Due date for nominations (name, email address): December 1st, 2019
Due date for candidate materials (2 written answers): December 15, 2019
The Association for Computers and the Humanities (ACH) is a major U.S.-based professional society for the digital humanities. The ACH seeks nominations for three new Executive Council representatives and for the position of Vice-President/President Elect.
What is the ACH?
The ACH supports and disseminates research and cultivates a vibrant professional community through conferences, publications, and outreach activities. ACH advocates for and supports all of our members in their digital humanities work. Digital humanities is a broad term encompassing a wide range of subject domains, methods, and communities of practice, including (but not limited to) computer-assisted research, pedagogy, and software; resource creation, curation, and engagement; physical computing; the use of digital technologies to write, publish, and review scholarship; and humanistic research into and about digital objects and culture. ACH recognizes that this work is inherently and inextricably sociopolitical, and thus advocates for social change through the use of computers and related technologies in the study of humanistic subjects.
Seeking a diverse slate of nominees
We are committed to offering our membership a diverse slate of candidates. We especially hope for a slate of candidates that is diverse as to race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, class, ability, profession, citizenship, nationality, and other identities and backgrounds.
Demonstrated commitment to the ACH and/or to DH is more important to our work than professional affiliation, academic/professional status, or job title. We welcome participants not just from universities and colleges, but also galleries, libraries, museums, community groups, and other organizations engaged with the digital humanities. We seek folks with and without academic or professional degrees, including both current students and folks not pursuing formal degrees.
Council activities
ACH officers and other Executive Council representatives develop and uphold ACH policies, determine and distribute funding, and oversee all organizational activities. Planned activities for the next year include following up on the energy of the inaugural ACH 2019 conference and building toward ACH 2021; a membership drive; exploring mentorship and job search resources; advocacy work; publications including the HUMANIST listserv, Digital Humanities Quarterly, and DH Slack activity; collaborations with ADHO partners in the annual DH conference and other professional activities; co-administration of a number of prestigious DH awards; distribution of student bursaries for DH training and education; as well as other priorities as set by the ACH membership.
Nominations
You are welcome to self-nominate, as well as nominate others, using the nomination form.
Names and email addresses are due by 12/1/2019, and candidate materials (written answers to two questions) are due by 12/15/2019. You may fill out all your information now, or just fill out name and email address (by 12/1/2019) and provide candidate materials at a later date (by 12/15/2019), either via the form or by emailing Nominations@ach.org with updated text.
Sample candidate statements from past elections are available at http://ach.org/elections-candidates, though please note we’ve changed the questions and added a maximum word cap this year. For more information on the responsibilities and obligations of Executive Council members, please see http://www.ach.org/constitution#Bylaws. Please email Nominations@ach.org if you’re curious about serving on the Executive Council, but have questions or are uncertain whether you’re eligible.
ACH Executive Council Representative
The Executive Council is the basic policy making organ of ACH. Its representatives serve the organization by forming and serving on committees such as Advocacy, Membership, and Infrastructure, and by actively working together to support the organization.
Anyone who is a current ACH member (or who is willing to join ACH if elected) and wants to help us do our best at representing and advocating for our membership and other digital humanists is eligible. Folks who are new to DH and/or to the ACH are encouraged to bring their viewpoint to our organization’s governing body as Executive Council representatives.
Candidates running for this position are expected to serve on multiple committees and devote time and volunteer effort to the sustenance of the organization. Executive Council representatives participate in a quarterly call in which the Council discusses ACH business and officers and committee chairs provide updates on ongoing ACH efforts; representatives also participate in monthly committee work that may involve additional calls. The term length is four years.
Vice President/President-Elect
The Vice President/President-Elect serves as VP for two years, followed by a term as President for another two years. The VP is an Officer position and contributes to the organization by forming and serving on committees, participating in a monthly Officer’s call, and taking leadership on important initiatives as designated by the EC and President.
Many thanks,
ACH Nominations Committee 2019-2020
- Amanda Visconti, University of Virginia (Chair, ACH Executive Council Representative)
- Thomas Padilla, OCLC Research and University of Nevada Las Vegas (ACH Executive Council Representative)
- Matt Gold, City University of New York (ACH President)
- Tanya Clement (ex officio, ACH Treasurer)
- Seth Denbo, AHA (ACH member volunteer)
- Andie Silva, CUNY (ACH member volunteer)