AAA PRACTICING AND PROFESSIONAL
EMPLOYMENT SERVICES INITIATIVES

DENNIS WIEDMAN, Ph.D.
Executive Board Member, Practicing/Professional Seat
American Anthropological Association

AAA Home Page

Below is the letter sent from AAA President Don Brennis to NAPA President Ed Liebow acknowledging the AAA Board's action. This is followed by the approved motion and recommendations. Below this is the original proposal detailing the issues, background and recommendations.

May 22, 2003

Dr Edward Liebow
President, NAPA
Environmental Health & Social Policy Center
1333 N Northlake Way, Ste E
Seattle, WA 98103

Dear Ed:

I am pleased to report the results of discussions at the May meetings of the AAA's Association Operations Committee (AOC) and the Executive Board (EB) that concerned the "Practicing and Professional Employment Services Initiative" prepared by Dennis Wiedman (AOC member), you, and other NAPA colleagues.

The AAA's Long-Range Plan has stated as one of its objectives promoting the needs of practicing anthropologists in the AAA and fostering initiatives for their professional development and integration into the AAA's organizational structure.

I have attached the report of the AOC to the EB, which unanimously adopted the motion that is embedded in the report. You will note that the AOC and EB will continue to discuss some matters that were raised in your initiative.

Members of the EB expressed the view that this proposal is an important step in recognizing the importance of practicing and professional anthropologists in the AAA. We shall begin implementing many of the recommendations for the next annual meeting and for our career placement web site. We shall also plan how to implement other recommendations that require further staff planning.

We were delighted to receive the NAPA initiative and look forward to working with members of NAPA further on these projects that embody the common welfare of all anthropologists.

With best wishes, and with thanks for all the thought and energy that went into the proposal,

Don Brenneis
President, AAA

MOTION BY THE AOC AND APPROVED BY THE
AAA EXECUTIVE BOARD
May 17, 2003

Pursuant to the goals in the Long Range Plan, the AOC support's NAPA's "Practicing and Professional Employment Services Initiative." The AOC recommends to the Executive Board that the staff proceed to implement those matters that can be accomplished with existing resources. Staff will also develop financial and other plans for the remaining recommendations, which will then be considered by the AOC, LRPC, RDC, Finance Committee, and the Executive Board.

1. Enable rapid job postings on the web that appear for a limited time until the position is filled, whether this is 4 days, 4 weeks or 4 months.

a. Change AAA's advertising rate structure to become competitive with other cognate professional societies. The primary purpose of the job advertisements is to serve the membership. Earned income is not the primary purpose. AAA staff will research advertising rate structures for American Sociological Association, American Psychological Association, American Association of Museums, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science

b. Create an advertising section for short-term project assignments.

c. Create a campaign to make key employers in the private, NGO, and government sectors aware of the availability of this employment advertising service. NAPA can help identify key employers to target in this awareness campaign.

d. Partners like NAPA and SMA will employ web agents to identify and post to their web sites job advertisements that appear elsewhere but may be of interest to anthropologists.

2. On the "Careers in Anthropology web page" (http://www.aaanet.org/careers.htm ) include links to the wide variety of employment Internet lists that employ anthropologists, from AAA Section web pages to Government Agencies, etc. While AA sections contain employment opportunities for their particular type of anthropology, the AAA Careers page should be the place where people can find, or be directed to, the broadest array of employment opportunities from all the sub-disciplines and employment sectors.

3. Establish a Professional Services Program that provides specialized AAA support services for practicing/professional anthropologists and Organizational members similar to the existing Department Services Program

4. Establish an AAA Placement Services Advisory Committee with representatives from major employment sectors: Government Agencies, Small and large corporations, Non-profit organizations, Anthropology consulting/research firms, educational institutions, etc. This advisory committee would provide innovative ways to enhance placement services as well as recruit organizations to take part in AAA placement services.

