Clarifying and Redrawing the AAAS Regions

At the October meeting, the board took a careful look at existing regions and the corresponding membership numbers (see below).

Mid-Atlantic/South 93 members (22%)

Pacific NW 21 members (5%)

Midwest/Mountain 72 members (17%)

S. California 89 members (21%)

N. Cailfornia 63 members (15%)

New England/Canada 52 members (12%)

Hawai’i 14 members (3%)

International 24 members (5%)

Total: 428 members (100%)
(as of February 2007)

In addition, it considered the arguments put forward at the 2007 annual conference for representation of the “Interior West” and Canada. To reflect the current membership distribution and to respond to the changing realities of Asian American population distributions, the board proposes a redrawing of the regional map. The new regional demarcations will be voted on at the 2008 Chicago conference at the general business meeting.

The proposed regions are:

- New England and Eastern Canada (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, Ontario and Quebec provinces)

- Mid-Atlantic (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington, D.C.)

- Mid-West (Illinois, Iowa, Ohio, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana)

- Interior West and the South (W. Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, N. Carolina, S. Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, S. Dakota, N. Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, Utah, Idaho)

- Northern California (Zip codes >94xxx)

- Southern California (Zip codes <94xxx)

- Pacific Northwest, Hawaii, and Western Canada (Washington, Oregon, Hawaii, Pacific Islands, Alaska, W. Canada)

Seeking JAAS Executive Editor

Tony Peffer’s term as JAAS executive editor comes to a close in June 2009. To effect a smooth transition, we would like to have an editor-elect in place by April 2008. This individual will work alongside Tony Peffer for the final year of his term. Therefore, at this time, we invite letters of interest for editor-elect, in preparation for assuming the position of executive editor. The executive editor must be a tenured faculty member and an active scholar in the field of Asian American studies. Responsibilities include building and expanding a substantial cadre of qualified manuscript evaluators; managing the submission/evaluation process; making the final publication decision for issues, in keeping with the journal’s mission; collaborating with the reviews editor(s) in planning both volumes and individual issues; serving as the journal’s representative to the AAAS executive board; functioning as the AAAS executive board’s primary liaison to The Johns Hopkins University Press; leading the JAAS editorial board and organizing its work; maintaining all of the journal’s records; and keeping abreast of developments in all disciplinary and group-specific branches of scholarship in Asian American Studies as well as in the field more generally. In the letter of interest, explain your perception of the field’s principal issues in the present and what you see as emerging themes and concerns in the next five years. Describe specific strengths you could bring to the job of executive editor. The deadline for submission is February 15, 2008. Please send your letters of interest to: AAAS Secretariat, Cornell University, 420 Rockefeller Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-2502. The board will review the applications and announce its decision at the Chicago conference in April 2008.

Board Election Update
At the board meeting in October 2007, it became apparent that there were only three positions that were up for re-election this year: New England, southern California, and graduate student representative. This meant that in the following year, 2009, more than 75% of the board members would be changing. Having such a disproportionate number of new members does not facilitate the efficient running of the board and the association. Therefore, the board decided that the southern California and New England regional representatives would extend their terms by one year until 2009. Beginning in 2009, we will structure and stagger the terms so that at any time the board will not have to turn over more than 50% of its existing members.

At this time, therefore, the only board positions up for election are:

Position:President-Elect (2008-2010)

Position: Graduate Student (2008-2010)

The President-Elect will assume the presidency in 2010. Candidates must be current members of the Association. Deadline for nominations is December 15, 2007. Send letter of interest and candidate statement to: AAAS Secretariat, Cornell University, 420 Rockefeller Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-2502. Announcement of election results will be published in the March 2008 Newsletter. The term of office will begin at the Twenty-fifth Annual Meeting (April 16-20, 2008 in Chicago, IL).

