsible for. The Administrative Office will prepare committee lists (current members) of those who are willing to serve on appointed committees and send the lists to the appropriate Committee on Committees’ member by March 15 of each year.
- Secure one or more persons to be considered for appointment by the Board of Directors to the Accessibility Committee for a one-year term.
- Secure one person for each committee to be considered for appointment by the Board of Directors to the Erwin O. Smigel Award Committee, Lee Scholar Support Fund Committee, and the Lee Student Support Fund Committee for a one-year term.
- 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 two persons to be considered for appointment by the Board of Directors to the Committee on Social Action and the Doris Wilkinson Faculty Leadership Award Committee for a one-year term.
- Secure one or two persons to be considered for appointment by the Board of Directors to the Transnational Initiatives Committee for a three-year term.
- Secure two current members of the Teaching Social Problems Division to be considered for appointment by the Board of Directors to the Kathleen S. Lowney Mentoring Award Committee for a one-year term. Ideally, one of these members would be the previous year’s award recipient.
- Secure three persons to be considered for appointment by the Board of Directors to the Elections Committee for a one-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, her, or their own committee.
- Secure at least four persons to be considered for appointment by the Board of Directors to the Arlene Kaplan Daniels Paper Award Committee for a one-year term.
- 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 Fellowship Committee for a one-year term.
- Secure no 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
IV. D. Editorial and Publications Committee
The Editorial and Publications Committee consists of six members elected by the membership to staggered three-year terms. Members who are nominated for election must have editorial experience. The Chair of the Budget, Finance, and Audit Committee serves as a voting, ex-officio committee member. The Editor of Social Problems serves as a non-voting, ex-officio committee member. The outgoing editor of Social Problems serves a three-year term as a voting, ex-officio committee member. The committee selects its own Chair each year.
Duties of the Committee
- Provide oversight responsibilities with respect to the publication of Social Problems. The committee must ensure the quality and timeliness of this publication.
- Conduct a yearly evaluation of the editor of Social Problems. The committee can recommend reappointment for an additional term not to exceed three years.
- Review periodically and publish its criteria for the oversight of the Editorial Office and for the selection of an editor. 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.
Evaluating the Editor of Social Problems
The evaluation process will focus on finding out what sorts of challenges are being faced by the Editor, how the committee can help deal with these challenges, and what improvements or changes are needed to continue to move the journal forward.
Each year, the Editor will include how the journal has fared over the past year and where it is going looking ahead in the annual report. The Editor will include a section that specifically addresses the tasks of the Editor and provides answers to some combination of the following questions:
- How does the Editor feel the Editorial Office is functioning?
- Does the Editor have the needed resources to carry out the journal’s activities?
- Has the Editor implemented additional strategies to improve the visibility of the journal?
3a. If so, elaborate and indicate if that is going well or not? - What barriers exist to fulfilling the Editor’s goals with the journal?
- Looking forward for the coming year, are there any problems on the horizon that could be addressed before they become a problem?
- Are the working relationships (with other editors, the host institution, the SSSP Administrative Office, etc.) positive, negative?
- What additional ideas does the Editor have for improving the journal and what resources would be needed to implement them?
The answers provided will facilitate an informed discussion year after year, with the ability to chart changes and improvements, opportunities and challenges over time.
Contracting with a Publisher/Printer
Social Problems
The Society contracts with a press to handle various business aspects of publishing Social Problems. The search for a new publisher will be led by an Ad Hoc Publisher Search Committee comprised of the Executive Officer, Chair of the Editorial and Publications Committee, the current Editor of Social Problems, the Chair of the Budget, Finance, and Audit Committee, the Treasurer, and one at-large member of the Editorial and Publications Committee. The Executive Officer will serve as Chair and will be a non-voting member. This ad hoc committee will review all bids, provide frequent updates to the Editorial and Publications Committee, select finalists, and make a recommendation to the Editorial and Publications Committee as a whole. The Editorial and Publications Committee will vote on the recommendation of a new publisher and then forward their recommendation to the Board of Directors. (The Editorial and Publications Committee should also be included in any interviews with publisher finalists conducted at the annual meeting).
The University of California Press published Social Problems from April 1986 (Volume 33, No. 4) to December 2014 (Volume 61, No. 4). On December 12, 2013, the Society signed a five-year contract with Oxford University Press. A second five-year contract is in effect from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2024. The contract will automatically renew for successive 5-year periods, unless terminated by either party giving the other at least eighteen months’ prior written notice of termination, with termination to be effective at the end of the renewal term. The Ad Hoc Publisher Search Committee must recommend to the Board whether to renew the contract or seek bids from alternative publishers before the contract expires. The final decision remains with the Board.
