Policy

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DIVISION OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY (15) - AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION

 

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL (Approved November 2012)

 

All officers are expected to read and follow the APA Policy and Procedures Manual. Below are a few of the major items that APA reminds Division officers to follow. Immediately after are policies and procedures for Division officers. These Policies and Procedures are meant to be supplemental to the By-Laws of the Division. The By-Laws should be consulted for additional information. 

 

GENERAL APA POLICY REMINDERS

 

In 1988, APA legal counsel considered the relationship between APA and its divisions. APA was advised by counsel that, at the very least, “divisions are integral components of APA and thus the actions of the divisions can, therefore, be imputed for litigation purposes to APA...divisions are just as liable as the parent organization if they engage in activities that create the potential for liability.” Thus, APA ASME Guidelines and other publications of APA present information all division officers need to know and incorporate into our division. 

 

Any Standards or Guidelines of any sort that the Division develops must be submitted to the APA Office of General Counsel for review and approval. Standards, guidelines, or credentials must be reasonable. Reasonableness can be enhanced by circulating the proposed standards, guidelines, or credentials for comment by those who will be affected. The final versions should reflect, to the extent practicable, the consensus of opinion of those affected by the standards, guidelines, or credentials after review and consideration of all comments received. 

 

Standards, guidelines, and credentials must state who is authorized to interpret them, such as the Council of Representatives, the Board of Directors, their boards, committees, divisions, or their authorized representatives. Interpretations must be issued in writing. Extreme care must be used in formulating any statements regarding standards, guidelines, or credentials that are expected to be relied upon by APA members or by others, whether or not there are specific enforcement mechanisms related to the standards, guidelines, or credentials. If the standards, guidelines, or credentials do include enforcement mechanisms, there must be provisions to assure that due process is afforded to those affected, including the opportunity to appeal. 

 

Official Correspondence and Statements, whether issued explicitly or implicitly by or on behalf of the Division, must be approved in advance by the Division’s Executive Committee and forwarded for approval in advance to the APA Executive Committee. The correspondence or statements must then be limited to what has been authorized and must be within the scope of duties of the volunteer or staff leadership. Other correspondence or statements must not be on APA letterhead and—if they could possibly be interpreted as issued by or on behalf of APA, or a body integral to APA—must include a disclaimer indicating that they are not made by or on behalf of APA. 

 

The Division President is mandated by APA to exercise caution when engaging in activities that could expose the Division or APA to legal risk. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: entering into legally binding relationships such as receiving grants and executing agreements on behalf of the Division; participating in legal proceedings; and promulgating standards, guidelines, or credentials concerning the Division. The President must consult with the APA Office of General Counsel prior to taking any such actions. The General Counsel’s Office provides advice and legal services to divisions on an array of legal matters. 

 

DUTIES OF THE DIVISION OFFICERS 

 

PRESIDENT'S DUTIES

 

General: The President is the principal executive officer of the Division who supervises and administers all Division business. The President signs, with any other appropriate executive officer, any contracts or other instruments that the Executive Committee has authorized to be executed, and performs all duties that fall to the office of President, and all other duties that are reasonably mandated by the Executive Committee. The President serves as chair of the Executive Committee. The President shall not enter into any contracts or obligations on behalf of the Division that result in personal gain or violate the ethics of APA. The first and foremost duty of the President is to preserve the integrity and mission of the Division, ensure its financial stability, and act as spokesperson for the Division. 

 

Committee appointments: The most important task of the President is to make appointments to committees; maintaining functioning committees is what keeps the organization running efficiently. In addition, the President may establish ad hoc committees (see “Ad Hoc Committees” below) as needed, except that the Division’s committee structure is subject to review by the APA Board of Directors. 

Committee appointments are established by official Division By-Laws, following the needs for new officers as specified in two key documents passed between consecutive Presidents and maintained on the Division website, viz., the Division Committee Roster and Division Committee List (see Appendix A).  The President provides all officers and committee chairs with updated copies of both documents upon taking office, and updates the documents as assignments change. The President calls upon the Secretary to assist in updating the Committee Roster document, which requires obtaining contact information for all committee members. As changes are made to these documents, the President forwards new versions to officers and committee chairs via email, and should also send the update to the Division website.

Except where noted in the By-Laws, standing committee appointments are for a three year period. Ad hoc committee appointments can be for any period of time up to three years. However, subsequent Presidents have the right to dissolve any ad hoc committees and to remove appointed members from committees if they are unable to function in their assigned roles. The President shall try to have all standing committee appointments made by early October of the Presidential year, with liaisons and monitors for APA established soon after the Business meeting in August to allow those persons to attend their fall APA meetings. All liaisons and monitors are appointed for three-year periods. 

 

By-Laws Maintenance: The President works with the Secretary and other members of the Executive Committee, which serves as a standing committee on Division By-Laws.  The committee reviews By-Laws as necessary and submits proposed amendments to the membership for voting at either an annual Business Meeting or by special mail ballot. 

 

Orientation of the President-elect:  The President orients the President-elect to his/her responsibilities and duties, and to any current and ongoing business of the Division.  The President should provide the President-elect with this Policies and Procedures Manual, the By-Laws of the Division, the Committee Roster, and the Committee List.  The President should be available for consultation as needed during the year prior to the new President taking office. 

 

The Executive Committee Autumn Meeting:  Although not required by the By-Laws, it has been highly productive in the past for the President to call a mid-Autumn (October or November) meeting of the Executive Committee to last at least one full day.  The purpose of this meeting is to cover items requiring or benefiting from extended group discussion, such as those pertaining to strategic goals and needs of the Division. The President requests approval for this meeting by a majority vote of the Executive Committee, and works with the Treasurer to determine an appropriate location and budget for travel, lodging, and catering.  Only voting members of the Executive Committee should attend.

 

Annual Report to APA: Division Presidents must submit a written report on the activities of the Division to the APA Division Services Office by mid-February.  The form for completing this report is sent via email from APA to the President in time to obtain relevant content.

 

The Spring Meeting at AERA:  The President works with the Secretary to set the agenda for the spring Executive Committee meeting held at AERA, and arranges with the Program Chair for a meeting room and catering. The President notifies Executive Committee members and committee chairs of said arrangements. The President works with the Treasurer and Program Chair to provide an advance check to cover room and catering.  The Publications Committee meets for one hour before the Executive Committee in the early evening. Both meetings are typically held at the end of the first day of the conference. Written reports submitted by committee Chairs are to be attached to the agenda and sent by email to the Executive Committee for review prior to the meeting. The President conducts the spring meeting.  

 

Meetings at the annual APA convention: The President again works with the Program Chair to set a location and catering for the Executive Committee meeting and the Business Meeting of the Division. Again, the Publications Committee is given at least one hour to meet just prior to the Executive Committee meeting. The President works with the Secretary to develop the agenda, to notify all Executive Committee members and committee chairs of the arrangements, and to solicit and distribute written committee reports prior to the meeting. The President conducts both the Executive Committee meeting and the Business meeting.  

For the Business Meeting, the President provides a summary of items discussed at the Executive Committee meeting, and ensures that all Division business requiring a vote of the membership is conducted. Additionally, the President announces award recipients (introducing those present in the audience), and presents any outgoing officers or committee chairs with their plaques and certificates.  Officers receive plaques for distinguished service (outgoing Executive Committee members, program chair(s), outgoing editors, and outgoing chairs of major committees), and certificates are given for outgoing chairs and members of standing committees, outgoing representatives, liaisons, and monitors.  The President introduces the Past President prior to his/her Presidential Address (see Duties of Past President below).  

The President works with the Program Chair(s) to design a catering menu for the reception after the Business Meeting and receives approval from the Treasurer. The President and Program Chair(s) again work together to make catering and room arrangements.  Typically, the reception is held in an adjacent room to the Business Meeting at the same hotel, and one drink ticket is provided for an estimated number of attendees, along with a finger food menu and cash bar. 

 

Division Publications:  The President oversees all Division publications, working closely with the Chair of the Publications Committee and the APA Counsel’s office to ensure that all contracts, publications, etc., meet APA requirements. The President may, with approval of the Executive Committee, remove and replace any Division publication authors or editors who are not meeting APA or Division requirements. All Division journals and newsletters are technically APA publications, even if they are not published by APA. All publications are required by the APA Council to participate in the APA liability insurance program. The Divisions, the editor of the publication, and APA are covered for judgments concerning libel, or the infringement of rights pertaining to or arising out of privacy, plagiarism, piracy, or copyright. Each division publishing a journal must provide the Chair of the P&C Board with four complimentary copies of each issue addressed to the APA library. The Librarian forwards one copy to PsychINFO, and one to the APA Journals Program. It is the Editor’s duty to see that these are sent to the P&C Board and then to the Library. No publishing contract may be entered into without consultation of APA Counsel. Copies of signed contracts must be passed from President to President-elect until archived, and a copy of the contract must be provided to the Chair of the P&C Board via the APA Counsel’s office.

