Council Policy Manual: C. Membership

The APA Policy Manual is a collection of policy actions taken by the APA Council of Representatives. This edition includes actions taken after 1960 and up to but not including August 2001. The texts included in the Manual are the texts of the actual motions passed by Council.

• I. Applications
  
• II. Diversity
  
• III. Dual Membership
  
• IV. Dues Exempt Journal Fee
  
• V. Fellows
  
• VI. Membership Committee
  
• VII. Student Affiliates

I. APPLICATIONS

1. February 1993

Council approved dropping the requirement for endorsements from Association members for applicants for associate member or member status and amended requirements for documentation on application forms and for procedures to ensure an applicant’s qualifications for membership in the Association.

2. February 1994

Council approved dropping the requirement that an application for membership be accompanied by an application fee and expanding the three-year phase-in of APA dues to a four-year phase in, as follows: first-year members dues set annually by the Membership Committee, usually between 25% to 30% of regular member dues; second-year member dues at 50% of regular member dues; third year members dues at 70% of regular member dues; and fourth-year members dues at 90% of regular member dues.

II. DIVERSITY

1. August 1998

Council voted to approve the following motion regarding the Collection of Information About the Representation of Women, Ethnic Minorities, Gay Men, Lesbians and Bisexuals, and Individuals with Disabilities in APA Governance:

Council requested that the APA Research Office be involved in the development of the survey and analyzation of the data.

III. DUAL MEMBERSHIP

1. February 1996

Council voted to approve the following substitute motion regarding the Dual Membership Proposal:

WHEREAS Council has received with concern data related to the declining rates of membership in the Association's science/academic constituency, and

WHEREAS Psychology can only survive through a recognition of the mutual interdependence of science and practice, and

WHEREAS Psychology's credibility with policy members as a health service profession would be significantly reduced by the weakening of its alliance with the science of psychology, and

WHEREAS APA is not the primary membership organization for many scientific psychologists, and

WHEREAS the dual membership dues proposal advanced by BSA and supported by the Board of Directors may be only one possible response to a growing problem, and

WHEREAS additional study and data are needed to determine how the proposed intervention needs to be implemented and what additional interventions may be required to achieved the desired result,

COUNCIL THEREFORE:

1. Approves a special dues arrangement for APA members who also are members of the American Psychological Society (APS) or a member of any one of the organizations that are part of the Federation of Behavioral, Psychological, and Cognitive Sciences. APA would limit this offer to one society for a scientist/academic APA member. Dual APA/APS or Federation members would have their APA dues reduced by 25%. Those organizations would be encouraged to give a reciprocal dues reduction.

2. Will review the implementation of this action at its August meeting.

3. Allocates $6,000 from its 1996 contingency fund to appoint a 6 person Task Force to review data already accumulated about the extent and causes of the problem to plan and to recommend possible additional interventions, and to report to Council implementation plans at its August meeting.

IV. DUES EXEMPT JOURNAL FEE

1. August 1994

Council approved having dues-exempt members pay the same price for journals as dues-paying members. The journal credit applies only to dues-paying members.

V. FELLOWS

1. 1980

Council voted to approve the following guidelines with regard to Fellow nominations by division:

That each division employ orderly procedures for ensuring the nominations of appropriate and deserving potential Fellows;

That divisions be encouraged (but not required) to ask nominees to provide a self-generated written statement setting forth their accomplishments that warrant nomination to Fellow status.

That evaluators at the division level submit to the Division Fellows Committee a narrative explanation of their decisions and, when the decision is supportive of the nomination, that all materials reviewed by the Division Committee be forwarded to the APA Membership Committee; and

That the Board of Directors continue to review the APA Membership Committee’s recommendations, prior to making its recommendations to the Council, as specific in the current APA Bylaws.

2. August 1991

A person may be nominated for initial Fellow status by only one division. If additional division Fellow nominations are submitted at the same time as the initial nomination, Fellow status may take place for these additional divisions upon initial Fellowship election by the Council of Representatives. If the individual is nominated by more than one division, the nominee will select the division which best represents his/her work and contributions to psychology. The selected division will become the “nominating division.” The nominee will inform the nominating division of any other divisions which have also expressed interest in his/her nomination for Fellow.

VI. MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE

1. February-March 1992

Council approved having the Membership Committee oversee Association membership retention and recruitment activities and make annual reports on these activities to Council.

VII. STUDENT AFFILIATES

1. August 1989

All students applying to APA for the first time from September through December each year, will receive free affiliation in APA in those months remaining in that calendar year. The Student Affiliate fee is still required, however this fee will be applied to the upcoming calendar year.

2. February 1994

Council approved dropping the requirement that student affiliate applications be endorsed by a member of the Association.

Council Policy Manual: Table of Contents | Introduction | A. Elections | B. Awards | C. Membership | D. Human Resources | E. Ethics | F. Board of Directors | G. Divisions and State and Provincial Associations | H. Organization of APA | I. Publications and Communcations | J. Convention Affairs | K. Educational Affairs | L. Professional Affairs | M. Scientific Affairs | N. Public Interest - Part 1 | N. Public Interest - Part 2 | N. Public Interest - Part 3 | N. Public Interest - Part 4 | N. Public Interest - Part 5 | O. Ethnic Minority Affairs | P. International Affairs | Q. Central Office | R. Financial Affairs