Posted on behalf of the SLA Nominations Committee:
Charles Zuckerman ([email protected])
Elaine Chun ([email protected])
Cheryl Yin ([email protected])
The Society for Linguistic Anthropology invites nominations for seven positions this fall. Both self-nominations and nominations of other qualified members are encouraged. 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.
Descriptions for all open positions follow announcement.
Five of the seven positions are appointed positions, which means they are appointed by the SLA Executive Board from among nominees and will begin in January 2027. Appointed positions:
- 1 NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE MEMBER (3 years)
- 1 SECTION NEWS CO-EDITOR for Anthropology News (2 years)
- 1 ACCESSIBILITY COORDINATOR (2 years)
- 2 GRADUATE STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES (1 or 2 years, to provide flexibility for graduate students at different stages of their graduate studies)
DEADLINE: 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 (2 years, followed by 2 years as President)
- MEMBER AT LARGE (3 years)
DEADLINE: January 15, 2027, but again, we are accepting materials on a rolling basis.
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.
Position Descriptions
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.