Student Representative to the ABAI Executive Council
What Does the Student Representative Do?
Please carefully review the Student Representative nomination ballot when you receive it; detailed information about the Student Committee is included there. Briefly, the Student Representatives (Current, Past, and Elect) sit on the ABAI Executive Council with the other elected members. The Council meets twice each year (once in the fall and once immediately before the conference). The fall meetings take place in the location where the conference is to be held in the coming year. During Council meetings, issues are addressed that affect all ABAI members (ranging from location of future conferences to changes in fees for membership and registration). Apart from Council meetings, the Student Committee organizes all conference events that are aimed at students. Over the past few years, the ABAI Student Committee has been focusing on the “Professional Development Series.” This is a general umbrella for papers, posters, panel discussions, and symposia that are designed to specifically meet the needs of students. These presentations are marked in the convention program as “Professional Development Series” activities. Past presentation topics have included:
- grant development
- giving effective presentations
- advice from recent graduates on job placement
- conversation hour with prominent women in behavior analysis
- dissemination of behavioral research
The Student Representatives also conduct the annual business meeting at the ABAI conference and communicate with other student members, including convention volunteers. Beginning this year, the Student Representatives will also be coordinating the activities of the Program Representatives.
Who is eligible to become an ABAI Student Representative?
You are eligible to be a candidate for ABAI Student Representative if:
- You are a student member of ABAI and are completing a graduate program.
- You have at least two remaining years in your graduate program in addition to the election year (this is required so that the voting Student Representative on Council will in fact be a student).
- You are willing and able to carry out the Student Representative responsibilities.
How can you become a Student Representative?
Student Representatives are nominated and elected by the student membership of ABAI. Nomination forms are sent to the student members in October and are due back to the ABAI office in December. The eligible students who receive the highest number of nominations become candidates on the ballot for Student Representative. The election takes place in the spring, with all student members receiving ballots.