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A. FORMING A NEW SECTION

To propose a new Organized Section, the organizers must submit an application to the National Office by January 31. This deadline allows time for Council review and possible approval in the spring, as well as the potential for the new Section to organize a meeting at the Annual Meeting in August. The application consists of a petition which includes the proposed Section's name, purpose, and procedures for governance, signed by 200 current APSA members. The petition must specifically explain how their proposed Section will differ from the existing Sections, as well as convey how it will increase the intellectual community within the Association and not lead to greater fragmentation of the discipline. The application should include a mission statement to facilitate the process of consideration.

Once the application is complete, the National Office will forward the material to the Organized Section Committee, whose members will consider the petition. The Organized Section Committee reserves the right to circulate the petition and mission statement among existing Sections, the Council, and other APSA governing bodies for commentary.

The application will be placed on the agenda of the spring meeting of the APSA Council, along with the recommendation of the Organized Sections Committee. Any new Organized Section that is approved will be allocated space for organizational meetings during the Annual Meeting of the same year, and allocated panels for the following year (for example, applications approved in the spring of 2005 would be allocated a business meeting slot at the 2005 Annual Meeting, and panels at the 2006 Annual Meeting.)

GUIDELINES IN BRIEF:

- APSA member(s) write a petition including the proposed Section name, statement of purpose, procedures for governance, and how their proposed Section differs from existing Sections, as well as how the Section will increase the intellectual community within APSA and not lead to greater fragmentation of the discipline.

- Applications must be received by January 31.

- Petition is circulated to APSA members for signatures. They can be circulated by traditional methods or email, and must include the name, address, and APSA member number for each signatory

- Petitions should have a minimum of 200 people.

- The Committee on Organized Sections reviews the petition and mission statement. The Committee may circulate the petition to existing Sections and APSA governance bodies for comment.

- The Committee on Organized Sections makes a recommendation to the Council.

- At their spring meeting, the Council votes to approve or reject the petition.

- If approved (e.g. in 2005), the new Section will be allocated panels for the following year's Annual Meeting (e.g. in 2006).