Society for the Study of Social Problems

The President has many responsibilities and opportunities to advance the organization. The person elected serves on the Board of Directors for three one-year terms as President-elect, President, and Past-President. Each year, the President has a different role within the Board of Directors. The first year is one of observing, planning, and recruiting persons to serve on various committees. These duties are described in section II B. of this manual. The second year begins with the announcement of the program theme in the final program for the year preceding the meeting over which he or she will preside. The following section outlines presidential roles during the second year. In the third year, the past-president serves in an advisory capacity.

The President’s term officially begins when the current President passes the gavel to you at the end of the Annual Business Meeting. This will be your first opportunity to address the Society as its President. The address often includes an encouraging word about program participation and recruitment. This is an opportunity to say a brief word about special projects you will encourage members to support during your term.

The next formal duty as President is to preside at the meeting of the new Board of Directors. This meeting takes place on the last day of the Annual Meeting. The Executive Officer and Administrative Officer will work with the President to prepare an agenda. The agenda usually contains the following items: (the order listed varies depending on the schedules of various persons making their report and the preferences of the President and the Board of Directors.)

a. A report from the Nominations Committee giving the names of those listed for the offices of: President- Elect, Vice-President-Elect, members of the Board of Directors, and members of the elected committees (Budget, Finance, and Audit Committee, Committee on Committees, and the Editorial and Publications Committee,);
b. Action by the Board of Directors to nominate a Secretary and Treasurer to run in the next election;
c. Announcement of proposed appointments to the committees listed below, followed by approval of the Board of Directors: Accessibility Committee, C. Wright Mills Award Committee, Elections Committee, Erwin O. Smigel Award Committee, Joseph B. Gittler Award Committee, Lee Founders Award Committee, Lee Scholar-Activist Support Fund Committee, Lee Student Support Fund Committee, Local Arrangements Committee, Membership Committee, Permanent Organization and Strategic Planning Committee, Program Committee, Racial/Ethnic Minority Graduate Scholarship Committee, Social Action and Social Action Award Committee, and the Standards and Freedom of Research, Publication, and Teaching Committee;
d. Presentation of the budget for the next calendar year by the Budget, Finance, and Audit Committee, discussion of the budget, amendment (if desired) and approval;
e. Action on any matters referred to the Board of Directors at the Annual Business Meeting;
f.  If prior action approving a site for the conference has not been taken by the Board of Directors, then action is taken at this meeting;
g. If committees who have been meeting at the site of the Annual Meeting have recommendations to bring to the Board of Directors, they must be placed on the agenda;
h. Items of business from the Special Problems Divisions must be brought to the attention of the Board of Directors by the Chair of the Council of Division Chairpersons;
i.  Any items of business that Board members would like to bring to the attention of the Society.

Signing Checks for the Society
The President, Treasurer, Executive Officer and Administrative Officer are authorized by the bylaws to sign checks for the Society. Checks greater than $1,000 must be signed by two of the four. Since 1990, the combination used for the two signatures has been the Treasurer and the Executive Officer. After the Annual Meeting, the new officers sign a signature card. This card will be sent to the bank where the Society keeps its checking account.

The Call for Papers
After the first meeting of the new Board of Directors, the work of the President as mobilizer begins. The President may charge the committees to perform certain tasks in fulfilling his or her purpose as described in the bylaws.

The President often chooses to work closely with the Program Committee Chair as he or she begins to organize the program sessions. The divisions have a strong role in shaping the program; therefore, the President and the Program Committee meet with representatives from the various divisions on the last afternoon of the Annual Meeting. This provides an opportunity for discussion on how the program theme will be translated into sessions sponsored by the Program Committee and the divisions. Significant effort from the session organizers, division chairs and the Program Committee must be accomplished soon after the Annual Meeting. The Call for Papers is formulated by the Executive Office during September and printed and mailed in early October.

