Page 2 - 2017 Annual Report

A MESSAGE FROM THE
Steven Rathgeb Smith,
APSA Executive Director
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
It is a privilege to report on another very fruitful year at APSA. The Association
has advanced important efforts in expanding and improving our membership
benefits; supporting diversity and inclusion, teaching and learning, international
political science, and more; offering two successful and well-attended
conferences; continuing to support excellence in our journals; and expanding
our efforts to collect and share research on the profession. This APSA Annual
Report details many of these efforts.
Of particular note is the continued success of the Ralph Bunche Summer
Institute for undergraduate students (pg. 9), designed to increase the number
of underrepresented students enrolling in political science graduate programs
and pursuing academic careers by exposing them to graduate-level coursework.
I would also draw your attention to APSA’s international programs (pg. 12),
including the successful Middle East and North Africa (MENA) workshop held
in Tunis in July. In addition, APSA continues to invest in teaching and learning
resources through the Teaching & Learning Conference (pg. 17), as well as
through professional development resources aimed at supporting teaching
(pg. 13), including expanded teaching and learning programming at the Annual
Meeting. In 2018, this will include a mini-conference on teaching and learning in
conjunction with the APSA Annual Meeting in Boston.
As APSA’s four journals—the American Political Science Review, PS: Political
Science & Politics, Perspectives on Politics, and the Journal of Political Science
Education—have continued to publish high-quality political science research,
several have gained new leadership over the past year. We congratulate
them on not only their continued high quality but also their smooth editorial
transitions.
Beyond the programs and activities reported here, APSA has recently completed
a process of governance reform, implementing the new bylaws that were
approved in a vote by the full membership in October 2016. The first APSA
election under the new bylaws was held in July, and more than 25% of APSA
members voted. More information about APSA elections is available at http://
www.apsanet.org/About/Governance/Elections. The implementation of the new
bylaws has also included introduction of APSA Council policy committees to
help guide APSA policies and programs. The implementation of the new APSA
bylaws marks an exciting new chapter in APSA’s governance.
Finally, APSA has continued to devote more resources to advocacy and
public engagement. We are dedicated to continuing to advocate for the
interests of the discipline, including funding for political science, as well as
issues of academic freedom. APSA has also expanded efforts to disseminate
political science research to a wider audience and to support efforts at public
engagement.
I am very pleased to report on APSA’s diverse portfolio of programs in support
of our members and the discipline, and I welcome member feedback and input.
Please feel free to reach out with any comments or questions.