December 2024
December 16, 2024, APSA Council Meeting
PRESENT:
Taeku Lee, Harvard University, President
Susan Stokes, University of Chicago, President-elect
Mark Warren, University of British Columbia, Past-President
Sara W. Goodman, University of California, Irvine, Treasurer
Caroline Tolbert, University of Iowa, Vice President
Juliet Hooker, Brown University, Vice President
Council members:
Alice Kang, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Alison M. McCartney, Towson University; Aseem Prakash, University of Washington; Cherie Strachan, University of Akron; Christina Schneider, University of California, San Diego; Daniel Nielson, University of Texas at Austin; Erica Townsend-Bell, Oklahoma State University; Jason Casellas, University of Houston; Julia Azari, Marquette University; Julie Mueller, Southern Maine Community College; Michael Goodhart, University of Pittsburgh; Nadia Brown, Georgetown University; Shatema Threadcraft, Vanderbilt University; Stacie Goddard, Wellesley College; Susan McWilliams Barndt; Pomona College; Tamir Moustafa, Simon Fraser University
APSA Staff:
Kimberly Mealy, Stephen Stoupa, Michelle Allendoerfer, Dan Gibson, Jon Gurstelle, Casey Harrigan, Kristin Kessler, Andrew Stinson, Alejandra Sampson
OPENING REMARKS
APSA President Taeku Lee calls the 2024 APSA December Council Meeting to order.
Lee welcomes newly elected council members and initiates a speed round of introductions.
CONSENT AGENDA
Lee moves to present the agenda to the council.
Prakash moves to approve the consent agenda; Tolbert seconds and the motion is approved unanimously.
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
President Taeku Lee provides updates on several key areas. He reports that the transition of Dr. Kimberly Mealy as the new Executive Director has been smooth, with a strong focus on ensuring continuity and stability. Planning for the next Annual Meeting in Vancouver is well underway, and President Lee extends special thanks to Kristen Kessler, Susy Cowgill, and the APSA staff for their dedicated efforts. He also highlights the success of the 2024 Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, which saw nearly 7,200 registered participants and received overwhelmingly positive feedback from attendees.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT
Executive Director Mealy presented her 90-day model, along with updates on governance, operations, and APSA programs. Key updates included the successful orientation and onboarding session for newly elected council members, preparation for the upcoming December council meeting, and ongoing committee appointments. She also provided updates on staffing and administrative processes, including compensation benchmarking and annual performance reviews. Additionally, she reported updates on the APSA buildings and tenants, membership numbers, and statistics from the recent Annual Meeting. Looking ahead, she highlighted upcoming events, as well as various fellowship and grant programs.
TREASURER’S REPORT AND BUDGET
Sara Goodman and Stephen Stoupa presented the financial overview and proposed budget for 2025. Key points included APSA’s strong financial position. Operating revenues for the year derived from sources such as membership dues, annual meeting revenues, journal subscriptions, and tenant lease agreements. The proposed budget for 2025 includes an increase in membership dues, a salary cost-of-living adjustment for staff, investment for software related expenses and an increased draw from the Congressional Fellowship Program endowment to support programmatic initiatives.
Motion to approve the budget was made by Mark Warren and seconded by Michael Goodhart. The budget was approved unanimously.
COUNCIL RESPONSE TO THE COMMISSION REPORT
President Lee provided background on the commission report and the 2023 Annual Meeting. The Council engaged in a discussion regarding the APSA Council’s response. It was noted that a timely and thorough response is imperative to ensure transparency and accountability, and to address key findings and recommendations from the report.
A Council member emphasized the need for accountability and recognition of failure to engage with stakeholders. Suggested that the Council response should acknowledge the impact on marginalized groups and the importance of labor rights.
A second Council member proposed language to address governance and communication concerns, acknowledging gaps in communication and the need for improved accountability mechanisms.
A Council member suggested reflecting how each action in the Council response memo responds to the Commission’s suggestions. Emphasized the importance of making the connection between the recommendations and the actions clear.
A Council member proposed including a mention of APSA’s commitment to obtaining full legal advice in the Council response memo. While this is already standard practice, it was deemed important to highlight it in the response. The discussion also underscored the importance of addressing both logistical and political dimensions of the issue.
A Council member highlighted the importance of addressing legal interpretations and the need for clear communication in the response. A second Council member expressed support for the proposed language, which had previously been suggested to acknowledge communication gaps. This was seconded by another member who emphasized the importance of reiterating APSA’s commitment to labor rights.
A Council member suggested including language in the response to ensure timely and effective decision-making processes. The member emphasized the need for preparedness and adaptability, particularly in addressing urgent matters.
A Council member suggested the importance of strategic communication and managing misinformation on social media. Emphasized the need for clear and timely communication with members.
MOTIONS AND VOTES
Motion to approve first amendment was made by Aseem Prakash and seconded by Mark Warren. The motion passed with 21 votes in favor and 2 abstentions.
Motion to approve second amendment was made by Michael Goodhart and seconded by Alison McCartney. The motion passed with 14 votes in favor, 1 nay and 3 abstentions.
Motion to approve third amendment was made by Aseem Prakash and seconded by Susan Stokes. The motion passed with 14 votes in favor and 2 abstentions.
Motion to approve the Council Response Memo with proposed amendments, to be finalized by the APSA Presidents and submitted for final approval by the Executive Committee, was made by Aseem Prakash and seconded by Michael Goodhart. The motion passed unanimously.
Note: On December 17th the APSA presidents provided the final version of the council response. On December 19th the Executive Committee approved the draft, all responses have been duly recorded in accordance with APSA by-laws.
New Business:
Discussion on the memo regarding childcare services will be tabled until the next Council meeting in the spring of 2025.
Meeting adjourned. ■