The Final Site Visit
In January, the President, Meeting Manager, and the Local Arrangements Chair visit the hotel site of the upcoming Annual Meeting. The purpose of this visit is to discuss placement of events in the hotel, catering arrangements and to visit possible sites for the Board of Directors’ dinner. The visit provides an opportunity for the President, Meeting Manager, and the Local Arrangements Chair to become acquainted with key hotel personnel who will work with them during the conference. In addition, room set-ups can be proposed for various conference events. The Administrative Officer will set up this visit at a time convenient for all involved. The Society will bear the costs associated with the visit. In recent years, it has not been necessary for the Executive Officer to attend this meeting. The visit can usually be accomplished in 48 hours.

The Submission of Program Sessions to the Executive Office
Session titles, paper titles, and names and addresses of participants are due to the Administrative Officer no later than March 1. The Administrative Officer prepares the draft of the preliminary program in consultation with the Executive Officer. The Administrative Officer creates a pre-registration mailing to verify the correctness of the entry prepared for the preliminary program, to secure the registration of program participants, and to secure their membership in the Society (if they are not already members). The President must make sure that session organizing tasks assigned to the Program Committee are completed and sent in on time. The title of the Presidential Address must be ready at this time. Any time preferences for various sessions and events within the program must be conveyed to the Administrative Officer by March 1. This will help in arranging the meeting schedule.

The Spring Meeting of the Budget, Finance, and Audit Committee
Any specific budgetary requests that the President wants considered by the Budget, Finance, and Audit Committee must be sent to the Executive Office by May 1. The Budget, Finance, and Audit Committee will discuss the requests at their spring meeting when they draft the budget for the following year. The main responsibility of the President with reference to this meeting is to make sure that any information impacting the budget is in the hands of the committee before the meeting.

Final Preparation for the Annual Meeting
All correspondence on menus, scheduled times of various events, invitation list for the Private Presidential Party, program for the banquet and any remaining details concerning the Annual Meeting need to be finalized no later than June 1. The Administrative Officer will prepare the final program. The President will review the final program for accuracy.

Duties at the Annual Meeting
The President will preside at two Board of Directors Meetings, the Annual Business Meeting, give the Presidential Address, preside at the Awards Banquet, and attend a Board of Directors Meeting on the last day. The President will also host a private party. Presidents are given some flexibility in arranging the schedule. The major Board of Directors Meeting occurs on the day before the scheduled paper sessions begin. The Board of Directors’ dinner occurs that evening and this is often followed by the President’s invitational party. The first day includes a follow-up Board of Directors Meeting. The second day includes the Annual Business Meeting, the Presidential Address, and the Awards Banquet. The third day includes the meeting of the new Board of Directors.

The President must read through the bylaws and know the fundamentals of Roberts Rules of Order, Revised. If the President does not feel comfortable with this, he or she must appoint a parliamentarian. The President must preside at the Board meetings in a firm but relaxed fashion. The President must make sure that Board members take turns speaking for or against an issue. This is a good way to eliminate redundant speeches and bring a debate to a close when there is a consensus.

The rising President presides at the meeting of the new Board of Directors on the last day of the Annual Meeting. Committee appointment activity must be completed by the conclusion of the Annual Meeting. Having the list ready for review at the Annual Meeting is helpful.

In consultation with the Committee on Committees, the President nominates and the Board of Directors approves the following committee appointments:

Accessibility Committee (one or more committee members, one-year term)
C. Wright Mills Award Committee (at least five committee members, one-year term)
Elections Committee (Chair and three or more members who reside in the same geographic area as the chair, one-year term)
Erwin O. Smigel Award Committee (one committee member, one-year term)
Lee Founders Award Committee (at least five committee members, one-year term)
Lee Scholar-Activist Support Fund Committee (one committee member, one-year term)
Lee Student Support Fund Committee (one committee member, one-year term)
Local Arrangements Committee (Chair and at least three members residing in the local area where the Annual Meeting is to be held, one-year term)
Membership Committee (nine committee members selected from five regional areas: Northeast, Upper Middle, Southern Middle, West and International, three-year term, with three new members being appointed each year)
Permanent Organization and Strategic Planning Committee (two committee members, three-year term)
Program Committee (Chair and three or more committee members, one-year term)
Racial/Ethnic Minority Graduate Scholarship Committee (five committee members, one-year term)
Social Action and Social Action Award Committee (not more than six committee members who reside in the area where the Annual Meeting is to be held, one-year term)
Standards and Freedom of Research, Publication, and Teaching Committee (one or two vacancies, three-year term)

