SUBJECT: GSA - Opportunities to Become Involved
FROM: Johannes von Moltke
February 24, 2020
Dear friends and colleagues, members of the GSA,
I write with an invitation to become involved in one of the many roles and committees that make the German Studies Association run.
Having reached out to many of you in the past with requests to serve on particular committees, I have been humbled by the investment that members show in the GSA and by their readiness to serve. Now we are looking to broaden the base for anyone interested in volunteering by asking you to identify a fellow member or yourself for consideration by the nominating committee.
You may express your interest in one or more positions and/or nominate another member by navigating to this short form, where we have listed opportunities for involvement.
In particular, I would like to draw your attention to the newly formed committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. This committee, which will be chaired by former President Irene Kacandes and include at least one Board Member and one member at large, will be charged with two primary tasks: to advise the board on ways of making the GSA as diverse, equitable, accessible and inclusive as possible; and to serve as a “bias response team” that fields concerns from the membership and communicates as needed with the officers of the Association (Executive Director, President, Vice President, Immediate Past President, Secretary, and Treasurer).
Other opportunities to become involved in running the GSA come in two different forms - elected and appointed positions. (Self-)nominations for the former will be vetted by our nomination committee. This committee is charged with creating a slate of candidates for positions such as Board Member, Secretary, or Vice President - and we’ll be running an election for each of these offices later this Spring. All other positions are appointed by the President and/or Vice president in consultation with the Executive Committee or, in the case of Network Coordinators, upon recommendation by the Interdisciplinary Network Chairs.
Needless to say, we will not be able to act on all (self-)nominations, but we deeply appreciate your contributions to broadening and diversifying the pool from which we draw for the GSA’s self-governance.
If you have questions about any of the above or about ways of getting involved in the GSA, please do not hesitate to email either myself (president@thegsa.org) or our Executive Director David Barclay (director@thegsa.org) anytime.