[Linganth] SLA-Call for Nominations

[Chip Zuckerman]

Dear SLA members,


The Society for Linguistic Anthropology invites nominations for seven
positions this fall. This process tends to sound mysterious but it is
simple, and we encourage you to consider nominating yourself or another
member, and to help shape the future of our organization.


Five of the seven positions are *appointed* positions, which means they
will be appointed by the SLA Executive Board from among nominees and will
begin in January 2027. These include:

   - *1 Nominations Committee Member *(three years)
   - *1 Section News Co-Editor for Anthropology News* (two years)
   - *1 Accessibility Coordinator* (two years)
   - *2 Graduate Student Representatives *(one or two years, to provide
   flexibility for graduate students at different stages of their graduate
   studies)

*The deadline for nominations for appointed positions is December 15, 2026*,
but we are accepting materials on a rolling basis.


Two of the positions will be *elected* by the SLA membership. The
candidates in the election will be selected by the SLA Executive Board from
among the nominees we gather. Those elected will then begin in Fall 2027,
following the 2027 AAA:



   - *President-Elect *(two years, followed by two years as President)
   - *Member at Large *(three years)


*The deadline for nominations to run for an elected position is January 15,
2027*, but again, we are accepting materials on a rolling basis.


A description of each open position is at the bottom of this email.


If you are interested in working alongside other linguistic anthropologists
and in shaping the future of the SLA, we encourage you to nominate
yourself. If you want to nominate yourself, just email us your name and the
position you are interested in. If you want to nominate another member who
you think would be a great fit, just send us their name and we will follow
up with them.


The SLA is especially interested in expanding its participation; we hope to
move well beyond our personal networks as we search for contributors. We
are also very eager to help members new to SLA service understand how they
might contribute, and will make ourselves available during the AAAs this
year to talk with interested people. Just send any or all of us an email!


We look forward to hearing from you, and thank you for considering putting
your time and labor toward the operation and betterment of the SLA,


SLA Nominations Committee

Charles Zuckerman (zuckermc at bc.edu)

Elaine Chun (chune at mailbox.sc.edu)

Cheryl Yin (cyin at carleton.edu)


***


*Nominations Committee Member*

The SLA nominations committee organizes candidate slates for elected
leadership positions in the SLA. The nominations committee maintains
communication with the section president regarding position openings, helps
formulate position descriptions, and assists in the identification and
recruitment of candidates for appointed positions. The committee works with
the AAA staff to ensure that ballots and candidate slates meet AAA
guidelines. As members of the SLA extended board, members of the
Nominations Committee receive an annual stipend of $250 toward attending
the AAA annual meeting. The Nominations Committee Member will serve a
three-year term.


*Section News Co-Editor for Anthropology News*

Anthropology News (AN) is the American Anthropological Association’s (AAA)
award-winning member magazine, published bimonthly in print and continually
on the AN website. The SLA section column co-editors work together to
solicit, provide editorial feedback on, and publish four quarterly columns
each year. These should be essays or photo essays that are grounded in
interesting research, current events, or debates within the discipline
related to the section’s area of expertise, but which are also accessible
and jargon-free. Section editors review pitches from section members to
determine if they are a good fit for Anthropology News. They then provide
developmental feedback, recommendations for revision (structure, clarity of
argument, style), and copy edits during the editorial process. Section
editors are responsible for submitting final pieces and working with AN’s
Chief Editor and Publishing Assistant to finalize publication. Published
pieces are promoted via the Anthropology News and SLA social media and
email. As members of the SLA extended board, the Section News Co-Editors
receive an annual stipend of $250 toward attending the AAA annual meeting.
The Section News Co-Editor will serve a two-year term.


*Accessibility Coordinator*

The SLA accessibility coordinator will, in collaboration with members of
the extended SLA Board, serve as a resource in supporting the
implementation of measures to increase access to all SLA events and
publications (including but not limited to the journal, newsletter columns,
and digital communications). Accessibility is broadly conceived to
facilitate greater participation and opportunities at every level for
historically marginalized groups, with particular emphasis on disability,
region of residence, language backgrounds, and inequalities based on
socio-economic class, race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, and sexuality.
Specific goals and best practices for the SLA’s activities will be
identified with help from a professional access coordinator; the member
serving in this role will thus not be required to have the expertise to
create such measures, but will be responsible for understanding them and
assisting the membership in adopting them. In addition to working closely
with the SLA executive board to increase and expand access, the
accessibility coordinator will liaise with the AAA Coordinator for
Accessibility, Meetings and Conferences, and other AAA sections where
appropriate. As a member of the SLA extended board, the Accessibility
Coordinator receives an annual stipend of $250 toward attending the AAA
annual meeting. The Accessibility Coordinator will serve a two-year term.


*Graduate Student Representative*

The two graduate student representative positions for the Society for
Linguistic Anthropology (SLA) are designed to help the American
Anthropological Association (AAA) and the SLA better serve graduate student
needs. Representatives work with the Executive Board on addressing graduate
student concerns. With their co-representative, they organize mentorship
events for students, apply for mentorship funds from the AAA, participate
in SLA extended board meetings, and attend the in person cross-section
meeting of graduate student representatives at the AAA meeting. Candidates
should be student members of the SLA during the term of their appointment
and commit to attending the AAA annual meetings during the duration of
their tenure. As members of the SLA extended board, the Graduate Student
Representatives receive an annual stipend of $250 toward attending the AAA
annual meeting. The Graduate Student Representative may serve a one-year or
two-year term, to provide flexibility for graduate students at different
stages of their graduate studies.


*President-Elect*

The term for President-Elect lasts two years and begins at the conclusion
of the AAA meetings. The President-Elect will work together with the SLA
President, the Secretary-Treasurer, and three Members at Large for two
years before stepping into the office of SLA President for two years. The
President-Elect position is largely an apprentice position; once President,
the individual in this position is responsible for carrying out recurring
SLA initiatives, representing the SLA membership, and leading the
organization in positive new directions. The President-Elect receives an
annual stipend of $250 toward attending the AAA annual meeting.


*Member at Large*

The term for the Member at Large position lasts three years and begins at
the conclusion of the AAA meetings. The Member at Large will work together
with the SLA President, the SLA President-Elect, the Secretary-Treasurer,
and two other Members at Large. Members at Large assist the President with
internal SLA initiatives, including the annual student paper prizes, the
book prizes, and conference and event planning. Members at Large receive an
annual stipend of $250 toward attending the AAA annual meeting.
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