The following Elected Committees select their own chair:

Budget, Finance, and Audit Committee; Committee on Committees; Editorial and Publications Committee and the Nominations Committee (same as the Council of Special Problems Divisions Chairpersons)

FIRST YEAR

JUNE: The President-Elect is notified of the election results. His or her term will begin at the end of the Annual Business Meeting. The President-Elect must appoint a Chair-Elect for several committees. These persons will serve as Chair-Elect on the designated committee during the year he or she is President-Elect and will serve as Chair during the year that he or she is President.

JULY: The President-Elect must continue to recruit people to serve on those committees which have a Chairelect.

AUGUST: The President-Elect must attend the Annual Meeting. He or she will become a voting member of the Board of Directors at the meeting of that body which comes after the Annual Business Meeting. This meeting usually takes place on the morning of the last day of the Annual Meeting.

SEPTEMBER: The President-Elect must begin thinking about his or her program theme and any special features that he or she wants to incorporate in the next Annual Meeting. This is a good time to get reflections of the previous year’s Program Committee about organization and planning of the program.

OCTOBER: The President-Elect has no specific responsibilities except as a member of the Board of Directors.

NOVEMBER: The President-Elect has no specific responsibilities except as a member of the Board of Directors.

DECEMBER: The President-Elect has no specific responsibilities except as a member of the Board of Directors.

JANUARY: The President-Elect should make plans to participate in the Annual Meeting. He or she should consider submitting a paper or organizing a session as a show of support for the current President.

FEBRUARY: The President-Elect should check with the Program Committee Chair(s) to see what their thinking is on the program ideas he or she is considering. The program theme statement must be submitted to the Executive Office by June 30. This statement will appear in the final program.

MARCH: The President-Elect must forward any budget requests that he or she may have for activities during the Presidential year to the Chair of the Budget, Finance, and Audit Committee and the Executive Office no later than May 1. All requests will be considered at the Budget, Finance, and Audit Committee meeting in late May.

APRIL: The President-Elect must check with the members of his or her Program Committee to determine if they will be able to attend the Annual Meeting so that they may exchange ideas with the Division Chairs and the current Program Committee. He or she must check with the Committee on Committees Chair to see who they are suggesting to fill out the committee appointments for which the President-Elect is responsible.

MAY: The President-Elect can make any last minute requests for budget items during the year that he or she serves as President. The President-Elect must continue to work with the Committee on Committees.

SECOND YEAR

JUNE: The President-Elect must complete the final draft of his or her program theme statement and submit it to the Executive Office by June 30. The President-Elect must continue to work with the Committee on Committees.

JULY: The President-Elect must finalize his or her work on committee appointments. He or she must finalize plans for attending the Annual Meeting. The President-Elect must inform the Executive Office about any special agenda items that he or she wishes to cover at the first meeting of the Board of Directors when he or she will serve as President.

AUGUST: The current President will pass the gavel to the President-Elect at the end of the Annual Business Meeting. This will be the first opportunity the incoming President has to address the Society as its President. The address often includes an encouraging word about program participation and recruitment. This is an opportunity to say a brief word about special projects you will encourage members to support during your term as President. The President must attend all meetings of the Board of Directors. He or she will preside at Board of Directors Meeting on last day. The President must attend the various meetings concerning planning for the next year’s program. He or she must make sure that the Board of Directors reviews the slate of nominees provided by the Council of Special Problems Divisions Chairpersons and that the Board of Directors nominates at least one candidate each for the offices of Secretary and Treasurer.

