By Quincy Guinadi, MA
On behalf of the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS), I am thrilled to announce that graduate students are now eligible to run for elected and appointed seats on 19 APA Boards and Committees based on the results of the August Council of Representative meeting and the recent membership vote with 82.28% in favor! Graduate students will be eligible to be slated for Board and Committees as early as January 2024, with their terms beginning in 2025 (see list at the end). This exciting and important change will increase the inclusion of graduate student perspectives at some of the highest levels of APA and grant us a seat at the table. This is another huge victory towards our vision of increasing student voices across APA.
First and foremost, I would like to express my utmost gratitude for the hard work and advocacy efforts spearheaded by my fellow Student Voice Workgroup members and APAGS staff: Mary Fernandes, Nicole Evangelista, Melanie Arenson, Martina Fruhbauerova, Wendy Williams, Heather Dade, and Ritu Verma. They spent countless hours putting together the agenda item, attending town halls, listening and addressing concerns, and finalizing the bylaw amendment changes. Kudos to your perseverance and passionate fight for student voices, what a well-deserved victory!
We also received overwhelming support from our APAGS and APA members from the start through the end of this journey. We would like to recognize and express our sincerest thank you to numerous allies across the Association and beyond. Thank you to the APA Board of Directors, the APA Council Leadership Team, the APA Council of Representatives, and numerous APA Boards and Committees. Thank you for your continued and unconditional support towards the growth and enrichment of our future as a profession and association!
Last but not the least, a huge thank you to our APAGS leaders and members, APA members, and allies across other organizations who helped us spread the word about this important vote by sharing it on social media, advocating with State, Provincial, and Territorial Psychological Associations, and voicing support across Divisions, Boards, and Committees. We also cannot forget the immense support from voters, the Council of Representatives and APA members; we thank you for utilizing your voting rights and power to advocate for the inclusion of student voices and perspectives in APA.
What began as a vision last year quickly became a reality. This is another monumental step for APA graduate students and the future of APA. As APAGS, we are thrilled to witness new and diverse graduate students step up and share their wisdom. Graduate students bring a wealth of expertise in practice, research, and advocacy, which propels the profession and association forward as we move into the future of psychology.
List of APA Boards and Committees seats available to graduate students in 2024:
- Board for the Advancement of Psychology in the Public Interest
- Board of Conventional Affairs
- Board of Educational Affairs
- Board of Professional Affairs
- Board of Scientific Affairs
- Membership Board
- Policy and Planning Board
- Committee on Global Psychology
- Committee on Human Research
- Committee on Women in Psychology
- Committee on Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity
- Committee on Disability Issues in Psychology
- Committee on Children, Youth, and Families
- Committee on Socioeconomic Status
- Committee on Ethnic Minority Affairs
- Committee on Aging
- Committee on Professional Practice and Standards
- Committee on Animal Research and Ethics
- Committee on Rural Health
Again, I am so pleased to share this victory with you. We are elated to welcome new graduate student leaders and their valuable perspective onboard these APA Boards and Committees! You are welcome to reach out to me or our staff if you have any questions.
Yours in solidarity,
Quincy Guinadi, MA
2023 APAGS Chair