AAA Leadership Job Descriptions

• Officer Job Descriptions
  • President
  • President-Elect/Vice President
  • Secretary
• Executive Board Job Descriptions
• Nominations Committee
• Members’ Programmatic, Advisory and Advocacy Committee (MPAAC) Position Descriptions

President

Reports to: Executive Board

Overall Responsibility: Serves as the presiding officer of the association and exercises all duties and responsibilities commonly associated with this office except as limited by the AAA bylaws. The President represents the association in all matters. All actions of the President are the actions of the organization as a whole. In addition to specific responsibilities and qualifications noted in the Executive Board member job description, additional responsibilities and requirements specific to this office are noted below.

Specific Responsibilities:

1. Calls, establishes the agenda for, and presides over all meetings of the Executive Board.
2. Appoints members to special committees, commissions, taskforces, and working groups.
3. Calls and presides over the annual business meeting of the AAA membership.
4. Participates in the development and implementation of AAA strategic planning.
5. Serves as a principal spokesperson for AAA.
6. Represents AAA at AAA Section meetings and meetings of other relevant associations and organizations.
7. Working with the President-elect/Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Section Assembly Convener, and Executive Director, approves policy position statements on the Board’s behalf when a rapid response is required.
8. Serves as an ex-officio member of AAA committees (excluding nominations committee).
9. Leads the Association’s strategic vision for promoting inclusion, equity, diversity, and accessibility within the AAA.

Selection: The President is elected by the membership at large

Term of Office: Two-year term as president.

Requirements:

• Serve as president-elect/vice president for a two-year term
• Same as Executive Board member

Qualifications: Same as Executive Board member.

President-Elect/Vice President

Reports to: Executive Board

Overall Responsibility: Assumes duties in the event of absence, death, resignation or incapacity of the President. Exercises all duties and responsibilities commonly associated with this office. In addition to specific responsibilities noted in the Executive Board member job description, additional responsibilities specific to this office are noted below.

Specific Responsibilities:

1. Works with the Executive Director on annual updates to the AAA Strategic Implementation Plan.
2. Represents AAA at the President’s request.
3. In the absence, or at the request of the President, fulfills those duties as noted in the President’s job description.
4. Serves as one of the co-chairs of the Members Programmatic Advisory and Advocacy Committee, and as a liaison between the MPAAC and the Executive Board.
5. Chairs the annual performance review of the Executive Director of the AAA.
6. Oversees the annual self-evaluation of the Executive Board.
7. Working with the President, Secretary, Treasurer, Section Assembly Convener, and Executive Director, approves policy position statements on the Board’s behalf when a rapid response is required.
8. Carries out such other duties as may be assigned by the President or by the Executive Board.
9. Serves as an ex-officio member of AAA committees (excluding nominations committee).
10. Carries out all of the responsibilities of an Executive Board Member.

Selection: The President-Elect/Vice President is elected by the membership at large.

Term of Office: Two-year term.

Requirements: Same as Executive Board member.

Qualifications: Same as Executive Board member.

Secretary

Reports to: Executive Board

Overall Responsibility: The Secretary is the corporate secretary and as such exercises all duties and responsibilities commonly associated with this office. In addition to specific responsibilities noted in the Executive Board member job description, additional responsibilities specific to this office are noted below.

Specific Responsibilities:

1. Responsible for minutes of Executive Board meetings. AAA practice is to assign staff to take the minutes at Executive Board meetings, assisted by the secretary as needed.
2. Certifies results of all Association-wide elections.
3. Represents AAA at the President’s request.
4. Working with the President, President-elect/Vice President, Treasurer, Section Assembly Convener, and Executive Director, approves policy position statements on the Board’s behalf when a rapid response is required.
5. Carries out such other duties as may be assigned by the President or by the Executive Board.
6. Chairs the AAA Nominations Committee.
7. Carries out all of the responsibilities of an Executive Board Member.

Selection: The Secretary is elected by the membership at large.

Term of Office: Three-year term.

Requirements: Same as Executive Board member.

Qualifications: Same as Executive Board member

Executive Board Member

Reports to: N/A

Overall Responsibility: A member of the AAA Executive Board (EB) helps to set the vision and strategic direction of the association, safeguard the organization’s assets, and ensure the fiscal, legal and ethical integrity of the association. EB members also translate the shared values and interests of the members into organizational plans and programs, determine desired organizational outcomes, and assess progress in achieving those outcomes. (All authority contained in this job description should be understood to be those as part of the Executive Board as a unit and no individual authority is inferred.)