SEPTEMBER: The President must make sure that the Program Committee provides detailed material for the Call for Participation to the Executive Office by the end of September. He or she must follow through on any action taken at the Annual Business Meeting or the Board of Directors Meetings that requires Presidential involvement.

OCTOBER: The President must write a cover letter for the first Membership Renewal Campaign. He or she should write letters to all committee chairs encouraging them to carry out a plan of action for the year. The President should set goals for committees, if needed.

NOVEMBER: The President should start recruiting special speakers for the Annual Meeting, if needed. He or she should nominate at least one book for the C. Wright Mills Award. The President should follow through on any special initiatives that he or she is emphasizing during the Presidential year.

DECEMBER: The President must write a cover letter for the second Membership Renewal Campaign. He or she must begin planning and/or writing the Presidential Address.

JANUARY: The President should check on the progress of the Program Committee particularly with work on invited sessions. The deadline for voluntary submissions is the last day of the month. The President should check with the Executive Office on the end of the year financial picture. He or she must check for progress on crucial committee activities. For example, if a search for new Editor of Social Problems is in progress, check with the Chair of Editorial and Publications Committee on this matter.

FEBRUARY: During this month, all sessions organized by Special Problems Divisions are being finalized and forwarded to the Executive Office. The Administrative Officer is preparing the end of the year financial statements. Often during this month, the President and the Meeting Manager make a final site visit to the conference hotel that is hosting the Annual Meeting. During the visit, they assess any special needs and/or make adjustments in order to have a successful meeting.

MARCH: The President should make any requests for budget modifications for the current year. These requests will be considered at the Budget, Finance, and Audit Committee meeting in late May or early June.

APRIL: The President must write a cover letter for the third Membership Renewal Campaign. The first draft of the Presidential Address should be complete. The President should check on the progress of any Presidential initiatives. He or she must review the preliminary program for accuracy. All comments must be sent to the Administrative Officer.

MAY: The President must finalize plans for the Presidential Address and Awards Banquet if not already completed. He or she should make sure that any special arrangement needs are in the hands of the Meeting Manager.

THIRD YEAR

JUNE: The President should make any travel plans not yet completed for the Annual Meeting. He or she should write a letter to all committee chairs urging them to complete their reports.

JULY: The President must review the agendas for the Board of Directors Meetings and the Annual Business Meeting with the Administrative Officer. He or she should finalize the Presidential Address, if needed. The President must review the final program for accuracy. All comments must be sent to the Administrative Officer.

AUGUST
The President must preside at the Board of Directors Meetings, except for the meeting on the last day. He or she will also preside at the Annual Business Meeting. The President will turn over the gavel to the incoming President before adjournment. The President will give the Presidential Address. He or she will arrange for publication of the address with the Editor of Social Problems. At the last Board of Directors Meeting, he or she will serve as Past-President.

During the remainder of the third year, the Past-President will serve as a member of the Board of Directors.

The President-Elect must attend the meeting of the new Board of Directors on the last day of the Annual Meeting. This will be your first meeting as a voting member. You may attend earlier Board meetings as a nonvoting member. All committee appointment activity must be completed by the conclusion of the Annual Meeting. Having the list ready for review at the Annual Meeting is helpful.

In consultation with the Committee on Committees, the President-Elect nominates and the Board of Directors approves the following committee appointments:

Chair-Elect, Accessibility Committee
Chair-Elect, C. Wright Mills Award Committee
Chair-Elect, Erwin O. Smigel Award Committee
Chair-Elect, Lee Founders Award Committee
Chair-Elect, Lee Scholar-Activist Support Fund Committee
Chair-Elect, Lee Student Support Fund Committee
Chair-Elect, Membership Committee
Chair-Elect, Permanent Organization and Strategic Planning Committee (appoint from the committee members who have served on the committee at least one year)
Chair-Elect, Racial/Ethnic Minority Graduate Scholarship Committee
Chair-Elect, Social Action and Social Action Award Committee

These must be appointed because they serve on the current year’s committees. The President-Elect can secure advice on persons who have been screened for willingness to serve in these appointments from the Chair of the Committee on Committees.

