SPSP Working for You

Reading, papers, dissertation, research, jobs—you have enough on your plate. For that reason, SPSP staff and volunteers are here working for you.

Most students have their first interactions with the Society when they attend the SPSP convention for the first time. That convention you attend is only three days, but it has been worked on for nearly two years. Various committees, reviewers, volunteers, Board members, and staff spend countless hours preparing those days to be an amazing experience for you.

After the convention, though, the work on behalf of students doesn’t stop. Just last month 80 students got the chance to attend the two-week Summer Institute for Social and Personality Psychology. Sponsored by NSF and hosted by Northeastern University, many volunteer and staff hours went into making that an amazing experience.

And this week, many SPSP volunteers are dedicating time to bring programming to students attending the Division 8 activities at the APA Convention in Toronto. Dozens of cross-discipline programming hours have been planned for members and students.

In addition to events, your SPSP membership is a ticket to a year’s worth of benefits. You have access to three journals, the new Connect! networking platform, and student awards to help grow your CV. The SPSP Graduate Student Committee also ensures that you are provided necessary information throughout the year via its monthly newsletter. And the communications staff work to make sure that the science you are working on is shared with those outside of SPSP and that it’s also made available to you via our many communication tools.

Having worked with many organizations in the past, I can tell you that SPSP puts more effort than most into growing the next generation. The devotion to students and early career psychologists truly sets SPSP apart. In its 2015 budget, for example, SPSP allocated over $120,000 toward travel awards. SPSP is currently considering two additional programs that will require significant financial contribution toward our student members, and we hope to announce those later this month. But again, the dollars are met equally by hundreds of man hours to support students.

Those hours come from the elected Board of Directors who control the vision and mission of SPSP. Topical committee members (training, diversity, publications, etc.) stay focused on their respective deliverables and making sure that students are included in the activities. And many volunteers throughout the year support those committees by serving as reviewers for posters, symposia, travel awards, etc. The volunteer dedication at SPSP is at the top of its game.

In the last two years, a Central Office staff was added to the mix of support to ensure that activities for students are maximized and that you have the level of support you need to ensure you benefit from those activities. Our rapid-response staff is here to answer your questions, help you address any concerns you have, and work with our volunteers to ensure student benefits are strong within SPSP. Whether it be as simple as helping you reset your database password or getting acclimated and ready for the convention, our staff is here to help.

So while you work on the many requirements it takes to be a great student of personality and social psychology, know that SPSP is here by your side always working for you.