Specific Responsibilities:

1. Maintain knowledge of the American Anthropological Association bylaws, structure, activities, and processes.
2. Maintain a personal commitment to AAA strategic goals and objectives, especially AAA’s strategic goals and objectives for promoting inclusion, equity, diversity, and accessibility within the AAA.
3. Participate in all regularly scheduled meetings of the Executive Board and all other virtual Board discussions convened by the President to address Association policy and strategic issues.
4. Serve as a member of either the Association Operations Committee or Anthropological Communications Committee.
5. Appoint, approve annual performance goals and objectives, and evaluate the Executive Director’s performance annually.
6. Appoint the Association Treasurer, and the Editors of the American Anthropologist and other association special publications and monographs.
7. Authorize committees, define their duties, receive their reports, and take action as required.
8. Authorize the establishment of new AAA Sections, Interest Groups, and create the policies and procedures for their continued maintenance.
9. Appoint representatives to other bodies, define their duties, and receive their reports.
10. Establish association public policy positions.
11. Establish association governing policies.
12. Authorize revenues and expenditures of Association funds through the annual budget process or as needed during other times of the year.
13. Establish appropriate fiscal policies and controls.
14. In addition to contributing their time and talent, board members are expected to support the AAA's fundraising efforts.

Selection: Executive Board members are elected by the membership at large.

Term of Office: Three-year term.

Requirements: Executive Board members will abide by the association's Conflict of Interest Policies and will annually sign the conflict of interest statement.

Qualifications: Candidates for election to the board must:

• Be voting AAA members.
• Have demonstrated appointed or elected leadership experience in AAA Sections and/or committees, commissions, task forces or working groups.

Have demonstrated professional leadership experience in an institution of higher education, or in a business, government, or NGO practice setting.

Nominations Committee

Objectives: To organize materials and recommend candidates for all open, elected AAA positions.

Duration of Committee: Permanent

Committee Reports to: The Executive Board

Responsibilities:

1. Organize information regarding candidates that have been placed in the prospective candidate pool for any AAA elected position (prospective candidates may be self-nominated or nominated by an individual or group of members of the AAA).
2. Ensure that all necessary candidate-related information has been received by the committee in time for the annual meeting (especially proof that the prospective candidates have agreed to run and, should they be elected, serve in the elected position)
3. Meet annually to recommend candidate slates for Executive Board review and approval.
4. Utilize the specific guidelines established by the Executive Board when making recommendations.
5. Ensure the Association’s strategic vision is realized for promoting inclusion, equity, diversity, and accessibility within the AAA with the selection of candidate slates.

Membership and Appointment:

• 9-member committee including the Chair, which is the AAA Secretary
• 3-year terms
• Committee members are elected at-large with designated seats for:
• Cultural anthropology
• Linguistic anthropology
• Archaeology
• Biological anthropology
• Practicing/professional anthropology
• A minority anthropologist
• As well as 2 undesignated seats

Product: Recommendations and written reports as appropriate to the Executive Board

Meetings and Schedule: The committee meets once a year in the fall; prior to the EB meeting at the Annual Meeting

Staff Liaison and contact information: Kim Baker, Manager, Organizational Governance

Elected MPAAC Members

Objectives:

The Members’ Programmatic, Advisory and Advocacy Committee (MPAAC) is convened by the Executive Board for the purpose of advising the Executive Board and advocating on behalf of AAA member needs and interests, with a particular focus on the key areas of ethics, human rights, labor and workforce, public policy, anti-racism and social justice, gender equity, anthropologists working in practice settings, and world anthropologies.