By as early as possible in your President-Elect year, select your Program Chair. The rationale for an early appointment is that you may work with the Chair as you develop your theme and select the remaining members of the Program Committee. In addition, your Program Chair can be in touch with the current Program Committee to learn from them.

Your program theme is due in the Executive Office by June 30 of the year following election. Having your committee in place will allow you to run ideas by them. Your Program Committee must be appointed by and encouraged to attend the Annual Meeting. There will be a time and place scheduled for them to meet with Division Chairs and other interested parties who want to help in organizing sessions for your program. They will also have an opportunity to meet with the current Program Committee to hear their suggestions.

The Vice-President Elect and the Vice-President serve a one-year term and are nominated by the Nominations Committee. The membership elects the Vice-President Elect and the Vice-President in the General Election. Both serve as voting members of the Board of Directors. The Vice-President serves as chair of the Resolutions Committee. The Resolutions Committee meets at the Annual Meeting. The Vice-President will present all resolutions to the membership at the Annual Business Meeting. The Board of Directors screen and act on the resolutions that are introduced and passed at the Annual Business Meeting. The Vice-President will forward a copy of the approved resolutions to the Executive Office. The Administrative Officer will consult with the President and forward the resolutions to the appropriate persons. The Vice-President may be asked to introduce the President at the Presidential Address. He or she becomes the Vice-President at the end of the Annual Business Meeting.  The Vice-President is responsible for selecting the Chair and members of the Joseph B. Gittler Award Committee.

The Secretary serves a one-year term and is nominated by the Board of Directors. The Board nominates one or more candidates for the office. The membership elects the Secretary in the General Election. Traditionally, the Secretary serves for a number of years. The primary duties are recording the minutes of the Annual Business Meeting and the meetings of the Board of Directors. These minutes must appear in the fall issue of the Social Problems Forum: The SSSP Newsletter. The Executive Office will review the unapproved minutes before publication. The Secretary must give due notice of all meetings of the members and of the Board of Directors. Additional duties may be assigned by the Board, such as formal correspondence for the Society. The Executive Office assists the Secretary in the performance of the duties of the office. As compensation for these duties, the Society provides transportation to the meeting, if needed and a complimentary room during the Annual Meeting.

The Treasurer serves a one-year term and is nominated by the Board of Directors. The Board nominates one or more candidates for the office. The membership elects the Treasurer in the General Election. Traditionally, the Treasurer serves for a number of years. The Treasurer is assigned oversight responsibilities for the funds of the Society and their management and expenditure. The Treasurer works closely with the Executive Officer and Administrative Officer in this task. The Treasurer supplies the second signature needed on checks and deposit transfers in excess of $1,000. As an ex officio, voting member of the Budget, Finance, and Audit Committee, the Treasurer helps to project and revise the budgets and to determine the allocation of reserve funds in various investments. The Treasurer reports on the financial condition of the Society to the Board of Directors and to the membership. As compensation for these duties, the Society provides a complimentary room during the Annual Meeting.

Each elected member of the Board of Directors serves a three-year term and is nominated by the Nominations Committee. The membership elects the Board members in the General Election. The Editor of Social Problems and the Editor of Social Problems Forum: The SSSP Newsletter are nominated by the Editorial and Publications Committee and appointed by the Board of Directors as Board members. These two positions hold ex officio, non-voting memberships on the Board. Two Student Board members are elected for a two-year term on a staggered basis so that one member is elected each year. The Student Board members share one vote on the Board. The Student Board Representatives conduct a meeting with the graduate students at the Annual Meeting. As compensation for these duties, the Society provides $500 to each Student Board Representative to help subsidize their meeting expenses.