 

Maintenance of Files: The President should copy the Division Secretary on all official correspondence for the official Division files. In addition, the President passes appropriate internal documents to the President-elect and the Historian for archiving. 

 

Communicating Activities of the Division and Acting as Spokesperson: The President communicates his/her objectives, activities, and plans to the membership through the Division Newsletter or other publications, such as the APA Monitor, and through the Division LISTSERV, website and other social media as appropriate. The President works with the Division Services Office of APA and with the Membership Committee to update letters of welcome sent to new members, as well as letters to solicit membership and to get non-renewing members to rejoin and/or affiliate. The President works with the Newsletter Editor and the Division Services Office of APA to keep the Division Membership Brochure similarly up-to-date and available in the Division Services Office for distribution upon request and annually at the convention. 

 

Other duties: The President serves as a member of the Executive Committee and performs such other reasonable duties from time to time as may be assigned by the Executive Committee. 

 

Discretionary fund: The President has at his/her disposal a discretionary fund in the amount of $15,000. This fund may be given to the President through an account established at his/her home institution or through a discretionary account monitored by APA. The President may use these funds as needed during his or her three year term to facilitate business of the Executive Committee and of the Division, and to offset travel expenses for the President to attend spring and summer business meetings. Committee chairs, liaisons, and/or publication editors can submit budget requests to the President for expenses needed to meet deadlines and complete charges otherwise not covered in their own budgets. The President, along with the Treasurer, shall approve/not approve all requests within 2 weeks of submission. The President cannot use this fund for personal gain, nor in any enterprise that may present a conflict of interest. 

 

Timeline for Completing Major Tasks: 

 

Summer prior to taking office in August - early October: Make committee appointments; this should be done as soon as possible in order to maintain efficiency in the committees. Update the Committee Roster and Committee List (Appendix A) accordingly and forward to appropriate parties.

 

September: Work with Secretary to plan fall meeting; work with Program Chair to begin planning for spring meeting 

 

October-November: Host Autumn meeting at specified location. Work with Program Chair to begin planning for the APA convention.

 

February: Complete and submit annual report to APA.  Follow-up on business items from Executive Meeting. Work with Program Chair and Secretary to send meeting notice and agenda for Executive Committee at AERA via email.

 

At AERA:  Preside over Executive Committee Meeting; note items for follow-up.

 

June: Work with the Secretary to distribute minutes from spring meeting and agenda for Executive Committee meeting at APA convention; confirm that plaques and certificates have been ordered for the Business Meeting, and that the promotional materials will be available at the Division Services booth at the APA conference.  Follow-up business items from the spring meeting.  

 

At APA in August: Preside over the Executive Committee meeting and Business Meeting; host reception; attend Division program sessions; meet with and provide guidance to incoming President. Introduce the Past President prior to the Presidential Address.

 

September and beyond:  Track all action items from the Executive and Business meetings at the conference, and be sure that they are being followed-up.

 

As needed throughout the Presidential year: Update the Division Committee Roster and List.  Address committee needs that arise. Send business items to the Division LISTSERV, Division 15 websites and other social media. Requests that involve the marketing of products or courses for profit are not appropriate. However, items that further the research and service goals of the Division [e.g. conference announcements, relevant job ads, Division 15 and related professional organizations’ activities (i.e. awards nominations)] will be posted at the discretion of the President. Items posted should include the full contact information (name, affiliation, e-mail and telephone number) for the point of contact.  Finally, announcements for non-Division 15 items will be posted with the following stipulation: "This is not an APA- or Div. 15-sponsored event, but may be of interest to Div. 15 membership." Send pressing business items requiring feedback from the Executive Committee and/or immediate action to the Executive Committee; noting which items require a formal vote. If a formal vote is required, record email vote of the Executive Committee. Two thirds of the Executive Committee must respond for such votes to be valid. Requests for votes should be sent from the President to the secretary who forwards the request for votes to the Executive Committee; votes are returned to the secretary. At the next meeting, report the outcome of the vote.

 

 

PAST PRESIDENT'S DUTIES

 

By-Laws Maintenance: The Past President works with the Secretary and the President to update By-Laws as necessary, including submission of potential revisions to the Executive Committee and/or to the membership for voting. 

 

Business Meeting and Presidential Address: The Past President introduces the new President at the business meeting. The Past President gives an address at the conclusion of the Business Meeting during the conference in the year following the Presidential year. Thus, the Presidential Address will be delivered by the person acting as Past President rather than as President. This procedure allows the President to provide dedicated attention to Division business and the conference program during his/her Presidential year, and attention to the Presidential Address as Past President.  

 

Nominations: The Past President also serves as Chair of the Nominations Committee (see Nominations Committee). The Past President solicits nominations from membership using the Newsletter, websites, LISTSERV, social media, the Executive Committee, and the Fellows list on the APA website. The Past President/Chair works with the Nominations Committee to develop a slate of members to stand for election. The Chair contacts each nominee by email to ascertain his/her willingness to stand for election to the office involved, and in this mailing provides a job description of the office as excerpted from the Policies and Procedures Manual (this document). The Chair informs prospective nominees of the dates on which they would take office and the length of the term. The Past President/Chair provides the nominee with the name/email of the current person holding the office as a point of contact for information and questions.  

As directed by Division By-Laws, the slate of nominees is developed by a process in which two or three individuals who are most frequently nominated by the membership and are also eligible and willing to serve are placed on the ballot. In addition, the committee may select other nominees, not exceeding a total of four nominees for any one office.  The Chair is directed to aim for a balance on the slate by gender, ethnicity, and prior involvement in work of the Division.  

Once the slate of nominees is ready, the Past President/Chair submits names to the Secretary at least one week prior to the deadline for submitting nominations to the APA Elections Office (late January - early February). The President and Secretary then present the slate of candidates to the Executive Committee and all nominees via email.  Elections are held by APA following APA's procedures in the spring. Announcements of election results are made by the Past President to the Executive Committee via email prior to the next scheduled meeting of the Executive Committee. Winners are officially announced at APA during the Business meeting. Prior to making this formal announcement at convention, the Past President notifies all candidates of election results, and also notifies the NEP editor to make the announcement.  The Chair also should try to ensure that incoming elected officers attend the Division meetings held at the upcoming APA convention. 

 

Policies and Procedures Manual Update:  The Past President is responsible for maintaining the Policies and Procedures Manual (this document), and for updating it as directed by the Executive Committee. 

 

Archives: The Past President sends any files and materials from his/her Presidential year to the APA archives (Librarian) and the Division Historian for their permanent records. The past President shall pass on to the President all files and materials relevant to current and ongoing business of the Division. 

 

Assumption of Duties: In the event that neither the President nor the President-elect is able to perform the duties of the President, the Past President shall assume those duties. In so acting, the power and restrictions of the office of President apply. 

Other Duties: This elected officer shall serve as a member of the Executive Committee and shall perform such other reasonable duties from time to time as may be assigned to him or her by the Executive Committee or the President. 

 

Timeline for Completing Major Tasks: 

 

Following APA in August:  Pass on files and materials to incoming President; pass on internal records to Division Historian and/or APA Library. 

 

September: Place notice in the Fall NEP to solicit nominations for office from Division members; include a list of the names of previous officers updated to the past 5 years. Begin solicitation of officers through Nominations Committee members and in other domains, such as the Division LISTSERV and other social media, the Executive Committee, and in consultation with other committee members. 

 

November:  Attend the Executive Committee meeting at designated location.  Submit names of members nominated to office to the President and work with the Nominations Committee to select final slate of no more than four nominees for each vacancy following procedures specified in the By-Laws and as above.

 

Late January: Submit names of nominees to APA as directed by their offices; submit slate of nominees to the Secretary and Executive Committee by email report. With the Secretary and the President, work to make changes to any By-Laws and submit revisions to the Executive Committee for approval prior to AERA. 

 

February:  Edit and update the Policies and Procedures Manual (this document) in preparation for approval at the Executive Committee meeting at AERA.

 

Not later than July: Notify all candidates of results of elections prior to APA; place announcements in NEP, the LISTSERV, and on the website. 

 

At APA in August: Introduce the President at the Business Meeting; announce election results at the Executive Committee and the Business Meeting.  Pass on any internal files to be archived to the Division Historian. Deliver Presidential Address at conclusion of the Business Meeting.

 

As needed throughout the year:  Be available to the President for consultation and votes on business conducted through email balloting. 

