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APAGS Psychology Student Leader Network

APAGS Psychology Student Leader Network

Overview

APAGS strives to provide assistance and support to student leaders across multiple groups through PSLN, or the Psychology Student Leader Network. APAGS-PSLN is a virtual network of student leaders from APA's 54 divisionsopens in new window; state, provincial and territorial psychological associations (STPAs); ethnic minority psychological associations; and other related entities, who assist each other by sharing best practices and honing their leadership skills in a collaborative environment.

PSLN members communicate via a closed group email list. Members regularly ask questions and bounce programming ideas off one another. A shared concern is giving the student voice greater presence within their organizations. Students are also generally concerned with ways of developing leadership structures, increasing student membership and retention, developing student programming and collaborating with APAGS and other divisions and associations on longer-term projects.

APAGS is committed to growing PSLN by providing additional trainings and sources of support for students based on commonly identified needs. We also encourage the reciprocal dissemination of information between members.

Mission Statement

The mission of PSLN is to:

  • Promote student leadership within psychology divisions, associations and organizations.
  • Connect student leaders with APAGS and with each other.
  • Provide a forum to address the challenges involved in student leadership while aiding in the development of leadership skills.
  • Focus on student specific issues such as how organizations can better serve their student members and collaborate with APAGS.
  • Provide a unifying framework and standard procedural recommendations to divisions so that student leadership is most effectively utilized.

Benefits and Resources for PSLN Members

Our member directoryopens in new window (PDF, 257KB) is updated twice yearly. Use this contact list to reach your peer leaders.

Top Tools

Division-specific Resources

Grants

Many organizations list their awards in this master APA database. If your award is not listed, contact your Division Services Representative, for details on how to submit it.

History

2004

APAGS created and officially launched the former iteration of PSLN — the Division Student Representative Network, or DSRN — at APA’s Annual Convention in Honolulu as a response to several requests from APA divisions. They asked APAGS to liaise to their groups, help them recruit student members, enhance their benefits for students, and develop a closer relationship with APAGS and our shared constituencies. 

Student leadership within APA divisions and APAGS is a strategic benefit to APA as a whole, promoting and building a strong future professional membership base and facilitating leadership skill development for APA leaders of the future. 

Students representing eight of the 54 APA divisions came together at the first meeting where they were able to network, share ideas and discuss plans for future projects, including the development of a resource guide. Since that time, the collaborative efforts continued to grow. 

2014

As of its tenth anniversary, all but a few divisions took part in the former DSRN.

2015

In June, APAGS expanded the DSRN and rebranded it as PSLN to serve a wider array of student leaders who often share related concerns and ideas.

To Join

In order to officially become a part of PSLN, you should be an incoming or existing student leader in your division, SPTA or ethnic minority psychological association. Please email APAGS the following information:

  • Your first and last name.
  • Your division, association or organization's name.
  • The title of your role with this group.
  • The approximate start and end dates (MM/YY) of your leadership term with your division. If unknown, list now through one year.
  • Your graduate program and subfield (e.g., University of America, I/O psychology).
  • Preferred email address for the email list, and a backup telephone number (which we do not disclose).
  • Do you consent for your name and email to be listed on this page in our APAGS PSLN member directory? If so, please specify your publicly listed email if different from above.

You will subsequently be added to the PSLN email list, at which point you are encouraged to send an introductory email and read, respond to and initiate messages as needed to make this community what you want it to be.

To help members, we have subject line requirements for messages sent on this email list. When composing messages, please identify your audience: Start the subject with "ALL -" for messages that could pertain to all leaders, otherwise with "DIVISION -", "STATE -" or "EMPA -" as necessary. To post to the list, send your email to PSLN. 

Outside research requests or requests for research participants are not allowed. 

To leave the list, send "SIGNOFF APAGS-PSLN" to PSLN.

Membership Logistics

There are no fees or APAGS member/APA student affiliate membership requirements to be a part of PSLN. 

The time commitment is what you make of it; generally, reading and responding to emails will take less than one hour per month. 

There are no travel requirements. Though APAGS cannot reimburse convention travel expenses, we do offer members a free business/networking luncheon at convention, generally on the first day. 

Each entity is encouraged to invite at least one student to serve as a division representative to APAGS. APAGS does not dictate which student leader(s) is(are) appointed to PSLN. Generally, this student leader is the student member on the board or the chair(s) of the student section or committee. To make the most out of one's involvement, it is most helpful if the PSLN member also has other responsibilities to the division beyond serving as a representative to APAGS.

Please contact APAGS, with questions.

Date created: 2014