NEWS & MEMBER COMMUNICATIONS

IMPORTANT: GIVE ALL OF YOUR ALLOCATION VOTES TO DIVISION 3!

– Tom Zentall & Manny Donchin

Now more than ever it is important that you give all of your allocated votes to Division 3. Division 3 has recently lost its second seat on the APA Council. That is one less seat speaking for science. Many Members of Division 3 are also members of other divisions. At one time divisions and state associations received seats solely in proportion to the percentage of votes cast. Any unit that received more than 0.5% of the ballots cast received a representative and for every 1.0% of the votes cast greater than 0.5% the unit was awarded another representative. A few years ago the formula was changed to be more inclusive. All units received at least one representative no matter how few votes they receive. In the past few years Division 3 has received between 1.5% and 2.0% of the votes cast. This past election, we fell below the critical 1.5% for the first time and so we lost our second seat. But because of the change in the rules if you are a member of multiple divisions and you split your votes among them there is something you can do to remedy the loss of our representative, especially if the other divisions to which you are a member have been receiving between 0% and 1.2% of the votes cast (e.g., Division 6). By giving Division 3 all of your votes you can ensure that Division 3 will again have two representatives without jeopardizing the council seat of any other division to which you belong. Please remember to give all of your votes to Division 3 on the next apportionment ballot.

Regaining the Lost Division 3 APA Council Representative/Vote

Emanuel Donchin

Yesterday I had a very helpful phone conversation with Garnet Coad regarding the Divsion's representation on the Council. The news are both good and bad.

The bad news is that the Bylaws specifically state that if a division looses a seat as a consequence of the apportionment ballot on of its seating representatives is "recalled". So, even though it made more sense to us that the seat would be lost at the end of the term of one of the two members, this is not the case. Strictly speaking Tom Zentall will have finished his COR service at the end of the August convention.

Strictly speaking, the Division had the option to recall me, and have Tom serve out his term, as it is the Division's choice which of its reps to recall. However, given that I was just elected it seems to make sense for me to stay on.

The good news is that we were a fraction away from two seats, and if we make sure that (a) all Div 3 members allocate all their votes to Div 3, and the same will be done by Div 6 members, we will almost certainly restore our second seat. It will make no difference to Div 6 as they are guaranteed one seat and there is no way the allocations will get them a second seat.

Seems to me the Executive Committee should undertake a major campaign to gain this extra seat for Science. Some one should also get Div 6 leadership to cooperate.

With regards

Manny

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Emanuel Donchin                         Phone 813-974-0466

Professor of Psychology              Fax 813-974-4617

University of South Florida          donchin@shell.cas.usf.edu

Tampa, FL.

APA Membership Dues More Affordable with Discounts for Other Society Memberships & Journal Credits

Nelson Cowan

Information about the current APA dues structure is on the web: http://www.apa.org/membership/dues.html. Annual dues for members with doctorates increase on a graduated basis from $78 to $279 over the first 8 years of membership in APA. These members receive a $55 journal credit. In addition, there is a 25% discount for people who are also members of APS or a number of other scientific societies. Annual dues for graduate students are $51, which includes a $10 journal credit.

Thus, membership dues are not as onerous as many people think -- though we don't do as good a job as we should in publicizing the various discounts and credits.