Sept 1st 2004 Council Meeting Highlights

The APSA Council met September 1, 2004 at the Association's 100th Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois.  The following are highlights from the meeting:

• Treasurer Henry Brady reported on the positive status of the Association's finances.  He noted the Council had previously approved a deficit budget for investments in technology.  Council unanimously approved covering the budgeted deficit by drawing down from the association's working capital fund.  Council members noted the Association had not used its full draw down from the endowment.  Henry Brady indicated that the Trust and Development Board will provide a policy statement regarding use of the endowment for Council review.
  
  
• Council voted unanimously to ask the Publication's Committee to produce a report that provides its recommendations and estimates of the costs regarding implications of Open Access journals.
  
  
• Council heard the report from the Elections Review Committee and took the following actions:
  
  1. Council unanimously voted in favor of posting the final report and  its appendices on the Association's website.
     
  2. Council unanimously approved the Elections Review Committee's recommendation that the Rules Committee be encouraged to revisit the rule in Section 4.9 of the Annual Business Meeting Rules regarding the number of nominator names listed on the ballot.
  
  3. Council voted by voice vote to instruct the Nominating Committee to give due regard to the type of institution in all offices as reflected in Chapter 3 Section 2.4 of the Association's By-Laws.  Council also approved by a show of hands with 14 votes in favor, 10 opposed, and 1 abstention to instruct the Nominating Committee to take into account the needs of non-PhD granting institutions in the nomination of the vice presidents.
  
  4. Council voted by a show of hands 3 in favor and 18 opposed (0 abstained) against the Elections Review Committee's recommendation to increase the number of vice-presidential seats on the Council. Council agreed to ask an ad hoc committee of the Council to consider further how to address issues of diversity including meeting the interests of non-PhD institutions.  
  
  5. The Council discussed whether to act at this Council meeting or the next on the recommendation to adopt 'Single Transferable Vote' (STV).  At this meeting the Council voted by a show of hands 9 in favor, 13 opposed and 4 abstained against the committee's recommendation that the Association replace the current balloting procedure with STV for all offices.  The Council voted unanimously to discuss STV again at the next meeting.
  
  
• Council voted by a show of hands 22 in favor, 0 opposed and 4 abstained that existing procedures be maintained regarding the Association's policy toward speaking out on matters of public policy and recognizing the differences between task forces and organized sections.  The Council also encouraged organized sections to follow existing procedures to adopt a neutral name when the group wishes to speak out on policy matters.  
  
  Council members also asked that the subject of human rights issues be further discussed by the Council.
  
  
• The Council voted 19 in favor, 0 opposed and 2 abstained to hold a 3rd Council Meeting which would be held in DC in the Spring of 2005 and have a public focus. 
  
  
• Council unanimously approved Margaret Levi's committee reorganizations and appointments. 
  
  
• Council accepted all items on the Consent Agenda.

Addendum

Shortly following the September 1 meeting, Council had an email exchange concerning parliamentarian procedures during the meeting and recognized that this may be a topic the Administrative Committee might want to discuss.