5. Establish and heighten the "Professional Anthropology" presence at the Annual Meetings in various formats and highly visible settings such as booths in the exhibits hall, registration area, etc. These should include the various practicing/professional support services, training sessions, career-related networking, and resource sharing opportunities already provided by AAA sections and Local Practitioner Organizations. For example, the highly valued NAPA instant mentoring program that is based on over ten years of experience.

6. Establish a "Professional Relations Department" within the AAA Business office that would be administratively responsible for the coordination, enhancement and promotion of practicing/professional concerns.

a. Develop specialized AAA support services for practicing/professional anthropologists and organizational members.

b. Recruit and maintain organizational memberships and communications.

c. Monitor and survey activities and needs of professional anthropologists and organizations.

d. Administer and enhance the AAA Placement Services.

e. Respond to requests for information from students and the public about practicing/professional anthropology.

f. Create and administer a "Professional Services" program similar to the "Department Services Program."

g. Work with the AAA Departments and office to enhance practicing/professional interests, especially the Media Office, the Placement Services program, Newsletter, Web Pages, Annual meetings, and the Directory/Guide.

h. Enhance the recognition of professional anthropology on the AAA web page. Monitor the content, use patterns and statistics of the "Careers Web page." Maintain a link on the AAA main page to the web pages being developed by the AAA/SfAA Commission on Applied/Practicing Anthropology.

The AOC recommends, pending further consideration by the Executive Board, deferral of the following points:

1. Advertising income could be generated for direct web links to For-Profit Organizations and special announcements placed on this page.

2. Change the AAA by-laws to rename and redefine the "Institutional" category of membership and replace it with an "Organizational Membership" that is open to any institution, organization, government, association, or corporation with a demonstrable professional and/or scholarly interest in anthropology. Organizations shall be non-voting, but shall receive the Association Newsletter, and such other publications and benefits as the AAA Executive Board and/or the Section of which the organization is a member may authorize.

ORIGINAL PROPOSAL

AAA PRACTICING AND PROFESSIONAL
EMPLOYMENT SERVICES INITIATIVES
By Dennis Wiedman, AAA Executive Board Member
And
Leadership Network of the
National Association for the Practice of Anthropology (NAPA)
April 21, 2003

PURPOSE

The following recommendations to the AAA Executive Board focus on how to increase practicing anthropologist job openings reported on the AAA web site and employers of practicing/professional anthropologists present at the Annual Meeting placement center. Following discussions of AAA employment support services by the Association Operations Committee the National Association for the Practice of Anthropology was requested to submit a set of recommendations to address these issues.

These recommendations address the AAA long-range goals and objectives to promote the attraction of practicing anthropologists to the AAA and foster initiatives for their professional development and integration into the AAA's organizational structure. Also, to provide members with various kinds of information services and benefits, and by reviewing the AAA's organizational structure to ensure the most efficient use of resources in carrying out the mission of advancing anthropology in all its diversity.

These recommendations also address the prioritized objectives in the AAA Long-Range Plan to broaden the placement activities of the Association to reach out more effectively to public- and private- sector employers. Also, to promote the employment of anthropologists in the federal, state and private sectors, to search for entry points in which anthropologists and anthropological work can be placed, and develop and implement programs designed to increase employment for persons with anthropological training and attract greater numbers of practicing anthropologists to the AAA.

Many aspects of the AAA organization and services could be enhanced to support practicing and professional anthropologists. It is hoped that by primarily focusing on employment issues and placement services, this set of recommendations will provide initiatives that the AAA can use to recruit and maintain practicing/professional members.

ISSUES AND BACKGROUND

A major goal and policy to pursue is this: Any employer who wants to hire an anthropologist should be able to economically and efficiently use the assistance of the American Anthropological Association Placement Services.

