Social Conscience Committee

The Social Conscience Committee is charged with locating a worthy community-based organization in the city in which the PSA holds its annual meeting, for the purpose of honoring that organization through the PSA program and/or a monetary donation from the PSA. The honored organization receives the PSA Social Conscience Award. In addition, whenever possible, the recipient organization should be integrated into the annual PSA program by providing the organization with an information table and/or by having the recipient organization participate in a relevant roundtable or session.

The Social Conscience Committee is probably the most unique committee of the PSA because it is composed of PSA members who are living in the area of the annual PSA meeting and who have some knowledge of the organizations in their area. The PSA President appoints two or more members to this committee, who serve a one year term.

Procedures for taking committee action. The basic protocol is as follows:

The PSA Executive Director announces the award in the newsletters to solicit nominations, and posts it on the PSA website.

The committee receives nominations either from the membership or from members of the Social Conscience Committee.

All individuals who submit nominations are sent a letter acknowledging receipt and are asked to send additional information about the organization if they did not include a rationale for their nomination with the original submission. This can include literature about the organization or information from the organization’s Web site.

The Social Conscience Committee meets, via email or phone conference, to discuss the nominations and makes a selection based on consensus. The name of the selected organization is then communicated to the Secretary and the Executive Director.

Specific Duties of the Chair. The chair of the Committee arranges for committee meetings, facilitates communication with committee members and the PSA, and provides recommendations to the Executive Director. In addition, the Chair of the committee presents the award to a representative of the recipient organization at the annual PSA Awards Ceremony. It is the responsibility of the Chair to invite the representative to the Awards Ceremony. Finally, the chair maintains the committee’s file or archive.

Procedures for soliciting input from committee members. The chair communicates by phone and email with the other committee member(s) concerning nominations of organizations and meetings.

Calendar of activities.

by September: Announcement of the Social Conscience Award is printed in the September PSA Newsletter.

By February 1: Deadline for all nominations for the Award.

By March 1: The committee meets and selects the recipient organization.

at the annual meeting: The Chair of the Social Conscience Committee announces the award at the Awards Ceremony, which is usually held on the Friday or Saturday evening of the conference.

by Sept. 1: The Chair sends the committee’s file or archive to the new chair.

Nominations should be sent to social.conscience@pacificsoc.org .

2024-2025 Committee Members (San Francisco conference)

TBA

2023-2024 Committee Members (San Diego conference)

Uriel Serrano, UC San Diego

Jill Esbenshade, San Diego State University

2022-2023 Committee Members (Bellevue conference)

Mary Robertson, Seattle University

Maryam S. Griffith, University of Washington Bothell

2021-2022 Committee Members (Sacramento conference)

Elvia Ramirez, CSU Sacramento

Amanda Shigihara, CSU Sacramento

Preston Rudy, San Jose State University

2020-21 No committee members (virtual conference)

2019-20 Committee Members (Eugene conference)

Jennifer Puentes, Eastern Oregon University

Oluwakemi Balogun, University of Oregon

2018-19 Committee Members (Oakland conference)

Patricia Drew, CSU East Bay

Natalie Ingraham, CSU East Bay

Megan Neely, Stanford University

2017-18 Committee Members (Long Beach conference)

Gary Hytrek, CSU Long Beach, Chair

Stephanie D’Auria, Vanguard University

Katie Dingeman-Cerda, CSU Los Angeles

2016-17 Committee Members (Portland conference)

Karen Pyke, UC Riverside, Chair

Dwaine Plaza, Oregon State University

2015-16 Committee Members (Oakland conference)

Andreana Clay San Francisco State University

Cynthia Ganote St. Mary’s College of California

2014-15 Committee Members (Long Beach conference)

Gary Hytrek CSU Long Beach

Varisa Patraporn CSU Long Beach