The APAGS full committee consists of nine elected positions (six members-at-large, a chair-elect, chair, and past chair) and five appointed positions (chairs of five specialized subcommittees).
Call for applications
Elected and appointed positions
Specialized subcommittees
- Committee for the Advancement of Racial Equity and Diversity (CARED)
- Committee on Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity (CSOGD)
- Advocacy Coordinating Team (ACT)
- Convention Committee
- Science Committee
APA is engaged in a process of transformation, placing a much greater emphasis on making an impact that benefits society and improves lives. In February 2019, the Council of Representatives adopted a new strategic plan that sets APA’s organizational priorities for the next three to five years. Going forward, boards and committees will work in an integrated, collaborative, and multidisciplinary manner, since no single board or committee can achieve any of the plan’s objectives on its own. Given the importance of this approach to the association’s strategic priorities, APA encourages nominees to the APAGS committee to review the strategic plan to become familiar with the broader context in which their expertise and interests will contribute to APA’s success.
The chair-elect serves for three years (January 2025–December 2027). Members-at-large and subcommittee chairs serve for two years (January 2025–December 2026). The chair-elect and members-at-large are elected by APAGS members, whereas the chairs of subcommittees are appointed internally. For elected positions, the APAGS Elections Committee will review all applications and choose up to three applicants per position to place on the ballot for an open election by APAGS members. Even if you do not have an extensive large network of student colleagues, we encourage you to apply. Many previous APAGS leaders were successfully elected without extensive leadership experience or large professional networks.
Available positions
The APAGS Committee is seeking applications through September 2, 2024, for the following positions:
- Chair-elect
- Members-at-large (three open positions)
- Vice chair, Science Committee
- Vice chair, Convention Committee
- Chair, Committee on Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity (CSOGD)
- Chair, Committee for the Advancement of Racial Equity and Diversity (CARED)
- 3 CSOGD Subcommittee members
- 3 CARED Subcommittee members
- 3 ACT Subcommittee members
- 2 Convention Subcommittee members
Please learn more about position descriptions and our elections/appointment processes.
APAGS priorities
APAGS is committed to addressing racism and social inequities through a social justice and equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) lens. APAGS has developed a strategic plan, in which we describe our strategic objectives to advocate on behalf of psychology graduate students. These objectives are rooted in an EDI framework, and we seek innovative individuals to help us expand efforts to promote and integrate decolonization practices in our work as student leaders in psychology. In addition to the APAGS strategic plan, APA has a larger strategic plan for the entire association.
APAGS has a rich tradition of representation from diverse groups, including individuals from both visible and nonvisible intersectional identities. We have consistently valued inclusion, and we strongly encourage individuals of diverse and historically underrepresented backgrounds to apply. APAGS welcomes applicants from all stages of graduate training, including individuals within their first or second year of study, as well as individuals from master’s and doctoral-level training programs. We also welcome applications from all psychology training backgrounds and specialties, including but not limited to community, experimental, applied, I/O, clinical, and counseling psychology.
Specific notes for member-at-large candidates
There are three member-at-large positions available. Through our application process, we are seeking applications from individuals with specific interests in supporting the following pillars of the APAGS strategic plan:
- student debt and graduate school financing
- leadership development
- research/academic training
We encourage applicants to review both the APA and APAGS strategic plans and propose ideas for advancing those plans. The APAGS Elections Committee supports creativity in proposals and platforms. For example, some areas of potential opportunity include and are not limited to, involvement in research or advocacy on student debt; developing blog or webinar series on topics such as equity, diversity, and inclusion; eliminating student debt. Additional areas may include identifying or developing resources on leadership and professional development, and review of current policies/bylaws/rules of APA to identify proposed changes to increase the diverse representation of graduate students in other groups across APA (e.g., other committees, boards, divisions, etc.). As of 2024, all members-at-large will be a part of the elections committee which will focus on elections awareness, education, and appointments for both APAGS and select APA positions.
If applicants have different ideas that align with the strategic plans, we encourage them to share their ideas in the application materials.
Eligibility
Applicants must be current master’s or doctoral students* in good standing at a regionally accredited institution at the time of application, studying psychology or a related field.
* To be eligible for APAGS chair-elect, applicants must be enrolled in a doctoral program in psychology.
Applicants must have at least one academic year remaining in their graduate program once they start their term.
Additionally, applicants must be:
- An APAGS member
- Organized, responsive, efficient, and responsible
- Able to work effectively and cooperatively with others
- Willing to commit to a busy term lasting 24 months (36 for chair-elect) to work on behalf of the needs and interests of APAGS and APAGS members
- For subcommittee chair, vice chair, or member positions, applicants must demonstrate specific knowledge, expertise, and/or experience in the substantive area of the respective subcommittee to which they are applying
Election rules
For elected positions
To prevent APAGS electronic media from being overwhelmed by members promoting their candidacy during the election cycle, APAGS has the following procedures for use of electronic media:
- Do not use APAGS email lists or APAGS official pages/groups on social networking sites (e.g., Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter) for advertising your candidacy.
- During the election cycle, APAGS will distribute emails that provide all candidates with a chance to make a statement for election. This is meant to ensure fair access to all electronic media during the election cycle.
How to apply
The application process is fully online, where you must complete some basic information, agree to some terms and conditions if elected or appointed to serve, confirm your APAGS membership, and upload several items merged as one PDF in this order:
- An abbreviated two-page CV.
- A candidate statement:
- For chair-elect applicants: In 300 words or less, describe your interest, relevant experience, and broad goals for APAGS and APA that align with the APAGS and/or APA strategic plans.
- For member-at-large applicants: In 300 words or less, describe your interest, relevant experience, and specific goals that align with the APAGS and/or APA strategic plans.
- For subcommittee chair applicants: In 750 words or less, describe your potential and/or relevant experience for the particular position.
- For subcommittee member applicants: In 750 words or less, describe your potential and/or relevant experience for the particular position.
- You can only serve in one APAGS leadership role at a time (elected position of APAGS committee, appointed subcommittee chair, subcommittee member).
- You can only apply for one APAGS position at a time. Subcommittee member applicants may only apply to one subcommittee member role at a time; however, you may indicate your interest in other subcommittee member roles at the bottom of your candidate statement (e.g., “Other committees of interest: Science and Convention”).
If chosen to be slated for an election ballot, applicants will have the opportunity to review and revise their candidate statement.
It is your responsibility to verify that you are an APAGS member at the time of your submission. If you are an affiliate (e.g. undergraduate student affiliate, international affiliate), associate member of APA, or any other type, you will need to change your membership status to APAGS (contact Member Services at 1-800-374-2721). If you join APAGS at the time of your application, please submit your electronic receipt as verification that you submitted your application as the last page of your PDF.
Please submit all the required documents in one PDF file. Please label your file as follows: Lastname, Firstinitial - Position name, Year. For example, “Smith, J – Chair-elect, 2024.pdf.” Learn how to merge PDF files.
Deadline
September 2, 2024 at 5 p.m., Eastern time. Please note that all applications must be received by this date and time. No email or postal mail submissions will be accepted. If you have any questions, please call us at (202) 336-6014 in advance of the deadline.
You may also contact our current APAGS Committee and subcommittee chairs for questions related to the application process.
Last updated: June 2024Date created: 2012