Chapter II. Elections, Awards, Membership, and Human Resources

1975: Policy to include a demographic report on those serving as editors in the Council of Editors’ annual report

Council requested that the members of the Council of Editors include routinely in their annual reports a summary of the demographics of those serving as editors, associate editors, consulting editors, and reviewers. Further, Council requested that the numbers of men, women, and underrepresented groups who leave any of these positions also be made available.

1980: Policy that Central Office conducts the ballot for electing SPTA Council Representatives

In order to ensure that the provisions of the Bylaws are met, Council voted that the balloting process for Council Representatives from state associations be conducted by APA Central Office as it now does for divisions. The state associations would be required to furnish the APA Central Office with a list of their members for checking the ballot.

1982: General principles dealing with the APA election process

Council rejects any requirement for a hiatus on one year in service on boards and committees. There should be no formal restriction on a person's sequential service on different boards and committees. The primary consideration in all elections or appointments should be the needs of APA in this particular assignment or office.

No member of one standing board or committee or continuing committee shall serve simultaneously on any other continuing or standing board or committee of the Association unless formally authorized by a board or committee, and unless service is on a group that reports to that board or committee. This shall not preclude liaison assignments or consultant relationships, or task forces or commissions, or other ad hoc groupings, and shall not apply to divisions or officers of affiliated organizations.

Individuals serving in the APA Presidency cycle shall not hold offices within the Association other than ex officio positions that accompany the office. A person elected to the APA Presidency shall, during the term of President-elect, President, and Past President, be restricted from holding any other APA   office, including divisional offices, that is not an ex officio extension of the Presidential office.

The Council rejects any requirement for providing information on past and current service of candidates for election to boards and committees, endorsing the concept in principle but not adopting it as a hard and fast rule of the Association.

1990: Policy reminding divisions and SPTAs to be active in alerting their memberships about the apportionment ballot

That divisions and state associations be encouraged to be more active in alerting their members to the importance of returning the apportionment ballot and that information on divisions and state associations be included with the ballot mailing.

1996: Policy requiring an orientation meeting for new Council representatatives one day prior to the start of Council

On recommendation of the Board of Directors, Council voted to approve the establishment of a training program for new Council members to take place one day prior to the new members' first Council meeting.

1999: Policy that president-elect candidates who are not current members of Council will not be reimbursed for their participation in the plenary session of Council

That presidential candidates, who are not members of the current Council of Representatives, no longer be reimbursed for attending the plenary session of Council.

1989: Students' fees received between September and December are applied to the following year although they are immediately accepted as affiliates

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.

1991: A candidate for initial Fellow status should select one nominating division 

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/their 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/their nomination for Fellow.

1993: Required endorsements dropped from membership application process 

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.

1994: Policy on journal costs for dues-exempt members

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.

2010: Guidelines for divisions to follow with regard to Fellows nominations (originally approved in 1980)

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

That each division employs 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 Fellows Committee’s recommendations, prior to making its recommendations to the Council, as specific in the current APA Bylaws.