 

 

SECRETARY'S DUTIES

 

By-Laws maintenance: Each Division of APA is required to draw up and maintain its own By-Laws and rules of procedure within the framework of the APA By-Laws. Yearly, the Secretary shall work with the President and Past President to update the By-Laws as necessary. The Secretary shall submit revisions for By-Laws to the membership for voting and inform APA in writing of By-Laws changes. 

 

Meeting Minutes: The Secretary keeps the minutes of all meetings of the Executive Committee, the Publications Committee, and other committees that the Executive Committee deems appropriate. The Secretary sends minutes of meetings to the Executive Committee, all committee chairs, all Division editors, the APA Division Office, and any persons directly mentioned in the minutes as soon after the meeting as possible. When edits have been provided by all members present, the Secretary sends the final copy of the minutes to the NEP for inclusion in the next issue and to the webmaster for posting on the Division website. The Secretary collects all minutes and other official correspondence and keeps an official Division document file. Copies of meeting minutes and other official correspondence of importance shall also be forwarded by the Secretary to the Division Historian upon completion of his/her term.

 

Meeting Notification:  As discussed above, the President and the Secretary work together to develop the agenda for all meetings. This agenda should include an item where actions voted on electronically by the Executive Committee are reported to the membership. The Secretary attaches any written committee reports to the agenda and distributes both prior to meetings. 

 

Directory of Officers and Committees: The Secretary works with the President to maintain the official Committee Roster document, which lists member contact information and specifies the obligations of all Division officers and committees. The Secretary submits the Committee Roster document to the APA Division Services Office twice yearly to keep the organization up-to-date on officers, and makes sure that the President submits this document via email to all named on it as well. 

 

Records and Archives: There are two types of archival material the Secretary helps to maintain: public archives maintained on the Division 15 website and internal documents used by the Executive Committee.  Regarding the public archives, it is the responsibility of the Secretary to work with the Division Communications Director to ensure information regarding the policies and procedures, By-Laws, committee lists, and awards is accurate. Additionally, because the Secretary is copied on important news announcements, the Secretary should assist the Communications Director in ensuring news items posted on various social media are updated regularly. 

 

It is also the responsibility of the Secretary to work with the Past President, the President, and all other officers to ensure that relevant internal records are sent to the APA Archives Librarian and to the Division Historian for archival. At the end of his/her term of office, the Secretary shall also pass along all current and ongoing records to the new Secretary.   

 

Plaques and Certificates:  The Secretary orders plaques and certificates for outgoing committee members based on a list generated in working with the President and by contacting chairs of all award committees. This list is then submitted to the Treasurer for payment.  This includes plaques for awards, plaques for distinguished service (outgoing Executive Committee members, program chair(s), outgoing editors, and outgoing chairs of major committees), and certificates for outgoing chairs and members of standing committees, outgoing representatives, liaisons, and monitors. These should be ordered immediately after the spring meeting to ensure timely arrival. The Secretary coordinates the awarding of the plaque to the outgoing President by the current President at the APA business meeting.  

All award plaques are given at the APA meeting when awardees give their addresses, and these addresses are synchronized for all awards to be given in the year following announcement of their receipt of the award.  Following approval of the Executive Committee prior to AERA, committee chairs will make an official award announcement at the spring meeting in the year of the award.  Plaques will be dated with the year in which the award is announced, not the year when the address is given.

 

Other Duties:  This elected officer shall serve as a member of the Executive Committee and shall perform such other reasonable duties from time to time as may be assigned to him or her by the Executive Committee or the President. 

 

Timeline for Completing Major Tasks: 

 

October (working the President):  Update Committee Roster document and email copies to all committee members and APA Division Office for use in updating their website.

 

November:  Attend Executive Committee Meeting and take minutes at this meeting; distribute minutes for review following the meeting. Once the Executive Committee minutes are approved, submit to NEP.

 

January: Work with the President to plan the agenda for the Executive Committee at AERA; help the President to solicit written reports to be appended to the agenda and to obtain a headcount of attendees.  

 

March:  Circulate the agenda and written reports to all prospective attendees.

 

At AERA:  Attend Publications Committee meeting and Executive Committee meeting and take minutes at both.

 

Within two weeks of AERA: Obtain reports from all award committees for filing; send minutes of meetings to Publications Committee Chair and the Executive Committee. Once the Executive Committee minutes are approved, submit to NEP; send minutes and any new committee roster updates to APA Division Office.

 

June: Work with the President to plan the agenda for Executive Committee and Business meetings at APA; solicit written reports from committee chairs for appending to the agenda.  

 

July:  Circulate agenda and reports to all prospective attendees of the upcoming Executive Committee and Business meetings 

 

Within two weeks following APA: Send minutes of the meetings to Executive Committee for approval, and—once approved—to NEP and the Division Office of APA. 

 

 

TREASURER'S DUTIES

 

The Treasurer serves as an elected member of the Division 15 Executive Committee. The Treasurer participates in considering the business, decision-making, and other responsibilities of Executive Committee.  The Treasurer provides ongoing insight and guidance on financial implications of matters considered by the Executive Committee.  

 

Fiscal Records: The Treasurer maintains all financial records regarding the Division's not-for-profit status, the setting and collecting of dues (in coordination with the Membership Committee), the Division's fiscal year, the budget review, and the approval process. The Treasurer works with APA accountants to maintain the accounting of the Division's books, and reports such accounts to the Executive Committee at all meetings of the Executive Committee and at other times the Executive Committee so requests. The Treasurer keeps all books and records related to any Division accounts that are not coordinated by APA. The Treasurer also reports on these at each Executive Committee meeting. Ongoing monitoring and maintenance of Division’s financial accounts, contracts, agreements, and other actions that have financial implications for the Division specifically includes:

- Review bi-monthly balance sheet statements for accuracy. (Checking Account)

- Review (quarterly) statements for savings account.

- Ensure that balance between checking and savings is in-line with Division’s policies

- Keep records/copies of contracts, agreements and other similar documents with financial implications

 

To meet APA account audits, disbursements for funds should be done prior to December 31 of each year.

 

The Treasurer also files the annual report for the calendar year, and also reports the previous five-year's worth of expenditures and income to the Executive Committee. Participating and leading in financial planning includes: 

- Preparing a proposed budget, due at AERA, that describes major anticipated expenses and revenues for upcoming year. 

- Preparing a summary of budget expenditures for past/present year.  This report is presented to the Executive Committee and membership at APA.

 

Taxes: The Treasurer files a federal income tax return annually, working in conjunction with the APA accounting office. Copies of the filing should be submitted to the Division archives, and a copy should be kept in the files that go to the incoming Treasurer. This includes completing and promptly returning annual tax forms/spreadsheets that are sent from APA accountants in March/April.

 

Budgets: The Treasurer prepares an annual projected income and expenditure budget (January to December) to be submitted for approval by the Executive Committee at the Summer APA meeting. The outgoing Treasurer (at the end of his/her three year term) shall also prepare the annual projected income and expenditure budget for the 1st year of the next term. The Treasurer works with the President and the Secretary to document standing committee operating budgets and expenditures. The Treasurer shall notify committee chairs of funds approved for disbursement from the President’s discretionary fund within two weeks of submission. Thus, both a fiscal record and projected budget shall be required to be presented at the APA meeting. 

 

The Treasurer is also involved in assisting with developing budgets for the Program Chair(s), the Graduate Student Seminar, and the annual Autumn Meeting of the Executive Committee. In order to assist the Program Chair(s) to establish a budget and arrange funding for program activities at annual APA meetings, the Treasurer must review and advise on budgets, facilitate advances or payments as needed and arrange for advances when necessary. Expenses for the Graduate Student Seminar include stipends for participants, social events, room costs, and travel for chairs. In order to assist the Graduate Student Seminar Chair(s) to establish a budget and provide funding for seminar activities, the Treasurer must review and advise on a budget that is submitted to EC no later than AERA meeting.  Expenses for the annual autumn meeting of the Executive Committee include rooms costs, travel for member, meals, etc.  In order to assist the President in establishing a budget not to exceed $10,000 for the annual autumn meeting of the Executive Committee, the Treasurer will review and advise on a budget. 

 

Handling Funds: The Treasurer confers with APA as to the need to be bonded to conduct Division business related to handling funds. The Treasurer is responsible for all funds and securities of the Division and receives and gives receipts for monies paid from any source. The Treasurer should work with the President to establish any bank or other depositories that are needed for funds, and to maintain these accounts. The Treasurer acts as registrar for any special meetings, events, etc., of the Division in which monies are involved. 

In August 2000, the Executive Committee recommended that all Division assets stay with APA to alleviate record keeping difficulties. An operating fund equal to at least two years' operating expenses should be maintained as a deposit in the Division checking account through APA. The remaining income should be deposited into a savings or investment account. In order for the Treasurer to processes reimbursements for expenditures made on behalf of Division 15, the Treasurer must:

- Ensure that expenses are appropriate and that paperwork is completed/submitted to Division accountants correctly.