The Membership Directory
The membership directory is available on the Society’s website and can only be accessed by current members. The electronic membership directory provides several search options, including name, e-mail, affiliation, city, and country. Members can make changes directly to their own listing and choose to remain unlisted in the directory. The Administrative Office has responsibilities for the quality of this service.
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IV. D. 1. Policy Statement: SSSP Online Membership Directory
The online membership directory is available on the Society’s website and can only be accessed by current members, principally for the purposes of networking and building camaraderie. The electronic membership directory provides several search options, including name, e-mail, affiliation, city, and country. Members can make changes directly to their own listing or choose to remain unlisted in the directory. The Administrative Office has responsibilities for the quality of this service.
The directory is for internal use only and should not be shared with other organizations or non-members without the approval of the Board of Directors. The information contained in the directory should not be used to create mailing lists, e-mail blasts, bulk communications, or other lists without the approval of the Board of Directors. The directory should not be used to make unsolicited contact with other members to promote a private business or services or to lobby for or against a resolution or other matter requiring a vote by the membership without the approval of the Board of Directors. If members have any doubt about the appropriate use of the directory, they are asked to inquire with the Administrative Office.
Other Publications
The Editorial and Publications Committee may recommend other publications to the Board of Directors. Given the wide use of Social Problems articles and their high quality, anthologies utilizing the articles have been well received. Proposals must be prepared by current members. The Editorial and Publications Committee reviews the proposals and makes a recommendation to the Board of Directors as to whether or not the book is endorsed by the Society as a sponsored publication. Approved proposals are submitted to the publisher for consideration. The agreement on sponsored publications stipulates that any royalties earned by these edited volumes will be paid to the Society.
IV. E. Elections Committee and Election Procedures
The Elections Committee is composed of a Chair and three or more members. The committee makes no nominations. The Administrative Officer sends the ordered list developed by the Nominations Committee and approved by the Board of Directors to the Chair to secure the verbal consent of nominees by no later than two weeks following the annual meeting.
If names appear on more than one list, candidates are contacted in the order they appear on each list. If an individual declines to run, that person may be eligible to serve in another office. If this occurs, the person is offered the higher-ranking office first. A member may hold no more than two elected positions, and no more than one position that is subject to a general election by the entire membership of the Society (e.g., Board of Directors, Committee on Committees, etc.). Members may serve in one position at the division-level (e.g., Division Chair or Division Co-Chair) and one generally elected position in the Society simultaneously. Determination of the candidate’s willingness to run is made by the Elections Committee. A minimum of two candidates must be proposed for any vacant position except Secretary and Treasurer. The candidates for these two positions are nominated by the Board of Directors.
By October 1 of the year following the annual meeting, candidates shall be contacted by the Elections Committee in the order in which they were nominated and asked to serve. Candidates may accept or refuse in writing, or orally; the date of response shall be noted in writing.
After being contacted, candidates shall have a two-week grace period to accept or decline candidacy. Candidates who make no decision by the close of this period, and/or who decline to pay dues for the year in which they were nominated, shall be ineligible to run for office.
If there are insufficient candidates for any given position after the priority list is exhausted, the President or the Executive Committee; or Board members, as polled by either the Nominations Committee or Committee on Committee Chairs, according to which candidates fall into their jurisdiction, shall recommend further candidates. The same procedure shall hold in the event of an unexpected vacancy in any Committee or the Board of Directors.
Once the slate of candidates has been identified, the Graduate Research Associate will ask candidates to complete an online candidate form within a two-week period.
Candidate lists shall be completed by December 15 of the year following nominations, even if there are fewer nominations for any given office than otherwise prescribed by the By-laws. The slate of candidates will be posted on the Society’s website by December 15 each year.
Posting the Ballot
By February 1 of each year an e-mail to all members who want to receive group announcements will announce the opening of the general election on February 15. Electronic mail will be used for the notification of elections, notification of meetings, and any other official announcements. 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.
By February 15 of each year the Elections Committee shall report the final results of the nominations procedures to the membership. This report shall take the form of the Administrative Office posting the ballot on the Society’s website and declaring the election open. The election site shall remain open for four weeks, closing on March 15.
Final Results
The Administrative Officer will work with the Elections Committee Chair and distribute a personalized e-mail notification letter to all candidates. A week later, the Administrative Officer will inform the Board of Directors of the election results. Five days later, the election results will be posted on the Society’s website. These tasks must be completed by no later than April 1. In case of ties, the Board of Directors shall be requested to cast the deciding vote. After all candidates have been notified of the election results, the Administrative Office will communicate with each person elected and advise them of the office’s responsibilities.
a. The Elections Committee shall review the computer record of votes cast, note and resolve any irregularities, and file a report with the President and the Administrative Office.
b. If any candidate disputes the election results they shall be granted access to the report discussed in “a” and may appeal the report of the Elections Committee to the Board of Directors. The decision of the Board of Directors on the appeal shall be final.
