Div. 46 Governance

The following standing committees have been appointed and approved and these are their duties:

Membership Committee

The Membership Committee oversees all division membership issues. It is responsible for changes to the membership brochure, devising strategies for gaining new members and retaining current members, as well as dealing with any procedural issues related to membership. It is expected to coordinate closely with APA Division Services. Its specific charge is to add to the division’s membership numbers. The Membership Committee will strive to recruit members of diverse populations.

Fellows Committee

The Fellows Committee shall deal with all issues and procedures related to selecting Div. 46 fellows. The committee is responsible for soliciting fellows nominees, evaluating their qualifications, verifying that they meet APA fellows criteria, and then recommending them to the board for final approval. The Fellows Committee chair is responsible for all communications between the committee and the nominees.

Nominations and Elections Committee

The Nominations and Elections Committee shall be responsible for all division elections. The committee shall consist of the president-elect who shall serve as chair, and the committee members shall be the other officers serving on the executive committee. Any committee member who is an active candidate for any division office must disqualify himself/herself from service on the committee in the year of that individual's candidacy. The chair is responsible for issuing a call for nominations so that it reaches division members in a timely fashion. The Nominations Committee will strive to recruit members from diverse groups to stand for election. The call for nominations will appear in The Amplifier or may be sent by special mailing and/or electronically to all division members. The chair will forward the names of the nominees to APA following board approval of all candidates at the midwinter meeting. After the election, the chair shall be responsible for notifying the candidates and members of the division of the election results.

Awards Committee

The Awards Committee shall coordinate all issues and procedures related to awards. The chair of the Awards Committee shall be the past president. If a committee member is also the candidate for an award, that person must disqualify himself/herself from the committee for the year in which she/he is nominated. Each year, the call for awards will be published in The Amplifier in a timely manner and/or on the internet to all division members so that the membership has an opportunity to participate in the process. The committee shall review and approve all awards given, including those given by committees, and shall appoint individuals to present the awards. All such awards are subject to approval of the president and the board and costs for the award should be approved during the regular budgeting process.

Media Watch Committee

The Media Watch Committee shall monitor media portrayals of mental health professionals in TV, film, electronic media and books. The committee shall nominate and present to the board for approval, candidates for the Shirley Glass Golden Psi Award.

News Media, Public Education and Public Policy Committee

The News Media, Public Education and Public Policy Committee shall promote excellence in the dissemination of psychological information and research via the news media, particularly as it relates to social issues. In addition, the News Media, Public Education, Public Policy Committee developed the News Media Recognition Award for excellence in the reporting of psychological information and research. It is the responsibility of the committee to nominate and accept nominations of candidates, to determine the recipient with the approval of the board.

Ethics Committee

The Ethics Committee shall provide general education to psychologists regarding how to work with any form of the media in a responsible, professional manner. To aid in this endeavor, the committee shall compile, regularly review, update and distribute educational materials, documents and books, and also offer APA convention presentations and more direct opportunities for questions and guidance. The Ethics Committee will endeavor to respond to inquiries from psychologists and students regarding ethical questions in media psychology.

Program Committee

The Program Committee shall have the responsibility of planning the convention program and social hour for the annual APA convention, as well as for any other meetings the division may hold which involve program presentations. The chair shall be appointed by the president-elect for his/her presidential year and perform duties in accordance with APA rules and regulations.

Editorial Policies and Guidelines Committee

1. The Editorial Policies and Guidelines Committee will, with board Input and approval, establish, codify and implement divisional policies, procedures and guidelines about all editorial matters, broadly defined, related to division-sponsored media. The committee serves as advisor to The Amplifier editor, and the website and email list administrator, as needed. The committee regularly reports its activities and deliberations to the board, and brings to the board’s attention any relevant matter for deliberation and approval.
2. The committee shall consist of the chair, The Amplifier editor, the website & email list administrator, the Publications Committee chair, at least one elected board member (if not already represented), and at least one divisional member who is not on the board.
3. The committee’s recommendations will be presented to the board for review, discussion, and approval. The committee serves an advisory function to the board. The board establishes the division’s editorial policies and guidelines.

Finance Committee

1. The Finance Committee will assist the treasurer in preparing the annual budget, with input from committee chairs, monitor and make changes in the division’s reserve funds investments, and, in general, advise the board about any matter involving finances, investments, disbursements, or divisional income.
   
2. The committee shall consist of the chair (who is a member at large) appointed by the president, treasurer, past president and the president-elect.
   
3. The committee will inform the board about its deliberations, and present recommendations to the board. The committee serves an advisory function to the board, which must establish the division’s financial policy and guidelines.

Publications Committee

The Publications Committee shall oversee the division’s publications, including journals, newsletters and books. The chair of the Publications Committee may be a member at large of the board. The president may appoint a chair for the Publications Committee who is not a member of the board. In such cases, the chair would serve an ex officio member of the board and not have voting rights. The Publications Committee shall make semi-annual reports to the board concerning its activities.

Telehealth and New Technologies Committee

The Telehealth and New Technologies Committee shall educate and update the division membership and other psychologists regarding the impact of new technologies on developments in telehealth as they relate to the media. The committee shall advise the division membership and other psychologists regarding such areas as robotics, interactive modalities and other new developments as they relate to psychology and media.

Student Committee

The Student Committee shall provide input regarding any matter that is student-related. This committee deals with all interactions with APAGS. The chair of this committee will serve as the division’s official representative to the APAGS Student Representative Network.

Strategic Planning Committee

The Strategic Planning Committee shall work toward clarifying a vision and mission for the division looking ahead five years. The committee will report its findings annually. The Strategic Planning Committee may ask the board to consider specific agenda items generated by the committee to reflect special priorities having importance for the year in question.

Newsletter Editor and Website Administrator

The Newsletter Editor and Website chairs shall be appointed by the president and serve as ex officio members of the board, without voting rights. These individuals are responsible for the routine dissemination of information to the membership via print and electronic means. They shall make semi-annual reports to the board about their ongoing activities and progress.

Listserv^® Committee

The Listserv^® committee shall be appointed by the Listserv administrator with the approval of the president. This committee shall oversee the Listserv postings and ensure that they adhere to the Listserv guidelines of both APA and the division.

Bylaws Committee

The Bylaws Committee shall be a standing committee consisting of a chair and co-chair who are ex-presidents of the division. The mission of the Bylaws Committee shall be to monitor changes in both division policies and APA policy and to ensure that the bylaws address applicable changes. If the chair or co-chair of the Bylaws Committee believes that a major revision to the bylaws to be mad, s/he will notify the division president and request that the committee be temporarily expanded. The committee will also request input for the division membership if substantive changes are being recommended. Housekeeping changes may be made by a vote of the current board but will be sent out for ratification by the membership at the next time substantive revisions are proposed.