- Finalize internal paperwork and submit to Division accountants.

- Establish and maintain an accurate record of expenses.

 

The Treasurer is also responsible for processing payments for services or products that are provided to Division 15 or its representatives.  Examples of such expenses include payments to APA services, ordering of plaques, development and maintenance of the Division website, and payments to program office assistants. In order to process payments for services to Division 15, the Treasurer must:

- Receive invoices, bills, etc., and evaluate for accuracy and legitimacy.

- Complete and submit paperwork requesting payment through the accounting office.

 

The Treasurer is also responsible for processing payments, contributions, or other funds directed to Division 15.  Examples of these include royalties for Division 15 publications, office administration stipends, and conference registration payments. In order to process payments and contributions on behalf of Division 15, the Treasurer must:

- Ensure that all funds paid are appropriate, and that paperwork for deposits is completed/submitted to Division accountants.

- Monitor debts to Division and prompt payments when necessary.  

 

Changes in Dues: The Treasurer works with the Membership Committee to ensure that the dues collected cover the costs of membership. The Treasurer and the Chair of the Membership Committee present their recommendation each year to the Executive Committee meeting at APA for maintaining or changing the dues. The Treasurer reports the decision as to the amount of dues to be collected by APA to the APA Division Services Office within ten days of the annual meeting, or earlier if required by APA. 

 

Process Division Monetary Awards:  The Treasurer works with the chairs of the Thorndike, Snow, and Dissertation Awards and Grants committees, as well as the award winners, to process payments of monetary awards that accompany recurring Division 15 Awards. This includes monitoring award status and working with each committee chair to ensure that award winners are provided award funds.  

 

The Treasurer also assists the Early Career Psychologist Awards and Dissertation Award Committees with the administration of funds to the award winners.  This involves consulting with the committees to review budgets as requested, arranging for Letters of Understanding with the winners’ institutions (or other arrangements necessary to dispend and administer funds), and monitoring the completion and submission of financial reports associated with grants.

 

Other Duties: This elected officer shall serve as a member of the Executive Committee and shall perform other reasonable duties from time to time as may be assigned to him/her by the Executive Committee or the President. Such other duties might include arranging contributions or additional other payments as requested/approved by Division 15, administering and monitoring any advances or accounts necessary for regular Division business (i.e. Presidential funds, Educational Psychologist editor funds, etc.), or consulting as requested by any standing committee on matters with financial implications for the Division. The Treasurer shall oversee disbursement of up to $1000 per year for each member of the Executive Committee (not including the President, Past President, or President-elect, who have Presidential funds for this purpose) to reimburse them for travel costs associated with attending the spring (at AERA) or summer meeting (at APA) of the Executive Committee (as voted November 2010). In addition, the Treasurer shall provide the newly elected Treasurer and Secretary up to $1000 to attend the summer meeting in order to be able to meet with the outgoing Treasurer and Secretary. 

 

Suggested Timetable for Major Tasks:  Appendix B presents a list of the Tasks for the Division Treasurer. Because they are so extensive, they are presented in tabular form.

 

 

PRESIDENT-ELECT'S DUTIES

 

Program:  It is the duty of the President-elect to appoint a Program Chair as soon as possible following his/her election, and to oversee the convention program planning. The call for programs for the APA annual convention is prepared fourteen months in advance of the convention.  Once the President-elect has named a Program Chair, he/she notifies the APA Board of Convention Affairs, the APA Division Services Office, and the Division Executive Committee of that appointment. If APA does not receive the Program Chair name by June 1 of the prior year, that name may not be printed in the Call for Programs, and the name of the previous chair or the Division Secretary will be substituted by APA. The President-elect should prepare this appointment in consultation with the President and the Past President so as not to invite persons who have previously served in this role. The President-elect should work with the Program Chair to develop a theme for the program.

 

Committee Appointments:  Prior to taking office as President, the President-elect consults with the President, Past President, and Secretary to understand appointees that will be needed for the various open slots on committees during his/her Presidential year (see Appendix A). The President-elect develops a slate of potential appointees for open positions and contacts them inquiring as to interest. These appointees will need to be approved by the Executive Committee shortly after the President-elect takes office. The President-elect may submit the names of known appointees to the Executive Committee for approval at the meeting at APA in the year the President-elect assumes office (if they are available at that time). 

 

Incoming Division President Training:  The President-elect should attend the APA Leadership Training Institute held in Washington during the year prior to assuming office.  APA will notify the President-elect of the date of this two-day meeting, and will provide a travel ticket to Washington. The Division Treasurer reimburses the President-elect for his/her travel expenses not covered by APA.  

 

Executive Committee Autumn Meeting:  The President-elect attends the Executive Committee autumn meeting held in the year prior to taking office.

 

Assumption of Duties: In the event that the President cannot perform his/her duties, the President-elect shall assume those duties. In so acting, the power and restrictions of the office of President apply. 

 

Other Duties: This elected officer serves as a member of the Executive Committee and shall perform such other reasonable duties from time to time as may be assigned to him or her by the Executive Committee or the President. 

 

Timeline for Completing Major Tasks: 

 

August (or as soon as possible following election):  Make appointment of Program Chair. 

 

November:  Attend Executive Committee Autumn Meeting.

 

Early winter (as scheduled by APA):  Attend Leadership Training Institute in Washington

 

March-April: Attend APA meetings at AERA.

 

June: Start to create a list of potential appointees for open committee positions; work with the current President to ensure continuity.

 

At APA in August: Attend Executive Committee and Business Meetings; begin to develop goals for Presidential year. 

 

 

PROGRAM CHAIR’S DUTIES

 

The Program Chair serves with the President and any other members of a designated Program Committee per the By-Laws. The Program Chair works with the incoming President to develop all aspects of the Division’s annual meeting program. The Program Chair also works with the President to ensure that members and affiliates are notified of the deadline of the call for proposals, as well as of the program when it is developed.  This is done via appropriate channels such as the Division Newsletter, websites, LISTSERV, and other social media and the Division Spotlight section of the APA Monitor. The Program Chair works with the President to develop a theme for the annual program, to create a list of proposal reviewers, to learn to use the APA online conference system for proposal submissions and reviewing, and to ensure that the proposals accepted represent the wide range of interests and needs of our members. The Program Chair works with other committee chairs as appropriate, soliciting ideas for the program. The Program Chair needs to ensure that normally-allocated slots for awards, etc., are maintained in the program. Additionally, the Program Chair arranges all hotel rooms for meetings as well as catering needs in consultation with the President. The Chair works with the Treasurer to ensure that a reasonable budget is maintained for the program, that the Treasurer receives receipts, and that advances are sent upon request. 

 

Standing Budget: The annual operating budget for the Program Chair includes office assistance to organize and manage receipt and review of proposals, and to provide feedback to authors.  In addition, the budget allows for office assistance in collating and developing the program sessions, including copying and phone calls. The budget also includes compensation for the Program Chair’s expenses incurred during travel to the APA conferences immediately before and during his/her service. Any one-time requests for additional funds should be submitted to the President and Treasurer for disbursement from the President's discretionary fund. All discretionary fund requests should include the purpose, the expected outcomes, and a detailed budget.  See also “Program Committee” (below).

 

Timeline for Completing Major Tasks:

 

August:  Call for Proposals is published and sent to Program Chairs. Attend APA’s Program Chair training session at the convention.

 

August – November:  Respond to questions from potential submitters. Solicit interest and commitment from interested proposal reviewers. Determine a program theme and topics/speakers for potential invited addresses in consultation with President; invite speakers.

 

November:  Contact AERA’s program office to arrange for a meeting room and listing under Special Interest Groups; arrange filing system for incoming proposals.

 

December:  Send out proposals to reviewers using the APA online conference system; log reviews as they are returned.

 

January:  Rank-order proposals, determine acceptances and rejections, send out acceptance and rejection notifications; identify session chairs or discussants as needed. Finalize the conference program within the APA online conference system.  

 

January-February:  Work with AERA’s convention office to arrange rooms and catering for the Executive Committee meeting. Arrange payment for the catering and meeting room with the Treasurer.

 

March-April:  Attend APA meetings at AERA.

 

May-June:  Work with APA’s convention staff and the assigned convention hotel for catering; consult with the President to determine menus for sessions requiring food and beverages.  Arrange for the Treasurer to pay the hotel for the catering.

 

August:  Attend convention to ensure that the program runs smoothly, that AV equipment is available for all locations where it has been ordered, and that the catering is done appropriately.  Turn over documents and reviewer lists to incoming Program Chair.

