If you are an independent manager (administrator) of an APA-hosted Listserv for your division, here are some thoughts to keep in mind as you organize for your role.
1. Let your Division Engagement liaison know that you will be serving in the role of list owner.
Your division’s Listserv has a configuration of settings under the hood, available through the APA Listserv websiteopens in new window, and your Division Engagement liaison can help to ensure that the settings match the administrative privileges that you will need. Also, each division has one or two main listserv administrators who are tracked by the Division Engagement Office and sent helpful information regularly. These people can help division leaders and members with questions. If you are not sure who it is for your division, contact your liaison.
2. Consider whether you will allow your Listserv’s subscribers to post freely or not.
A moderated Listserv is configured to capture any posting requests in a moderation bin. The designated moderator(s) must approve each message before it is posted. Alternatively, a free-posting Listserv (also called a discussion-style Listserv) will automatically recognize Listserv subscribers by their email address and allow the immediate posting of their messages.
Divisions sometimes take strategic advantage of these different configuration styles to ensure retention of Listserv subscribers, because too much unwanted content can cause members to unsubscribe. A commonly used strategy is to have a moderated Listserv reserved for single-post announcements of division business or other important communications (also called an announcement-style Listserv), and a separate free-posting Listserv for quick and easy back-and-forth sharing and discussion among the subscribers.
Regardless of the configuration style, as list owner you will want to observe the Listserv’s activity. You will want to share the APA Listserv Rules with subscribers every three to four months. In addition, your division may have its own listserv rules to share (they may not delete anything about the APA rules). The APA Social Media/Forum Policy is another are helpful resources for list owners.
3. Consider how you will manage Listserv join requests.
Whoever is managing the join requests will receive an automated email for each request that includes a link to click on to approve adding the subscriber to the Listserv. APA staff do not handle adding or removing people on Listservs or changing their email addresses, though they can help with questions about how to do such things.
Consider whether the division will restrict the Listserv privilege to division members only. Each division's presidential trio, secretary, treasurer, membership chair, administrator, and main listserv manager has access to the Division Leadership Portal, where they can access a current membership roster. If you are not sure who is managing your join requests, or if you need help setting up a process to enable you to check an individual’s membership status before you approve their join request, consult with your membership chair and your Division Engagement liaison.
4. Consider how your division communicates about the division’s Listservs.
Consider how your division introduces the Listserv(s) in its communications to members, including whether the Listserv is mentioned in the division’s welcome note to new members, and where on the division’s website any information about the Listserv(s) can be found. These are all important tools in the division’s overall communications strategy, and you’ll want to know where to refresh information when changes occur.
Also, please note that as a list owner, you will receive any emails that are addressed using the style [Listservname]-request@lists.apa.org (such as div17announce-request@lists.apa.org). This is an automated feature built into APA’s listserv system. It is in place to protect the personal email address of the list owner and to give subscribers a consistent email address to send questions and requests even if the administrator changes.
5. Plan to transition over to your successor when your term as list owner ends.
Since you are managing the list independently, all your institutional knowledge about APA’s process and your own division’s procedures will be lost if you do not assist your successor in transitioning to the role. Additionally, please keep your Division Engagement liaison in the loop during the transition to ensure attention to the settings under the hood and reach out to them with any questions.