The Board of Directors meets at the Annual Meeting and manages the Society’s affairs. The Board employs the Executive Officer and Administrative Officer to assist them in managing the Society’s business. The primary responsibility of a Board member is attendance at the Board of Directors meetings. The Board must be informed of any issues that come before the Society so they can vote to support courses of action that they believe are in the best interest of the organization and will advance the purpose of the organization as stated in the bylaws.  Since proxy voting is not done at these meetings, attendance is very important. Occasionally, the Board is polled via email on important issues. Prompt response is requested. Quarterly financial reports are sent to Board members via email for their review. Board members must carefully review mailings for the purpose of making informed decisions. If clarification is needed, the Executive Office will help. (For more information on the Board of Directors, see Section I. C. above.)

A Parliamentarian may be appointed by the President with the consent of the Board of Directors to advise the Society on matters of interpretation of the bylaws and of Roberts Rules of Order, Revised. The term of office is specified at the time of appointment, but may not exceed three years. Properly executed, this office can facilitate the flow of business and can provide good advice to the President on the proper and expeditious conduct of meetings.

The Chairpersons of the Special Problems Divisions comprise the Council of Special Problems Divisions. The Chair of the Council of Special Problems Division Chairpersons is nominated and elected by the Special Problems Division Chairs to serve as a voting member of the Board of Directors for a three-year term. The Council Chair is responsible for ensuring that the Division Chairpersons organize sessions for the Annual Meeting and generate a slate of candidates for elected offices. The Council will meet twice at the Annual Meeting to secure candidates for the general election. If a Division Chair cannot attend these meetings, it is their responsibility to appoint someone else to represent their division.

Duties of the Council Chair
The Chair of the Council of Special Problems Division Chairpersons should stay in regular contact with the Division Chairpersons. This should be done at least 2-3 times per year.

In September, a letter should be sent to Division Chairpersons reminding the Division Chairpersons:

• that the program is in development and they need to formalize it by January 31
• that they consider joint sessions when possible
• that they have funds available for Division activities
• that some divisions need to elect new chairs and must begin the process
• that three newsletters need to be sent to division members each year in order to keep the members informed and involved in the division

In March, a letter should be sent concerning nominations and participation in process.

The Special Problems Division Chairpersons can recommend that a division be terminated if it has less than 150 members for two consecutive years. The Chair presents this recommendation to the Board of Directors for final disposition. The Chair must provide an annual report on the state of the divisions to the Board of Directors and to the membership at the Annual Business Meeting.

Every year, candidates are needed for:

President-Elect (1): At least 2 nominees, 4-6 names
Vice-President Elect (1): At least 2 nominees, 4-6 names
Board of Directors (2): At least 4 nominees, 8-10 names (NOTE: Some years there may be more than 2 vacancies.)
Student Representative of the Board of Directors (1): At least 2 nominees, 4-6 names
Budget, Finance, and Audit Committee (1): At least 2 nominees, 4-6 names
Editorial and Publications Committee (1 or 2): At least 2-4 nominees, 6-8 names
Committee on Committees (2): At least 4 nominees, 8-10 names

Nominees for Secretary and Treasurer will be nominated by the Board of Directors.

The Nominating Committee must review a list of officers and committee members who have served during the past 10 years. This list will be provided by the Executive Office and distributed to the Chair at the Annual Meeting. In addition, the Committee on Committees and the Executive Office compile lists of persons who are willing to serve in such positions. Requesting these names may be helpful to the Nominating Committee. The Chair must place an announcement of nominations needed in the winter and summer issue of the Social Problems Forum: The SSSP Newsletter.

The nomination process must result in an ordered list of names for each of the vacancies. Since persons nominated may not be willing to run, it is important to have a number of names listed for each of the offices. This ordered list will be presented to the Board of Directors on the last day of the Annual Meeting for approval by the Chair. Once approved, the list should be sent to the Executive Office. The Administrative Officer will forward the approved list to the Elections Committee Chair.