 

HISTORIAN'S DUTIES

 

Historian is a member of the Division and appointed by the President. The duties of the Historian include: 1) documenting award winners each year on the Division 15 Website (this might include a link to a publication exemplifying the award), 2) ensure the list of past Presidents is kept up to date, 3) keep a backup copy of electronic information archived on the website, 4) archive electronically relevant internal documents (i.e. copies of contracts and grants) that are passed on to the Historian at the conclusion of each President's and each Secretary's term, 5) perform other duties relevant to documenting the history of the Division as negotiated with the Executive Committee.

 

STANDING COMMITTEES

 

The Executive Committee allocates all standing committees an annual operating budget.  Committees are requested to submit their specific budget to the Executive Committee for approval following the standing budget guidelines for appropriate items as described below.  Any one-time requests for additional funds should be submitted to the President and Treasurer for disbursement from the President's discretionary fund. All discretionary fund requests should include the purpose, the expected outcomes, and a detailed budget. Action on the requested expenditure plan will be returned within two weeks. The outgoing committee chair should request any budget changes for the next term at the APA meeting. 

 

The following describes key duties and timelines for the work of currently active standing committees included in the By-Laws.

 

PROGRAM COMMITTEE 

 

See section on Program Chair duties above for information on the responsibilities of this committee.  

 

Standing Budget:  As noted under Program Chair, the annual operating budget for the Program Chair includes office assistance to organize and manage receipt and review of proposals and provide feedback to authors, as well as for developing program sessions. The budget for the Program Committee also covers hotel room and catering costs for Executive Committee and Business meetings, and has historically included one drink ticket per person at the reception following the business meeting at APA, as well as catering costs for two breakfasts for the graduate student seminar at APA.  APA allocates hotel space based on number of allotted sessions in the program, so the Division budget does not include session hotel space.

 

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE 

 

The Membership Committee is responsible per the By-Laws for all items pertaining to membership. The Membership Committee works with APA membership services to ensure that membership services are provided in a timely manner. Division 15 has contracted with APA to perform the following services: (a) receive and process Division membership applications and dues payments; (b) maintain the affiliate (non-APA members) database; (c) handle annual renewal of Division affiliates; (d) coordinate mailing label orders for Division mailings (including ordering APA member labels and printing affiliate labels and forwarding them to printer/mail house, as well as printing of the Membership Brochure); (e) respond to expressions of interest in the Division – individual as well as APA “division interest form” mailings; and (f) send out letters of welcome to new members.  

The Chair of the Membership Committee should receive a regular update from APA (or via the President from APA) on Division members who resigned or otherwise left the Division. At his or her discretion, the Chair may write to these people, enlisting the help of the President as appropriate, to ascertain why they have withdrawn membership, and to notify them of affiliation processes for the Division. 

 

Solicitation of Members and Affiliates: The Membership Committee has the responsibility to solicit members for the Division. Membership may be by affiliation outside of APA (reduced fee), as well as within APA.  Each year, the Membership Committee Chair will devise a plan for soliciting membership to be discussed with to the Executive Committee at the Spring AERA meeting. The Membership Committee should also work with the Fellows Committee to devise a list of current fellows and ways to recruit new fellows into the Division. 

 

Division Information Brochure: The Chair of the Membership Committee is responsible for updating the APA information communication materials on educational psychology careers.  Copies of all Division information material should be sent by the Chair to APA Division Services Offices so that they can be distributed to prospective members as needed and during the annual convention. As appropriate, information concerning the Division should be posted on the Division websites and other media.  The Chair of the Membership Committee will work with the Communication Director to develop programs and materials for increasing membership and retaining members. 

 

APA Membership Meeting: The Chair of the Membership Committee should attend the Membership meeting held by APA at the APA annual meeting. The Chair is responsible for notifying the Executive Committee of any major changes in APA policies related to membership subsequent to this meeting. 

 

Standing Budget: The operating budget for the membership committee should include all payments to APA for membership services, as well as printing, mailings, strategic planning mailings, secretarial services, and phone calls. 

 

 

FELLOWS COMMITTEE 

 

The Fellows Committee shall function per the By-Laws. Additionally, the Chair of the Fellows Committee has the responsibility to solicit and collect names of persons who may be elected to the status of Fellow within the Division. In addition to posting a call for nominations in each NEP, the LISTSERV, the Division’s websites, social media, and the Division Spotlight section of the Monitor, the committee shall work to solicit nominations by other means that are appropriate (keeping within the policies of APA). The Fellows Committee Chair shall report to the Executive Committee at each meeting of the Executive Committee. 

Applicants for Fellow status who are currently Fellows in another division must be members of Division 15 and must submit an application to the Division 15 Fellows Committee. Their applications, however, are treated somewhat differently, because it assumed that they have the met basic criteria for APA Fellow status. It is the task, then, of the Division 15 Fellows Committee to determine if their work has contributed sufficiently to the field of educational psychology for them to meet Division 15 Fellows criteria.

The list of Fellow status candidates being recommended by the Fellows Committee is submitted to the President who then shares relevant information with the Executive Committee. The Fellows Committee Chair ensures that the list of names of all Fellows who are approved by the Division is then provided to the APA Fellows Committee. Following final approval of Fellow status by APA Council at the APA convention in August, the Fellows Chair announces the names of recipients. The Fellows Chair forwards the names of recipients to the editor of the NEP, social media, and to the Division LISTSERV for follow-up coverage. The APA Fellows Committee sends out congratulatory letters and certificates to newly appointed Fellows.

 

NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE 

 

The Nominations Committee shall function per the By-Laws. As discussed above, the Chair of the Nominations Committee (the Past President) has the responsibility of leading his/her committee in soliciting names of persons who may be nominated for a Division office. The committee discusses all nominees and follows procedures for determining a slate. As directed by Division By-Laws, the slate of nominees is developed by a process in which two or three individuals who are most frequently nominated by the membership and are also eligible/willing to serve are placed on the ballot. In addition, the committee may select other nominees, not exceeding a total of four nominees for any one office.  

Once the slate is complete, the Chair of the committee forwards the names to the APA office for ballot preparation. When the election results are reported back, the Chair will send the names of election winners to each nominee (congratulations letters to winners and thank you notes to runner-ups). Also notified will be the editor of the NEP for follow-up coverage, the President for posting to social media and LISTSERV, members of the Executive Committee, and the Secretary for posting on the website.

 

PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE

 

The Publications Committee shall function per the By-Laws.  The Publications Committee is responsible for overseeing all Division-related publications. The Publications Committee Chair works with the President and the Secretary to ensure that at least one hour is allowed for the Publication Committee to meet prior to the Executive Committee Meetings (although this does not have to be on allocated program hours) at both AERA and APA. As noted above, the Secretary takes minutes at these meetings. A report from this meeting should be given to the Executive Committee at both the AERA and APA meetings by the Publications Chair. 

The Publications Committee also approves budgets and plans for all publications (in conjunction with the Executive Committee), oversees all budgets for publications, and works with the Executive Committee to ensure that all publications are adequately funded. The Publications Committee has the responsibility to plan for future publications and to solicit ideas for such publications from membership. The Chair of the Publications Committee works with the committee and the Executive Committee to solicit names for editors and authors of Division publications. There is a procedure for selecting an editor for the Division journal, Educational Psychologist, shown at the bottom of this section.  Incoming editors for all Division publications should be approved at least six months in advance of their beginning as editors to allow transition time. 

 

Publication Schedules for Books: Division book publications should result in the creation of a timetable for moving to second volumes and beyond, which should be presented to and approved by the Executive Committee. 

 

Recommendations for Compensation for Book Authors:  The Publications Committee should review its current policy with regards to author compensation for Division books, and should then recommend any adjustments to the Executive Committee early in the publications process, at the same time the editor is approved. 

 

Publication Contracts: The Chair of the Publications Committee, along with the President of the Division, is responsible for negotiating the details of publishing agreements. Before a contract is signed, it must be reviewed by APA Counsel’s Office as the Division publications lawyer. Copies of the contracts should be passed from President to President-elect (until publication occurs). An electronic copy must also be held by the Chair of the Publications Committee, the Secretary, and the Division Historian. 

 

Appointment of Editor for Educational Psychologist: The Publications Committee is responsible for following procedures for appointing Editor(s) of Educational Psychologist. Key qualities sought for the position of Editor(s) include a record of scholarship; editorial experience and organizational skills to oversee the process; scholarly reputation; ability to work effectively with the Editorial Board, reviewers, authors, and others; and the ability to articulate a compelling vision for the direction of the journal. Editor(s) are also expected to have sufficient time to devote to editorial duties.  

