Committee Chair:  Patrick McGinty, Western Illinois University

Description: The Annual Meeting Committee is charged with facilities planning, local arrangements, and the smooth operation of the annual meetings of the Midwest Sociological Society.

Looking for info about previous or upcoming annual meetings?

• For dates, days and locations of upcoming annual meetings, see the Future Annual Meetings page.
• To browse program books from several previous annual meetings, see the Past Annual Meetings page.

Finance

Committee Chair:  Pamela Emanuelson, North Dakota State University

Description: The Finance Committee monitors financial policies and procedures concerning investments, budgets, Society expenditures, Treasurer compliance with Society financial policies and maintenance of both unrestricted and restricted funds. 

Committee Chair:  Peter Kivisto, Augustana College

Description: The Long Range Planning Committee shall continually consider the long-range goals and needs of the Midwest Sociological Society and shall assess and oversee the Society’s programs and committees to ensure that those goals and needs are being appropriately addressed.

Committee Chair:  Megan Nielsen, Midland University

Description: The Membership Committee is responsible for recruiting new members, encouraging the renewal of memberships, conducting membership drives, and disseminating information about the Society.

Committee Chair:  Regina Dixon-Reeves, University of Chicago

Description: The Minority Scholars Committee shall monitor the profession in relation to minority issues, gather information on such issues, and when it deems appropriate, recommend to the board and to the membership, and carry out action aimed at increasing equality of minorities in the profession and in society.

Committee Chair:  Meredith Redlin, South Dakota State University 

Description: The Nominations and Elections Committee shall nominate slates of candidates for the elective offices of the society, supervise the polling of the membership by written or electronic ballot, count the returned ballots, and notify the Secretary of the names of those elected.

Committee Chair:  Eve Blobaum, Johnson County Community College

Descriptions: The Professional Issues and Standards Committee shall view all questions of professional ethics and conduct, as well as issues of academic freedom that are brought to the attention of the Society. The Committee shall provide oversight to ensure that the Midwest Sociological Society complies with the ASA Code of Ethics and that stated MSS Grievance Procedures are followed. [Grievance Procedures are detailed in the MSS Policies and Procedures Manual.] In relation to general issues or specific cases related to academic responsibility and freedom, the Committee shall gather information and when deemed appropriate, recommend actions to the Board and to the membership. The Committee shall establish effective liaison with the appropriate committee of the American Sociological Association.

Committee Chair: Joan Hermsen, University of Missouri

Description: The Publications Committee shall oversee, monitor and recommend policy to the board concerning publication of The Sociological Quarterly, and The Midwest Sociologist, and administration of the Student Paper Competition.

Seeking New Members

The MSS publications committee seeks new members to serve three-year terms. Interested MSS members may apply directly or nominate others.

The committee is charged with overseeing, monitoring and recommending policy to the board concerning publication of The Sociological Quarterly and administration of the annual student paper competition. The committee also judges the biennial TSQ Distinguished Contribution to Scholarship Award, solicits applications for new editors for the society’s publications, makes recommendations to the board with respect to the appointment of editors, advises the editors on policy, solicits proposals from publishers, and makes recommendation to the board with respect to the selection of a publisher.

Please send applications for appointment to the Publications Committee Chair Joan Hermsen, following the directions below.

Applicants who have experience with referred publications are encouraged to apply. Nominations are accepted until Aug. 1st, or until two qualified candidates have been determined. To apply, please indicate in the subject line of your cover email that you are applying for the committee membership. Send your vita and brief application letter, as attachments, to Chair Joan Hermsen via the MSS Exec Office at [email protected].

Committee Chair:  Roslyn Schoen, Texas A&M University

Description: The Scholarship Development [formerly Endowment] Committee
reviews proposals research grants, and makes recommendations to the board for funding such proposals.

Committee Chair:  Maria De La Torre, Northeastern Illinois University

Description: The Social Action Committee shall take under consideration proposals for social action by the society submitted either by individual members or other committees of the society. It is also responsible for soliciting nominations and selecting recipients for the two annual
Social Action Awards.

Grants for Grass-Roots Organizations in Support of Social Action:

MSS awards two $1000 grants each year to nonprofit organizations doing grassroots work in pursuit of social justice and social change in the MSS geographical area. The Social Action Committee is charged with selecting the award recipients. Past award winners and links to the organizations are listed below.

2017
Sojourner Family Peace Center
Milwaukee, WI
La Causa, Inc.
Milwaukee, WI

2016
Second Chance Renovations
Brookfield, IL
Healthy Food Hub
Chicago, IL

2015
Veronica’s Voice
Kansas City, MO
Organization for Black Struggle
St Louis, MO

2014
Heartland Workers Center
Omaha, NE
Justice for Our Neighbors Nebraska
Cities in Nebraska and Iowa

2013
The Covering House
St Louis, MO
Project NIA
Chicago, IL

2012
Oyate Nipi Kte
Granite Falls, Minnesota
GRO Grassroots Organizing
Columbia, Missouri

Committee Chair:  Priya Dua, USDA-NASS

Description: The Sociological Practice Committee will explore ways that clinical and applied sociology may be highlighted within the Midwest Sociological Society.

Committee Chair:  J. Dalton Stevens, Syracuse University / Michael Miner, Facebook

Description: The Student Issues Committee shall develop and recommend policy to the board and monitor activities related to representation of the interests of student members of the Midwest Sociological Society.

Committee Chair:  Brian McQueen, Wartburg College

Description: The Teaching and Learning Committee shall concern itself with issues related to sociology education at all levels. It shall continually evaluate the development and implementation of teaching pedagogy and student learning in the discipline, and shall make the results of such evaluations available to the membership of the MSS.

Women in the Profession

Committee Chair:  Christina Falci, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Description: The Women in the Profession Committee toward the end of producing equality of opportunity for women, shall keep under constant review the position of women in the profession, gather information on such issues, and, when it deems appropriate, recommend action to the MSS board and the membership.

In addition to their bylaws-mandated tasks, the MSS Women in the Profession Committee also administers the Jane Addams Award. See the Awards & Grants page for the current call for nominations.