The membership and listserv systems are separate, and listservs are not updated when people join or change their email address. If you want new members added (to an “announce” listserv) or lapsed members removed, you will need to do it manually. Instructions are on the secure page for listserv administrators.
It is possible for the division to require membership for access to the listservs. It is up to the division leaders if they want to do this, and it is up to the division who handles this process. APA staff do not handle this process for divisions. A good place to start is with the division listserv administrator, the main person in the division who the Division Engagement Office is in touch with about listserv issues. It is up to the division to have a person who would make sure only members get added to the listserv and that those who do not have a membership get removed from the listserv once they no longer have a membership.
The listserv administrators have access to files that explain the process of comparing listserv subscribers with a membership roster and uploading members using a roster pulled from the Division Leadership Portal to the listserv. This uploading of members is only to be done for an announce-type, moderated listserv, which is meant for send out news and has limited traffic. This is not to be done for discussion-type, unmoderated listservs, where there is usually more traffic and more back and forth of email and people are more likely to feel overwhelmed.
The process is:
- Compare the listserv subscribers with the current membership roster. We recommend May or June as the best time to do this, when the majority of memberships for the year have been processed.
- Send emails to the listserv about how the listserv will be updated to remove those who do not have a current membership.
- Update the listserv, removing those who are not current and adding any members as needed.
- Send emails to the listserv about how it has been updated.
- Start a regular schedule of adding new members to the listserv, for example, once a month.
- Once a year compare the members and subscribers and remove those who do not have a current membership.
Your division may want to consider the APA Community and its division group there. As with the listservs, each division has a group leader who is the main contact for APA about the Community. The APA Community is linked to the membership system and therefore all members automatically have access to the division's community group. Anyone without a membership does not have access.
You can find more information in the Listserv section at For Division Leaders and in the Listserv and APA Community sections at Division Leader Resources. In addition, the listserv administrator has access to resources on a secure page we share with them, and the Division Engagement Office sends them monthly emails with tips and reminders.
If you have any questions, please contact your Division Engagement liaison.