Dear Local Section Leader,
I hope you have recovered well from your ACS Spring 2023 travels and are getting ready for your Chemists Celebrate Earth Week events at your respective Local Sections! As you are winding down this week, I would like to bring your attention to a new and improved grant that has recently opened to help support your Local Section activities. The Local Section Member Engagement and EnhancemenT (LS-MEET) grant is available to your local section for new or ongoing programs for up to $2000. Take advantage of it today! Read the issue below for more information on the grant and the application process.
Beth Lorsbach,
Chair, Local Section Activities Committee
LSAC is proud to present the ACS Speaker Directory – a resource for local section leaders to access a wide range of speakers for their in-person, virtual, hybrid, and asynchronous events. The ACS Speaker Directory is designed to be an easy way to access diverse speakers. This new resource provides access to hundreds of speakers available to present technical science talks, lead career development & professional advancement presentations, explore general interest, popular science topics, and more. If you are interested in signing up to be a speaker, Register today!
Does your Local Section need funding that can be used for specific events, ongoing programming, and purchase of technology or materials? Potential new funding opportunities may include targeted events to communities of local chemists who are not currently involved in the local section, i.e., schoolteachers, industrial chemists, or creating events to bring local section members together outside of efforts funded under programs such as the LSAC Science Café or IPG. Learn more and apply.
How AMAZING is algae? Discover this and more during Chemists Celebrate Earth Week, April 16-22! Join Chemists around the world for a week of engaging experiments, interactive resources, and Illustrated Poem contest incorporating this year’s theme “The Curious Chemistry of Amazing Algae.”
- Plan an event
- Volunteer for an event
- Host an Illustrated Poem contest
Did you know as an ACS member you can serve on an ACS Committee as part of your Membership? Choose topics based on your passion and interests from Science Education and Public Policy to Professional Development, Public Outreach, STEM, DEIR (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Respect) and MORE. With 30+ Society Committees to choose from, there is something for everyone. The Committee Preference Form opens on April 3 and closes on July 3.
Now Accepting Abstracts - ACS Fall 2023 & Spring Regional Meetings
Submitting an abstract for ACS Fall 2023 or a Spring Regional Meeting is an excellent opportunity for chemical professionals and students to showcase their work and connect with colleagues in all areas of chemistry internationally or within your region. Abstracts are now being accepted for ACS Fall 2023, August 13 - 17, the Middle Atlantic Regional Meeting (MARM), June 9 - 10, the Northeast Regional Meeting (NERM), June 14 -17, the Central Regional Meeting (CERM), June 20 – 23 and the Northwest Regional Meeting (NORM), June 28 -30.
All meetings will feature robust technical programming, networking opportunities, and more!
Sharpen your Leadership Skills
As a Local Section or Division Officer, your leadership leaves lasting impressions on new and potential ACS members. As the newest generations of chemists become increasingly diverse, it is up to us as leaders to create and maintain a welcoming culture. To help with that, you have exclusive access to the course Transforming Microaggressions into Microinclusions. You will learn how to identify microaggressions, how they impact others, and how you can intervene as a bystander. Over 90% of ACS volunteers that have taken the course would recommend to a colleague! Sign up using your ACS ID. Email diversity@acs.org for questions.
Career Resources for Industrial Scientists
Help spread the word about a valuable resource for ACS industry members! The ACS Industry Matters newsletter offers exclusive interviews with industry professionals, as well as an insider's guide to working in the chemical industry. Each issue is filled with insightful answers to your questions as a chemical professional and is designed to help you grow and succeed. Explore more and subscribe here.
A Vote and a Voice for International Members, the Petition to Add International Representation to the Board of Directors: ACS Board Working Group on Structure and Representation
In December, Paul Jagodzinski, Chair of the Board of Directors shared the Board’s motivation to respect the voices of all members and demonstrate equity for our members with respect to voting in Society elections, and the progress towards adding international representation to the Board of Directors.
Updates:
- Kathy Lee, Director, District I and working group member wrote a C&EN Comment, “Bringing international representation to the ACS Board of Directors.” It provided facts, considerations, and next steps.
- On February 15, the petition was published in the ACS Council Agenda Book.
What’s Next?
- The petition to amend the Constitution will be up for consideration at the Spring Council Meeting and for action at the Fall Council Meeting.
- Members of the working group will be make presentations to Councilor Caucuses and Committees during the ACS Spring 2023 meeting.
How Can I Get Involved?
- Read the petition available in the March Council Agenda to learn more.
- Read Kathy’s C&EN Comment for details and background on how it was created.
Share your thoughts, feedback, and interest to be more involved with the working group by contacting: secretary@acs.org.
The ACS Governing Documents require that require that every four years, the Council Policy Committee (CPC) establish a divisor to determine representation at Council by Local Sections and Divisions. The divisor will be set by CPC at its meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana, on March 27, 2023, and will determine the number of Councilors each Local Section and Division will be entitled to for 2024-2027.
