Reflecting on SPSP’s new strategic plan at its meeting earlier this month, the SPSP Board of Directors took serval actions to promote diversity, promote transparency within SPSP governance, and position SPSP to further our goals in outreach and advocacy. Below is a brief recap of key activities and outcomes from the meeting:

Diversity and Climate Initiatives

  • Approved an additional $5,000 for Diversity Graduate Travel Awards starting for 2019 in Portland.
  • Received an extensive report from the Diversity and Climate Committee on their recent member survey covering representation, inclusion, and suggestions for change. Several changes are already in action as a result of the report, including focusing on accessibility at the annual convention, creating gender neutral bathrooms when possible at the convention, and improving/publicizing nursing mothers’ spaces at the convention.
  • Received a comprehensive report from the Sexual Harassment Task Force outlining results of their recent survey. The Board reviewed the Task Force’s recommended changes to the SPSP Code of Conduct, as well. The new Code will undergo legal review and we hope to have it in place for the 2019 convention. 
  • Discussed the development of a “Conference Allies” program for the convention that will train volunteers on how to assist others who may experience harassment at the convention. The Allies program is envisioned not as a mandatory reporting mechanism, but rather a cohort of individuals available to support their peers. The Task Force was charged with further developing a model for such a program to be reviewed at the winter meeting.
  • Results of the Sexual Harassment Task Force Survey will be shared in a town hall meeting in Portland, along with results from the Diversity and Climate Committee Survey.

Outreach/Advocacy

  • Approved extending last year’s op-ed training to include 30 trainees in 2019, as well as three coaches assigned to support the trainees in pitching and writing their op-eds. An application is expected to be released in September for those interested in participating.
  • Created a new Government Relations committee to help focus SPSP’s efforts in the areas of advocacy and policy work. A call for volunteers to this new committee will be released in September.

Governance

  • Approved adding a new Member at Large to the SPSP Board of Directors who will be tasked with supporting initiatives directed at those members working at primarily teaching institutions. This will now go to the membership to vote/approve this spring.
  • Approved a restructuring of the Nominations and Elections Committee to make it an entity separate from the Board of Directors. This committee will revisit the requirements and process for selecting Board Slates and will appoint all members to SPSP Committees. These efforts were designed to promote transparency and diversity in SPSP’s governance.
  • Approved a restructuring of the Awards Committee to make it an entity separate from the Board of Directors.
  • Approved moving the summer Board meeting to coincide with the new Summer Psychology Forum, rather than the APA Convention.
  • Approved the activities of the Board that took place electronically since the last Board meeting, including extending the Executive Director contract by five years, providing free membership to members in Turkey, selecting Atlanta for the 2023 convention, and changing the budget cycle for the Board.

Other Activities

  • Approved simplifying the awards nomination process to no longer require letters of recommendation, instead using simpler submission criteria.
  • Extended the International Task Force by six months so that they can further develop a proposal for an ongoing International Committee within SPSP.
  • Approved new Fellows and asked the Fellows Committee to revisit requirements for fellowship to ensure they are consistent in promoting those at primarily teaching institutions and those working in non-academic settings.
  • Amended requirements for Teacher/Scholar awards to remove the requirement of presenting at convention AND to allow for the award to be won by the same person once every three years.
  • Heard committee reports that shared the following activities:
    • Character and Context blog continues to grow in readership. In the coming year, SPSP will revisit the structure of the blog and resources provided;
    • Convention Committee reported it has added a new programming type (“Working Groups”), revised submission process to allow for uncollected data to be used for abstracts, and selected 31 preconferences for Portland;
    • Publications Committee shared most recent Impact Factors and that Margo Monteith has been named editor of SPPS;
    • Small Grants Committee reported a growing number of submissions for both Small Research Grants and Small Conference Grants. The Board will consider a possible increase in grants awarded for 2019;
    • The Training Committee, now renamed the “Professional Development Committee,” reported that it will launch two webinars this fall on Multilevel Modeling, to be taught by Amie Gordon.
    • The SISPP Committee reported it has selected almost all instructors for 2019 and will increase from 80 to 100 students.
    • The Foundation for Personality and Social Psychology will now fund both SPSP Service awards, and offer a second Wegner Theoretical Innovation Prize Award.

Questions? Contact SPSP Executive Director Chad Rummel ([email protected])