For the past twenty-five years, more then half of the anthropology Ph.D.s graduated each year find employment in non-teaching positions outside of anthropology departments. These highly trained professionals are now in leadership positions throughout a wide range of employment sectors of the US and international economy. Many are in their own small consulting companies, in government agencies, large and small corporations. Many others are employed in non-academic department positions throughout educational institutions. The AAA Placement Service is currently focused entirely on teaching positions in traditional academic anthropology departments.

Based upon this goal and background, a number of AAA functions can be enhanced, developed or reorganized:

A) AAA membership categories: The three membership categories in the AAA By-Laws exclude many anthropologically related organizations. "Members" are professional trained; "Associate Members" have a vocational interest; while "Institutions" are defined as "a library, museum, or other scholarly or educational institution." (http://www.aaanet.org/bylaws.htm) These three categories of membership systematically limit the participation of anthropology related non-profit organizations, government agencies and corporations. Without membership status these organizations are charged higher fees for publications/placement services, thus they usually decide not to participate. To include professional organizations would expand the fee paying membership base of the AAA.

B) Services: AAA Placement Services focuses primarily on Academic Departments who hire primarily teachers. To qualify for reduced rates for job advertising and the Placement Services at the annual meetings requires membership in the "AAA Department Services Program (DSP)." The Department Services Program "provides information resources and job placement services for departments of anthropology (in both academic and non-academic environments), including joint departments. (http://www.aaanet.org/ar/dsp.htm). Services include: 1. AAA Guide, 2. AAA Newsletter, 3. Discount on placing job ads, 4. Free booth at the Annual meeting Placement Services, 5. Discounted rates for AAA publications, 6. Access to departmental listserve, and 7. Periodic mailings to Department chairs. A similar set of services could be provided for non-academic department organizations.

C) Fees: Two levels of Placement Services fees are now in place: A) those enrolled in the Department Services Program, and B) others. For example, 90 days on-line and three newsletters for DSP members is $750.00, for non-DSP the fee is $1,375. (http://www.aaanet.org/careers_employer.htm ) These Placement service fees should be evaluated to accommodate anthropology related companies, agencies and non-profit organizations. Many anthropology professional groups and consulting firms are small businesses without great resources, but with frequent employment opportunities for high quality anthropologists. They advertise in other forms of media and other Internet employment lists. Non-anthropologically related companies that want to hire a person with anthropologically related skills should also be able to advertise on-line with the AAA at competitive rates for similar media.

D) Timing: Academic positions follow an annual cycle where new employees begin during the fall semester. The publication of positions in the Anthropology Newsletter and now on the web are based on a long employee search and screen process taking many months. Professional organizations wanting to hire often do so within weeks. Categories and fees for AAA Placement Services need to be developed that enable rapid job postings on the web that appear for a limited time until the position is filled, whether this is 4 days, 4 weeks or 4 months. Short notice employment opportunities are thwarted in the "AAA Resolution on Open Employment" by urging a 90-day publication time before hiring. (http://www.aaanet.org/pspolicy.htm)

E) On-line listings: The academic department position listing could remain unique; a new parallel listing could be created for practicing/professional positions. An on-line search capacity could retrieve from both.

F) Anthropology Newsletter: A separate listing could be published for practicing/professional positions.

G) Annual Meeting Placement Services: The Placement Services system and setting at the annual meetings should be adjusted to accommodate non-academic professional organizations. An on-going discussion about professional/practicing needs with the Placement services should be instituted. This could be accomplished with an AAA Placement Services Advisory Committee composed of representatives from major employment sectors: Government Agencies, Small and large corporations, Non-profit organizations, Anthropology consulting/research firms, among others. Mentoring services, provided by NAPA for the past ten years, should be incorporated into the placement services activities and space allotment at the annual meetings.

H) Professional Relations Department, and Professional Services Program: Currently within the AAA there are three departments that serve specific audiences, Academic Relations Department, Government Relations, and Media Relations. The Academic Relations Department monitors, coordinates and surveys anthropology department concerns as well as administering the "Department Services Program." The establishment of a Professional Relations Department would administratively assign responsibility for the coordination, enhancement and promotion of practicing/professional concerns, such as employment services to the non-academic employment sectors, and relations with organizations that are not academic teaching departments. It could also administer a "Professional Services Program." This is symbolically important, in that the use of the term "Professional" acknowledges that practicing/professional anthropology is defined by what it is, and not by what it isn't (i.e., "Non-academic").

RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. Enable rapid job postings on the web that appear for a limited time until the position is filled, whether this is 4 days, 4 weeks or 4 months.

a. Change AAA's advertising rate structure to become competitive with other cognate professional societies. The primary purpose of the job advertisements is to serve the membership. Earned income is not the primary purpose. AAA staff will research advertising rate structures for American Sociological Association, American Psychological Association, American Association of Museums, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science

b. Organize employment advertising into sections labeled "College/University", "Non-Profit/NGO", "Government", and "Private Sector"

c. Create an advertising section for short-term project assignments.

d. Create a campaign to make key employers in the private, NGO, and government sectors aware of the availability of this employment advertising service. NAPA can help identify key employers to target in this awareness campaign.

e. Partners like NAPA and SMA will employ web agents to identify and post to their web sites job advertisements that appear elsewhere but may be of interest to anthropologists.

2. On the "Careers in Anthropology web page" (http://www.aaanet.org/careers.htm ) include links to the wide variety of employment Internet lists that employ anthropologists, from AAA Section web pages to Government Agencies, etc. While AA sections contain employment opportunities for their particular type of anthropology, the AAA Careers page should be the place where people can find, or be directed to, the broadest array of employment opportunities from all the sub-disciplines and employment sectors. Advertising income could be generated for direct web links to For-Profit Organizations and special announcements placed on this page.

3. Change the AAA by-laws to rename and redefine the "Institutional" category of membership and replace it with an "Organizational Membership" that is open to any institution, organization, government, association, or corporation with a demonstrable professional and/or scholarly interest in anthropology. Organizations shall be non-voting, but shall receive the Association Newsletter, and such other publications and benefits as the AAA Executive Board and/or the Section of which the organization is a member may authorize.

4. Establish a Professional Services Program that provides specialized AAA support services for practicing/professional anthropologists and Organizational members similar to the existing Department Services Program

5. Establish an AAA Placement Services Advisory Committee with representatives from major employment sectors: Government Agencies, Small and large corporations, Non-profit organizations, Anthropology consulting/research firms, etc. This advisory committee would provide innovative ways to enhance placement services as well as recruit organizations to take part in AAA placement services.

6. Establish and heighten the "Professional Anthropology" presence at the Annual Meetings in various formats and highly visible settings such as booths in the exhibits hall, registration area, etc. These should include the various practicing/professional support services, training sessions, career-related networking, and resource sharing opportunities already provided by AAA sections and Local Practitioner Organizations. For example, the highly valued NAPA instant mentoring program that is based on over ten years of experience.

7. Establish a "Professional Relations Department" within the AAA Business office that would be administratively responsible for the coordination, enhancement and promotion of practicing/professional concerns.

a. Develop specialized AAA support services for practicing/professional anthropologists and organizational members.

b. Recruit and maintain organizational memberships and communications.

c. Monitor and survey activities and needs of professional anthropologists and organizations.

d. Administer and enhance the AAA Placement Services.

e. Respond to requests for information from students and the public about practicing/professional anthropology.

f. Create and administer a "Professional Services" program similar to the "Department Services Program."

g. Work with the AAA Departments and office to enhance practicing/professional interests, especially the Media Office, the Placement Services program, Newsletter, Web Pages, Annual meetings, and the Directory/Guide.

h. Enhance the recognition of professional anthropology on the AAA web page. Monitor the content, use patterns and statistics of the "Careers Web page." Maintain a link on the AAA main page to the web pages being developed by the AAA/SfAA Commission on Applied/Practicing Anthropology.

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National Association for the Practice of Anthropology (NAPA) Home Page