Resolutions

The Association for Asian American Studies strives to support and advocate for those issues that are significant to Asian Pacific American communities. The Association urges constructive and critical discussion on these issues. Therefore, the Association encourages submission of resolutions for consideration by the membership during the annual general meeting. The following are the procedures and policies for submission and voting:

1. Submissions:

Any Association member in good standing may submit resolutions for consideration by the Association membership at the annual conference.

a) A resolution submission must be accompanied by a petition signed by 15 Association members.
b) The resolution submission and petition may be sent to any Board member prior to the annual meeting to be voted on during the general membership meeting. A copy must be sent to the Secretariat no later than March 29, 2008.
c) All resolution submissions will be reviewed by the Board prior to the general membership meeting.
d) All resolution submissions reviewed by the Board will be available at the registration table the morning of the general membership meeting for review by the Association membership.

2. Voting:
All Association members in good standing may vote on a submitted resolution.

a) During the general membership meeting (Saturday, April 19, 2008) all other conference participants, in good faith, will not vote on any resolution.
b) The majority vote of all eligible voting persons during the general membership meeting will be accepted by the Association. Limited debate will be allowed for each resolution.

Deadline for resolution submissions: March 29, 2008.

Send to: AAAS Secretariat, Cornell University, 420 Rockefeller Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-2502

The AAAS November 2007 newsletter is now out. We have sent the newsletter through email to members who have listed their email addresses on their membership forms. The newsletter is also available on our website: http://aaastudies.org/newsletters/index.html

The Ethnic Studies Department at the University of Colorado Denver invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Asian American Studies beginning fall 2008. The candidate must hold a Ph.D. by August 08 and have a record of teaching excellence and scholarly achievement. The position will require teaching a three-course load the first year, and five-course load over two semesters in subsequent years.

Salary and Benefits: Salary is commensurate with skills and experience. The University of Colorado offers a full benefits package. Information on University benefits programs, including eligibility, is located at https://www.cu.edu/pbs/

Application Deadline: Applications will be accepted electronically at www.jobsatcu.com beginning on September 1, 2007. Review of applications will begin on January 2, 2008 and continue until the position is filled. This position will fulfill goals of the college’s strategic plan.

Applicants will be asked to provide the following:
1. A letter of application describing research interests and courses you are prepared to teach. It should clearly identify your areas of expertise
2. Current curriculum vitae
4. Three letters of recommendation
5. Copies of teaching evaluations
6. Writing sample (book or dissertation chapter or article)

Questions should be directed to Jennifer.Williams@cudenver.edu 303 556-2700. You must submit application form, letter of application, and current curriculum vitae online at www.jobsatcu.com Please mail letters of recommendation, teaching evaluations, and a writing sample to Professor Donna Langston, Chair of Ethnic Studies, University of Colorado Denver, P.O. Box 173364, Campus Box 134, Denver, Colorado 80217-3364.

The University of Colorado is committed to diversity and equality in education and employment. The University of Colorado Denver requires background investigations for employment.

American Studies Program
Assistant Professor
Wellesley College

The American Studies Program at Wellesley College invites applications for a tenure-track assistant professor effective July 2008.

We seek outstanding candidates with interdisciplinary training and a strong theoretical foundation who can help lead American Studies at Wellesley in exciting new directions. Particular field of study and area of specialization are open.

Qualifications: Ph.D. in American Studies or a related interdisciplinary field must be in hand at time of appointment. Evidence of successful teaching and potential for significant scholarly publication are essential.

Candidates should submit c.v, personal statement describing research and teaching interests (with course proposals—for introductory and advanced courses), and three letters of reference.

Deadline for all applications is December 1, 2007

Submit applications electronically to: amstudiessearch@wellesley.edu

Send inquiries to:
Elena Tajima Creef
Search Committee Chair
Women’s Studies Department
106 Central St.
Wellesley College
Wellesley, MA 02481
(781) 283-2199
ecreef@wellesley.edu

Wellesley College is an EO/AA educational institution and employer. The College is committed to increasing the diversity of the college community and the curriculum. Candidates who believe they will contribute to that goal are encouraged to apply. For more information about being a faculty member at Wellesley, please see http://www.wellesley.edu/DeanCollege/Diversity/Open_pos/prospectfac.pdf.

UPDATE: The deadline for roundtable proposals from Chicago-based nonprofit and community organizations has been extended to November 30, 2007. Please use the online submissions form to submit your proposal.

The deadline for all other proposals has passed (October 31, 2007). No extensions will be granted.

Proposal decisions will be sent through email in December 2007.