The position of Editor(s) is for a single five-year term based on the calendar year and five volumes of the journal. In compliance with the democratic principles upon which Division 15 By- Laws are predicated, the following procedures are followed for appointing Editor(s):  

 

• On or prior to January 1 of the serving Editor(s)’s fourth year in office, the publication committee will initiate a national search with a call for nominations. The call should appear in the NEP, LISTSERV, social media, Division websites, and the Spotlight section of the APA Monitor. The deadline for submission of nominations is June 30 of that year; no nominations will be accepted after this date.

 

• The Publications Committee will review and discuss statements of goals and credentials of all candidates (self- and other-nominated) between June and August. 

 

• Based on a vote taken from voting members of the Publications Committee using the HARE system, a recommendation to appoint the new Editor(s) will be communicated to the President by the Publications Committee Chair in late summer or early fall of the same calendar year, and approved by majority vote of the Executive Committee.

 

The new Editor(s) will begin training with the current editor as soon as possible after being selected, and will begin accepting new manuscripts on January 1 of the next calendar year. The outgoing Editor(s) remain on to complete manuscripts in the queue during this transition year. The name of the new Editor(s) will appear on the cover of the first issue they are responsible for under their editorship (Vol. 54(1) for the next Editor(s)).  In the transition year, the new Editor(s) will continue to work closely with the outgoing Editor(s).  

 

Standing Budget: The annual operating budget for the publications committee includes printing of fliers, mailings, secretarial services, phone calls, and copying. The EP editorial office has its own budget, approved by the Executive Committee and provided by the publisher.

 

 

GRADUATE STUDENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE  

 

The Graduate Student Affairs Committee conducts a graduate student seminar each year to run in conjunction with the APA meeting. The seminar allows informal exchange of ideas about research between a circumscribed group of attending students and a selected group of faculty mentors who work to demystify the process of becoming a researcher for doctoral students in educational psychology.  

Students are selected in an application process announced in the NEP, on the LISTSERV and website, and through other appropriate venues. The seminar is limited to full-time doctoral students (ideally in early stages of their dissertation) with no more than three in attendance from the same institution. Students apply by an April deadline and are evaluated by the committee based on the quality of their work, their fit with Division 15, the interests of other applicants, and the expertise of participating faculty who represent the Division. The application materials include a letter of application, a short version of the dissertation proposal, and a letter of recommendation from the major adviser. The Chair of the committee notifies students of their selection in time for their attendance at the APA conference in August. The students who attend receive a stipend to assist with the cost of travel, registration, and Division membership. Several meals are free and there is no fee to attend.    

 

Standing Budget: The annual operating budget for the Graduate Student Affairs Committee includes $500 stipends and conference fees for each student in attendance at the seminar, room and catering costs for meals with faculty and students held at off-site locations, printing of fliers, mailings, secretarial services, phone calls, and copying. 

 

 

EARLY CAREER EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGIST COMMITTEE

 

The Early Career Educational Psychologist Committee recruits early career educational psychologists (individuals who are within seven years of their degrees) to the Division, and also supports the continued involvement of early career educational psychologists in Division 15.  The committee develops activities designed to support and engage early career psychologists within Division 15. The committee consists of a chair appointed by the President plus three to five members, all appointed by the President in consultation with the chair. 

 

One activity organized by the Early Career Psychologist Committee is a lunch for early career educational psychologists each year in conjunction with the APA meeting. The lunch allows early career educational psychologists to network with each other and with more established educational psychologists.    

 

Standing Budget: The annual operating budget for the Early Career Psychologist Committee includes monies for the annual early career psychologist lunch. The costs of the lunch include     room and catering costs, mailings, secretarial services, phone calls, and copying. 

 

AWARD COMMITTEES

 

All award committees shall function per the By-Laws. Additionally, they shall follow the general policies below and the specific policies for their award.  

 

General:  The award committees’ chairs shall keep track of the rotation schedule for their committee members using the Division Committee Roster and Committee List documents (see Appendices), and shall discuss potential new members with the full committee annually. A list of potential committee members should be submitted by the Chair of the awards committee to the President-elect for consideration before or when he/she takes office. These members must hold either membership in APA and membership in the Division, or affiliation with the Division. In cases where By-Laws specify that committee members be of the status of Fellow, submitted names should be Fellows (see Fellows list for Div. 15 on APA website). All award committee Chairs are required to prepare a written report on committee progress for both AERA and APA annual meetings of the Executive Committee, and to provide these reports for inclusion in the agenda if he/she is unable to attend the meeting. 

All awards committee members shall solicit nominations for their respective awards. The committee Chairs should place a notice in the fall issue of the NEP, on the Division LISTSERV and website, in the Division Spotlight section of the Monitor, and through solicitations for nominations to other appropriate places (such as contact with educational psychology programs, notices to Deans of Colleges, encouraging nominations from committee members, and making contact with recognized persons and organizations who might provide nominations). Committees shall follow specific procedures for selecting their recipient(s) as listed below, remind each other that all deliberations are confidential, select the recipient(s) per the established deadlines, and submit the name(s) of the potential recipient(s) to the Executive Committee for approval prior to making announcements. The Chairs should also 1) confirm with the Secretary and the Treasurer that the appropriate plaques will be purchased and the appropriate funds have been disseminated, 2) arrange with the program chair for the appropriate program slot for an invited address given by their award recipient, 3) submit a final report to the Executive Committee at the meeting at either or both AERA and APA (depending on timeframe), and 4) pass on the names and files of all qualified nominees who did not win awards to the next committee Chair(s) for consideration. 

 

E. L. Thorndike Career Achievement Award Committee: 

 

The award should be given only to living recipients, for career achievements (not for one or a few excellent pieces of research); for research in educational psychology (rather than psychology in general or education in general); and for original, scientific, empirically-based research, including meta-analysis research (rather than for textbooks or interpretive reviews). Additionally, the award should be for research in the best tradition of educational psychology. That is, the award should be for original, scientific, empirically-based research that contributes significantly to knowledge, theory, or practice in educational psychology. Research consisting primarily of critiques of other researcher's works, interpretive and selective reviews of research, and the preparation of textbooks would not qualify by these criteria. However, the scientific production and testing of theory, methods of teaching or learning, instructional products, tests, evaluation techniques, meta-analysis, and the like would qualify by this criterion. 

The first step of the procedure consists of generating a list of candidates for the award. The committee starts with a list of names of finalists given to it by the previous committee. Each committee member is asked to add names to this list. All names suggested by all committee members are then sent to the entire committee. Committee members are then asked if they wish to further add or delete any names on this list. The revised lists are then assembled by the chair into one list of candidates. The second step is to eliminate names. Each committee member then rank orders the list of names. The names of the three highest ranking candidates are sent to the committee members to be ranked a second time. The highest ranking candidate is then given the award. To accommodate these timelines, a January 15th deadline is recommended so that a decision can be made by March 1st. The committee reports its results to the Executive Committee at the AERA spring meeting, and the approved recipient is announced at the following Executive Committee and APA Business meetings. This timeline allows the recipient to be present when his/her award is announced at APA that year. The recipient then presents his/her speech and receives his/her award at the following year's convention and Business Meeting, thus allowing the award recipient a full year to draft an address. The award on the plaque will be dated the year the announcement is made (not the year the address is given), and a check in the amount of $2000 will be given to the recipient along with the plaque. 

The Chair of the Thorndike Award Committee should work with the NEP editor to ensure that the recipient and the award are announced with an appropriate biography in the fall issue of the NEP.  The Chair should also work with the Secretary to order the plaque in advance of the convention during which it is to be presented. 

 

Standing budget:  The annual operating budget for the Thorndike Committee includes the $2000 award and plaque, as well as any mailings, secretarial services, phone calls, and copying charges. 

 

Dissertation Awards and Grants Committee: 

 

Paul R. Pintrich Dissertation Award.  The Paul R. Pintrich Dissertation Award consists of a plaque, a check for $2000, and a program time slot for an invited address at the annual meeting. This award is given to someone who completes his/her doctoral dissertation within the previous two calendar years from when the award will be announced. The dissertation must be in the area of educational psychology, broadly defined, and the proposed recipient must be a member or affiliate of the Division at the time of the award consideration. 

The Committee shall use appropriate mechanisms such as the NEP and the LISTSERV, as well as the Division Spotlight section of the Monitor to solicit nominations. The Committee uses specified criteria for determining the award, along with the 1,500 word abstract of the Dissertation, all of which are included in the award announcement along with application instructions. All nominations are confidential.  When the committee agrees on a recipient, the recipient's name is presented to the Executive Committee for approval. The Paul R. Pintrich Dissertation Award report should be given at the Spring AERA meeting to allow the winner to be present at the business meeting at APA when the award is officially announced. To accommodate these timelines, a January 15th deadline is recommended for receipt of application, allowing a decision to be made by March 1st. It is the responsibility of the Committee Chair to meet this deadline. 