In keeping with the values of collaboration, dialogue, diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, solidarity, and transparency, the committee is responsible for the implementation of the Association's education, advocacy and advisory program related to Anthropology and each of the following ongoing issues and engagements:

• Ethics and responsible professional conduct
• Human Rights
• Labor relations and work force
• Public Policy
• Anti-racism and social justice
• Gender equity in the profession
• Anthropologists in Business, Government, and NGO settings
• International collaborations

Duration of Committee:  Permanent

Term of Office: 3-year terms

Committee Reports to:  The Executive Board

Responsibilities:

• Foster collaborations and work in coalition with other organizations, both internally and externally, on specific issues relevant to the committee charge;
• Identify and work together with the Executive Board and AAA staff to carry out projects and ongoing tasks via the Committee, a working group, task force, or some other entity as outlined in Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP).
• Work on initiatives that are both inward-facing (i.e., member-focused) and outward-facing (e.g., external publics, global issues);
• Assist in organizing fora, sessions, workshops or other events at AAA Annual Meetings on any or all of the above identified issues of engagement as needed;
• Use AAA communication mechanisms for knowledge exchange, information and education (e.g., AN columns, blog, social media) on any or all of the above focus areas; disseminate to relevant audiences (e.g., members, policy makers);
• Advance the Association’s strategic vision for promoting inclusion, equity, diversity, and accessibility within the AAA and the field of anthropology.

Membership and Appointment:

The committee is both member-focused and, public-oriented. The committee is responsible for designing and implementing activities and events that advance the Association’s policies and practices with respect to responsible professional conduct, human rights, gender equity, labor relations, public policy, international collaborations, anti-racism and social justice, and work in business, government, and non-profit settings. These activities and events are identified, articulated and prioritized through dialogue. Task forces and working groups are created as needed to respond to MPAAC priorities, determined in consultation with the Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP).

23-member committee including the Chairs and EB Liaisons (if appointed)

1 overall chair

2 subcommittee chairs, one of which is the President-Elect       

10 elected members

8 appointed members

1 EB liaisons 10 members are elected at-large and 8 members are appointed by the AAA President, with 2 designated seats for each area: 

• Anti-racism and social justice
• World anthropologies
• Anthropologists in practice settings
• Ethics
• Human Rights
• Public Policy
• Gender Equity
• Labor and work force
  
  
• The two student members will be elected for their commitment to work closely with MPAAC in the committee's chosen areas of action and advocacy.
• Chair is appointed by President, rotating representation from subfield and interest areas
• President-Elect serves as one of the subcommittee Chairs and the other is appointed by the President either from the Executive Board or from within MPAAC.
• 1 additional EB Liaison in addition to the president-elect will also be appointed if needed. President serves as ex-officio
• 2 AAA staff members serve as liaisons

Human Rights Seat: Promote, protect and expand the definition of human rights within an anthropological perspective; mobilize anthropologists’ support for human rights; develop an anthropological perspective on human rights; consult with other entities on human rights violations and the appropriate actions to be taken; and encourage research on all aspects of human rights from conceptual to applied.

Ethics Seat: Design and implement the Association's ethics education and advisory program, which includes: providing ongoing education in ethical issues for all AAA members; providing advice to AAA members facing/raising ethical dilemmas; and providing guidance to the Executive Board about AAA codes and guidelines.

Gender Equity Seat: Monitor the status of gender equity in the discipline and the American Anthropological Association; and advise the Executive Board on the status of gender equity in the discipline and the Association to educate members.

Labor Seat: Provide information about labor conditions of untenured anthropologists in US colleges and universities; advise the Executive Board on appropriate actions on the basis of that information; monitor labor conditions in AAA Annual meetings venues; and provide the Executive Board information on labor conditions as requested.

Anti-racism and social justice Seat: Foster professional advancement of anthropologists from racialized and under-represented categories and attract such persons to and retain them in the discipline and the Association; promote intellectual awareness within the discipline and Association of issues that face under-represented anthropologists; and help define anthropology's role in US discourses on anti-racism.

Practicing Seat: Help make the AAA a more welcoming organizational home for anthropologists in business, government, and non-profit settings by exploring and engaging the range of issues that are distinctive to the work of anthropologists in these settings. 

Public Policy Seat: Enhance the participation of AAA and its members, and the visibility of contributions by anthropologists in the area of public policy. 

World Anthropologies Seat: Develop clear objectives for drawing US and international anthropologists together; promote awareness of different anthropological practices and traditions; and foster cooperation between anthropologists and anthropological associations in different countries.

Product: Develop reports, policy statements, and recommend actions to Executive Board

Meetings and Schedule: In person once a year at the Annual Meeting and via conference call as needed.

Staff Liaisons and Contact Information:  Kim Baker, Jeff Martin - Use this form.