SSSP resolutions constitute an important opportunity for SSSP to take positions on a wide range of social issues, thereby creating a channel for greater visibility and more direct influence upon a variety of “publics,” i.e., fellow activists, scholars, students, decision-makers, social action groups, voters, and others. Current SSSP members may submit a resolution to the Board of Directors (BOD) for consideration. All resolutions must be submitted to the Vice-President of the Society, who also serves as the Chair of the Committee on Social Action (CSA). The Vice-President oversees the resolution process on behalf of the BOD. Resolutions must be consistent with and advance the mission of SSSP. In order to be eligible for consideration proposed resolutions must be submitted by April 30.

All proposed resolutions with the exception of those expressing thanks should contain a concise position statement concerning a social problem of urgent concern and the appropriate evidence and citations to support the position taken in the resolution. In most cases, the proposed resolution should include some sort of call for viable action by the SSSP. This typically involves a letter from the BOD directed to some public or private entity expressing concern, support, or opposition on an issue or matter. Other forms of appropriate action may be proposed, but should be discussed with the Vice-President prior to submitting the proposed resolution. If the proposed resolution is in support of or in opposition to a piece of legislation, a copy of the legislation or a place where members can access it must be provided. Likewise, if the proposal is in support of or in opposition to an existing statement by another organization, a copy of that statement or a place where members can access it must be provided. Members who wish to propose a resolution should consult the Society’s website for examples, suggestions, and the required resolution format.

The Vice-President serves as the facilitator for proposed resolutions, making them available to the membership prior to and at the Annual Business Meeting. The resolutions process will be organized in a manner that promotes wider discussion prior to formal consideration. The process is as follows:

  • The CSA reviews all submitted resolutions between May 1 and May 31. During their review, the CSA can raise concerns, including format, citations, recommended actions and addresses, organization and flow of resolution, wordsmithing, and other technical requirements and edits; communicate with the proposer(s); and make recommendations to the resolution proposer(s), if needed.
  • By June 1, the CSA forwards a list of proposed resolutions to the BOD, with recommendations to advance or table each resolution. The BOD has the option of discussing a resolution with the CSA and/or the member(s) who submitted the resolution. At this juncture, the resolution “belongs” to the BOD. The resolution can be modified by the BOD, without the approval of the proposer(s) of the resolution before it is presented to the membership for discussion and vote, but only if there is a compelling reason for the BOD to do so (e.g., legal concern). Members of the CSA or BOD who have a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest with a resolution, must recuse themselves immediately and refrain from commenting or voting on said resolution at this point in the process.
  • By June 15, the BOD reviews the CSA’s list of resolutions and the text of the resolutions, and decides which resolutions to table and which to post to the Society’s website for membership comment.
  • Resolutions that the BOD forwards to the membership for consideration will be posted on the Society’s website by June 15. Between June 15 and July 15, the resolutions will be available for review and comment by the Society’s membership. During this review period, current members can express online their support or opposition to a resolution, with a rationale, and propose changes to and make recommendations regarding the resolution. The BOD will review these comments and recommendations to determine whether changes are needed or the resolution should be tabled if there is a compelling reason to do so. If the resolution is not tabled, the BOD will post online the final version of the resolution for members to either approve or not approve.
  • Between July 15 and August 1, the BOD will finalize the list of resolutions and post the resolutions that have not been tabled on the SSSP website. The BOD may itself also choose to propose and post any resolutions by July 15, in response to current issues.
  • All resolutions that the BOD posts to the Society’s website will be discussed during the Society’s Business Meeting during the Annual Meeting. Thirty minutes will be allocated to a discussion in favor of or in opposition to all proposed resolutions. At this juncture, resolutions cannot be modified. The purpose of the discussion will be to seek clarification or to try to convince others to vote for or against the resolution. That discussion will be moderated by the Vice-President, with the assistance of the Executive Officer. Every effort will be made to allow time for the discussion of each resolution being considered, with equal time to those in support of and those in opposition to each resolution.
  • Immediately after the Society’s Annual Business Meeting, current members will vote online for or against each resolution, or abstain. The voting period will be two weeks. A resolution will pass if two-thirds of the members voting online by the deadline vote in favor of the resolution. The final results of the vote shall be reported to the CSA and the BOD, and published as early as possible on the Society’s website.
  • If the resolution requires letters or e-mails to be sent, the sponsor of the resolution must draft the letters and/or statements and create a list of addresses/e-mail addresses for distribution. If necessary, be prepared to assist the Administrative Office in getting the resolution to the appropriate individuals or agencies. Furthermore, sponsors are responsible for keeping the Society informed of developments pertaining to the resolution they sponsored.

Members who wish to propose resolutions for consideration of the SSSP, should submit them to the SSSP Vice-President at anthony.peguero@asu.edu by April 30, 2024. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Dr. Anthony A. Peguero, SSSP Vice-President, 2023-2024

SUGGESTIONS FOR THE SUBMISSION OF PROPOSED RESOLUTIONS:

Here are some suggestions that may help enhance resolutions submitted for consideration by the Society:

  • Local awareness: A resolution which addresses an issue of urgent concern for the city or region where the annual meeting is taking place is highly desirable. Thus, a more general or globally-oriented resolution can be strengthened if it makes the extra effort to cite any local aspect or manifestation of the problem which can help dovetail with the larger concern. Clearly, matters of local concern are more likely to be of interest to the local media.
  • Urgency: Resolutions that embody some urgent or timely matter involving some current manifestation of a larger social problem are highly desirable. This can relate, for example, to pending legislation, policies and programs, a recently released report, and so on. Resolutions that address urgent matters are much more likely to be picked up by the press.
  • Action-oriented: All resolutions should attempt to incorporate a call for action, be it on the part of the SSSP Board of Directors, or for concerned individuals. If action is requested on the part of the SSSP, it should be as specific as possible, e.g., to whom should a letter be directed, etc. In the past, other proposed actions have included calls for boycotts, participation in public demonstrations, collecting donations, and so on.
  • Resource pointer: A resolution which is accompanied by a specific resource or resource list is extremely useful for those who wish to learn more about the issue at hand. The resource supplement can be a specific document or scholarly paper, website(s), or some other useful repository of information. This can be very helpful in increasing the impact of the resolution by assisting teachers, students, the press and others who wish to have further background information in engaging the issue for their own specific purposes.