The recipient gives his/her address and receives the plaque and check at the APA conference in the year following the announcement, thus allowing a full year for the preparation of the invited address.  Additionally, the Chair of the Committee shall work with the NEP editor to ensure that the recipient and the award are provided coverage in the NEP.  

 

Graduate Student Dissertation Research Grants. The Dissertation Awards Committee is also responsible for determining recipients of the two annual dissertation research grants.  These grants are intended to support educational psychology doctoral students who are preparing to collect their dissertation data with small financial contributions.  Doctoral students who are members of the Division are eligible to apply if they have submitted or defended a dissertation proposal to their committee. Awards are given in the amount of $1,000 each.  

Submissions are evaluated by the Dissertation Awards Committee based on the importance of the research question, match with Division 15 goals, and quality of the proposed methodology. Students submit a brief summary of their dissertation work and a curriculum vita.  The Chair of the Dissertation Award Committee issues a call for proposals for this award in the NEP, on the LISTSERV, and through other relevant outlets; the application deadline is May 1.  The awardees are announced at the annual APA convention during the Business Meeting.   Awardees are required to submit to the Chair of the committee a short report detailing how the funds were spent and the outcome of the research.  The report will be archived by the secretary on the website. A form is available in Appendix C.

 

Standing Budget:  The annual operating budget for the Dissertation Awards Committee includes printing of fliers, mailings, secretarial services, phone calls, and copying for both the Dissertation Award and the Dissertation Research Grants. The budget also includes the $2000 and plaque awards, and the $2,000 allocated for the two grants.

 

The Richard E. Snow Award for Early Contributions in Educational Psychology Committee: 

 

This award consists of a plaque, a check for $2000, and a program time slot to deliver an invited address at the annual meeting. This award is given to an individual who has made what the committee judges to be a significant career contribution and who has completed his/her doctoral dissertation within the previous 10 calendar years.  Specifically, a viable candidate would be not more than 10 calendar years past the date of completing his/her doctoral dissertation at the time of receiving the award. All nominees must fulfill this criterion to be considered, and also must be a member or affiliate of the Division at the time of the award consideration. The Committee shall use appropriate mechanisms to solicit nominations such as the NEP, the LISTSERV, and the website. The Committee shall use the vita of the nominee as the primary source for judging of the award. All nominations are confidential. Once the committee agrees on a recipient, the recipient's name is presented to the Executive Committee for approval. The Snow Award report should be given at the Spring AERA meeting. This way, the winner can be present at the Business Meeting at APA when the award is officially announced. To accommodate these timelines, a January 15th deadline for applications is recommended so that a decision can be made by March 1. It is the responsibility of the Committee Chair to meet this deadline. The award recipient will receive his/her plaque and check following the invited address at the APA conference in the year following the award announcement. The Chair of the Committee shall also work with the NEP editor to ensure that the recipient and the award are provided coverage in the NEP. 

 

Standing Budget: The annual operating budget for the Snow Committee includes mailings, secretarial services, phone calls, and copying charges. The budget also includes the $2000 and plaque awards.

 

The Early Career Research Grant Committee

 

The Early Career Research Grant Committee provides funding for the research of early career educational psychologists who are members of the Division and who are within seven years of receipt of their doctorate. Applicants submit a 1000 word summary of the proposed research, a budget with justification, and a curriculum vita. Submissions are evaluated by the committee based on the importance of the research question, match with Division 15 goals, and quality of the proposed methodology. The committee shall consist of a chair and six members of the Division, including two previous Early Career Research Grant winners. Each member of the committee will serve a three-year term and the President will appoint two members each year.  The chair will serve a three-year term and can be reappointed for a second three-year term. 

The Chair of the committee issues a call for proposals for this award in the NEP, on the LISTSERV, and through other relevant outlets; the application deadline is May 1. The awardees are announced at the annual APA convention during the Business Meeting. Awardees are encouraged to present their research at APA or the Division 15 conference.

The awardees are expected to complete the research within the proposed timeframe. If there is a need for an extension, the awardee needs to request an extension from the Chair of the committee. The extension request will include a progress report and a budget. The Chair will consult with the president to consider the request.  If approved, the President will send a letter to the awardee’s institution office. 

Awardees are required to submit to the Chair of the committee a short report detailing how the funds were spent and the outcome of the research. The report will be archived by the Secretary on the website.  A form is available in Appendix C. The awardee’s institution returns any unused funds from the grant to the APA Division 15 account at the end of the grant as specified in the proposal

 

Standing Budget:  The annual operating budget for the Early Career Research Grant Committee includes printing of fliers, mailings, secretarial services, phone calls, and copying.  Depending on Division 15 funds, the committee will award funding of 7,500 for up to five early career educational psychology proposals.

 

 

Memorial Award Committee

 

The Division 15 Memorial Award will be awarded periodically at the discretion of the Executive Committee following the death of a prominent leader and key contributor. The Award recognizes individuals who were influential during their lifetimes to both the field of educational psychology and to Division 15 in particular. The Award also recognizes and expresses gratitude to the family of the deceased for the individual’s leadership and inspiration to the Division as well as the field.

The Memorial Award consists of an engraved plaque presented to the family of the awardee at the annual business meeting of the Division at the APA convention in the year of receipt. In addition, a former student or colleague of each awardee will be invited to write a brief memorial tribute for publication in the Division Newsletter, which will appear in the fall issue following presentation of the Award.

The Memorial Award Committee will be chaired by a designated Past President of Division 15, who will serve a three-year term and will work with the two Members-at-large. Annually in the fall of the year, the committee will consider recently deceased luminaries according to the following criteria:

 

The deceased is a prominent, widely published scholar in the field of educational psychology, who:

 

• Held one or more leadership positions in Division 15 during his/her career, or
• Was the recipient of another Division 15 award.

 

This committee will make recommendations to the full Executive Committee for a two-thirds vote approval at the AERA meeting preceding the August convention. In years when no applications are forwarded to the committee or the committee makes no recommendations, no award will be made.

The Memorial Awards Committee will ask the Division Secretary to prepare the plaque(s) for presentation to the family at the Business Meeting in August. The current President will notify the family of the awardee sufficiently prior to the convention to allow them to attend and receive the award if they so choose, and to request an address where the award may be sent if they are unable to attend.

The Committee will also solicit written statements from former students/colleagues of each awardee to be placed in the Newsletter, on the LISTSERV, and on the Division website.  The Committee Chair will see that these tasks are completed following the presentation of the Award.

 

THE NEWSLETTER FOR EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGISTS (NEP) 

 

The NEP is to be published three times annually, in the fall/winter (October), spring (February/March), and summer (June).  The NEP is sent through APA’s regular mail system to all members and is emailed to members. It is also available to be printed down from the Division website. The NEP Editor, who serves a three-year term, is appointed by the President working with the Publications Committee, with approval from the Executive Committee.  

 

The following items should routinely appear in the NEP:

 

Every Issue: Solicitations for nominations for any awards; instructions for the LISTSERV; letter from the President; notes from Editor 

 

October Issue: Call for nominations for new officers with list of previous officers; updated officer and committee list; profiles of all award winners; minutes of Executive Committee and Business Meetings from APA; election results; APA call for papers; names of new Fellows 

 

February/March Issue: AERA highlights of interest to Division members; minutes and pictures from Executive Committee fall meeting 

 

June Issue: Highlights for APA meeting; minutes of spring Executive Committee meeting 

 

 

APPENDIX A

 

Summary of Division 15 Committees 

 

 

Committee	Required Members	Who Appoints
Executive Committee	President President-elect Past President Treasurer Secretary Members-at-large (3)       Council Representative and Alternate     Division Editors (ex-officio)	Elected Elected Elected Elected Elected Elected       Elected       Appointed by Recommendation from Publication Committee
Membership Committee	New Committee formed in 2007	Presidential Appointment (at least members 2 in addition to Chair)
Dissertation Awards and Grants Committee	Chair     3 Fellows     3 Members	Presidential Appointment
E.L. Thorndike Committee	Comprises 6 Fellows of the Division serving 3-year terms*	Presidential Appointment
Richard E. Snow Committee	Chair plus 6 members of the Division (including at least 3 fellows)	Presidential Appointment
Division Editors		Publications Committee
Division Historian	Serves 3-year term per APA Central By-Laws	Presidential Appointment
Fellows Committee	Chair (Fellow)   2 fellows (4 year terms)           President (ex-officio if Fellow) Secretary (ex-officio if Fellow)	2/3 Majority of the Executive Committee in consultation w/ President *Note: The By-Laws list this as a Members and Fellows Committee and we are asking the membership to vote to change this to the Fellows Committee and have created a new Membership Committee in 2007).
Graduate Student Affairs Committee	4-6 members (3-year terms)	Appointed by a  majority vote of the Executive Committee, in consultation with the President
Publications Committee	Chair with Fellow Status   2 Additional Fellows 2 Additional Members   Ex-officio members:   President President Elect Past President	Chair appointed by 2/3 majority vote of Executive Committee in consultation with the President. Others by Presidential appointment.
Nominations Committee	3 members  Past President serves as Chair for one year	Presidential Appointment
Program Committee	Ex-officio: President         President-elect        Secretary   3 additional members as needed	Presidential Appointment
Early Career Educational Psychologist Committee	Chair  3 to 5 members	Presidential Appointment
Liaisons to APA Standing Committees and Boards	-Board of Educational Affairs   -Board of Scientific Affairs   -Coalition for Psychology in Schools and Education   -Committee on Women in Psychology   -Committee on International Relations in Psychology	Presidential Appointment   (We have Division members who have been elected to other APA Standing Committees and Boards, such as the Com. On Psych. Tests and Assessments, but these are appointed.)

 

 

 

 

APPENDIX B

 

A Calendar of Financial Activity for APA Division 15: 

Responsibilities for the Treasurer

 

 

Time Frame	Financial Activity
Ongoing	Participate in considering the business, decision-making, and other responsibilities of EC Provide insight and guidance on financial implications of matters considered by the EC Review bi-monthly balance sheet statements for accuracy. (checking account) Review (quarterly) statements for saving account. (savings account) Ensure that balance between checking and savings is in-line with Division’s policies Keep records/copies of contracts, agreements and other similar documents with financial implications Ensure that expenses are appropriate and paperwork completed/submitted to Division accountants correctly. Finalize internal paperwork and submit to Division accountants.  Establish and maintain records of expenses Ensure that all funds paid are appropriate, and that paperwork for deposits is completed/submitted to Division accountants. Monitor debts to Division and prompt payments when necessary.   Arrange contributions or additional other payments as requested/approved by Division 15 (i.e. SIG / other Division contributions) Consult as requested by any standing committee on matters with financial implications for the Division
August - September	Process travel reimbursement for Division 15 Award Winners presenting at APA conference, Program Chair(s), Graduate Student Affairs Co-Chairs, and participants in the Graduate Student Seminar. Assist President to establish budget and provide funding for annual fall meeting of Executive Committee. Administer and monitor any advances or accounts necessary for regular Division business (i.e. Early Career Grants) Arrange for Letters of Understanding, invoices, budgets, or other administrative records
November	Executive Committee Fall Meeting: Submit draft of proposed budget for upcoming year that describes major expenses and revenues for past/present year. Prepare reimbursement requests for members in attendance. Obtain original receipts. Every reimbursement request for each member is a separate request. Provide original signatures on all forms for each request. Assist Program Chair(s) to establish budget and arrange funding for program activities at annual APA meetings. Assist Graduate Student Seminar Co-Chairs to establish budget and provide funding for seminar activities.
December - January	Receipt of Annual Conference proposals Assist Program Chair(s) with establishing an account to hire an assistant. A budget should be prepared to establish hourly wage rates for the assistant and for the amount of time assistant will help Program Chair(s). A W-8 or W-9 form must be sent to the accountants and placed on file for the assistant.
Late December	Send a request to the accountants of APA to have money sent for the services of the editorial assistant of Educational Psychologist. The Editor should have an official Letter of Understanding (LOU) on file with accountants at APA. This letter should specify the budget needed to carry out editorial responsibilities for the journal. This budget is to be approved by the Executive Committee of Division 15.
January - March	Pay bills for APA administrative services.
March - April	There are many accounting activities for which the Treasurer is responsible in this period of time. The President or the Program Chair(s) of the annual meeting at APA should contact the AERA hotel to prepare the Executive Committee meeting dinner. The EC should vote on a budget for this. In 2007, the budget was approved at $1200. Once the President or the Program Chair gets an invoice from hotel (“Bill to APA Division 15”), it is sent to the accountants at APA with memo and standard EXCEL spreadsheet form to advance money to the hotel in the amount approved by the Executive Committee. This task should be completed at least 3-4 weeks before the annual meeting. It is also important to make sure there is a Catering Manager who can correspond with the Treasurer, the President, or the Program Chair via email to make sure the money gets there on time. In addition, it is likely that the President will have to temporarily secure the agreement with the hotel for the catering expenses via a credit card account. For the hotel, this credit card is needed to ensure the bill will be paid. In the instance something is charged to the credit card, the President will request reimbursement with original receipts and official EXCEL spreadsheet form. The federal tax forms will arrive via email. There are about 16-20 EXCEL spreadsheet pages. Review carefully information reported by the accountants. Complete tax forms for which the accountants have not recorded information. Await receipt of the FINAL December budget sheet sent by APA. This year-end budget summary report will be mailed in January. On the first few pages on the FINAL December budget sheet, all expenses and sources of income are reported. Use this information to determine categories of investment and expenditure that must be reported on the tax forms.  According to the By-Laws of Division 15, prepare a five-year summary of expenses and income. This report should be shared at the Executive Committee Meeting at the annual AERA conference. At the AERA conference, the Executive Committee Members should agree on a budget for catering, room, and reception expenses anticipated for attendance at the APA annual conference in August. In 2007, the EC agreed upon a budget of $12,000. The EC should also agree as to what percentage of the approved amount should be allocated for expenses at the meeting (e.g., reception) versus the Graduate Student Seminar. While there is one overall approved budget for the conference, the financial expenses managed by the Chairs of the meeting and the Graduate Student Seminar are handled as separate accounts.   Continue to pay bills and deposit royalty checks.
After the AERA conference	Once the final catering charges have been recorded on an official invoice from the APA hotels, await return of any money not spent from the advance, or prepare a reimbursement for the President if additional amounts were charged to a personal credit card.    Process payments of monetary awards that accompany recurring Division 15 Awards (Thorndike, Snow, Pintrich, and Dissertation Research Award). Consult with Early Career Grants Committee regarding submitted proposals and review budgets as requested.
June - July	Important Treasurer responsibilities for preparation for the annual meeting:  Work with Co-Chairs of the Graduate Student Seminar to ensure that all students participating will bring their completed W-8 or W-9 forms to the conference. These are needed for their stipends. The forms must have original signatures and dates. Assist the Program Chair in securing invoice estimates from hotels for the Executive Committee meeting Dinner and Division Reception. Once invoices have been prepared, request that advance checks be mailed to the hotels. Assist the Co-Chairs of the Graduate Student Seminar in securing invoice estimates for the breakfasts, lunches, and dinner receptions scheduled annually at hotels or restaurants during the APA meeting. Once invoices have been prepared, request that advance checks be mailed to the hotels. In the past for restaurants, one or both Co-Chairs of the Graduate Student Seminar have placed expenses on their credit card accounts. Obtain any official receipts from the Co-Chair. After the annual meeting conference, the original receipts should be mailed to the accountants with a request for reimbursement. If the amount has been charged to a credit card, send both the original receipts from the restaurant and a copy of the monthly report from the credit card agency showing the amount dated officially on the report and deducted from the available balance. All personal information on the monthly statement should be deleted with a highlighting pen except for the name of the Co-Chair, the address, and the amount to be reimbursed. Process payments for services or products that are provided to Division 15 or its representatives: APA Services (Plaques and Certificates) and the Thorndike Plaque.
August	Attend the annual conference meeting at APA. At the Executive Committee meeting, estimate a budget for expenses in the forthcoming year. New types of expenses or investments should be approved officially by the Executive Committee and recorded in the minutes prepared by the Secretary (e.g., budget for the Historian, new grant or research awards).

 

 

Note: The Treasurer is responsible for many other fiscal activities for which requests are sent to the accountants at APA. These include reimbursements for travel to Washington meetings for members of the Executive Committee. In addition, bills must be paid all of the time. Many of these payments are just sent to APA (e.g., administrative services, newsletter production costs, etc.). The Treasurer or President must provide authorization to make payments with an official APA financial form that has an original signature. This form is sent to the accountants along with a copy of the bill to be paid. It is very important that the billing addresses on all invoices read: APA Division 15, c/o Treasurer; not the Treasurer’s name and office address. Finally, it is recommended that the Treasurer keep electronic records of all financial activity in two separate locations so that backup files ensure permanent records which can be sent to the Treasurer elected for the next term.

 

 

 

APPENDIX C

 

Division 15 Educational Psychology. 

American Psychological Association
Final Report for xxx Award
(Please limit this report to no more than one page)

Date of this report:
Name of Awardee:
Date Award was Received:
Amount of Award:

Date When Data Collection was Completed and Funds Expended
 
Briefly describe how the award was used.
 
Briefly describe any significant deviations from the original proposal.
 
Briefly describe your plans for publication/presentation.

 

Provide a citation for any conference presentations or publications that resulted (if any at this time).