At the most recent meeting of the Council Policy Committee, its Working Group on Future Council Representation recommended that CPC select a divisor for 2024-2027 that is aimed at reducing the size of Council while staying compliant with the Governing Documents. This, combined with fluctuations that can and do occur in annual member counts, will result in some Local Sections and Divisions experiencing a loss or gain of Councilors from the current period (2020-2023, which was based on membership counts as of December 31, 2018).
Official notification of the Councilor Divisor and the number of Councilors permitted for your Local Section or Division for 2024-2027 will be sent to you no later than May 1, 2023, as required by the Governing Documents. This decision could affect elections conducted in 2023. Please do not finalize any Councilor slates for 2024 until after you receive CPC’s determination. For more information, read the memo or email secretary@acs.org.
Committee on Committees (ConC): Update on the ACS Committee Review Process
ConC is conducting a review of all 31 Council-related committees with the assistance of McKinley Advisors, an external consulting group with deep knowledge of ACS and other organizations in the non-profit space. ConC would like to provide an update about this initiative:
November-February
- Interviews were conducted with all thirty-one committee Society Committee Chairs and two of their committee members. An electronic survey was sent to members of ACS, Council, Governance, and Council-related committees.
- Membership from council-related committees, councilors, members of governance, and other ACS members were invited to participate in an electronic survey.
- McKinley completed its benchmarking research.
Results from the interviews, surveys, and benchmarking will provide insight about perceptions of ACS committee experiences, successes, and challenges as well as best practices for DEIR, strategic alignment, performance and engagement, and experiences with governance transitions. This information will be used to create potential committee models.
March
- Focus groups composed of ASC stakeholders will evaluate the committee models.
Mid-June
- ConC will be provided with actionable recommendations to enhance and improve its Council-related committee bodies.
ConC believes the recommendations from McKinley Advisors will help us ensure our committees are following general governance best practices, are inclusive, have the efficiency required in decision-making (including avoiding overlapping committee jurisdictions), and most importantly continue to maximize the volunteer experience. The adoption of the recommendations from this review will be contingent on the approval by the Council, with the ultimate approval by the ACS Board of Directors.
The third edition of the Legal Resource Manual, effective February 1, 2023, is now available online. Questions or corrections may be submitted to ACSLegal@acs.org.
Consider making advocacy part of your local section’s sustainability efforts! To encourage ACS members to get involved in sustainability policy issues, the ACS Committees on Environmental Improvement (CEI) and Chemistry & Public Affairs (CCPA) have created a jointly-administered ACS ChemLuminary Award.
The new CCPA-CEI ChemLuminary Award for Outstanding Promotion of the Society’s Sustainability Position S... recognizes local sections for outstanding activities to advocate for, promote, or develop awareness of the Society’s policy statements related to environmental and sustainability issues. Has your local section done government affairs advocacy in 2022 that fits the bill? Self-nominate for the new award! Visit our webpage for more information.
As we approach year’s end, the American Chemical Society wishes to thank donors from around the world who faithfully supported ACS Education Programs in 2022. When we ponder how chemistry has shaped our world during our lifetime, we can only imagine the impact that the next generation of scientists will make as they build on our legacy. Thank you for empowering students to join our ranks and make discoveries that will continue to transform our world.
It's that time of year again when most local section elect new officers. Please take a moment to review your local section bylaws to ensure that you conduct elections in accordance with established procedures. An election-only list must be requested from ACS to ensure that only eligible ACS members are participating in your election. Request your election-only list at least 10 days prior to ballot distribution. Questions?
Make Sure Your Candidates Are Eligible to Serve!
Per ACS Governing Documents, only MEMBERS can hold an elective position of the SOCIETY or serve as a Councilor or Alternate Councilor. Community Associates cannot serve in any position of the SOCIETY and Local Section. Local Section bylaws may allow STUDENT MEMBERS, Society and/or Local Section Affiliates to hold an elective position or serve as a committee chair in the Section. Failure to abide by the ACS Governing Documents and bylaws can jeopardize the validity of all decisions made by the unqualified person serving in the position. Check the bylaws! If you need to amend your bylaws, email bylaws@acs.org.
Reminder to Send Annual Tax Returns
Attention all Local Sections officers! This is a reminder that a copy of your annual tax return must be sent to the ACS Tax Office at Tax@acs.org. This is a requirement per the ACS Governing Documents and your bylaws. Thank you in advance for your cooperation!
Microaggressions are seemingly small statements or behaviors that can have a huge negative impact on your group's DEI efforts. However, it can be challenging to navigate those discussions in a non-confrontational way. The course, Transforming Microaggressions into Microinclusions, is continuing in 2023. Register to learn more about what microaggressions are, how they can undermine inclusion efforts, and how to address them in real-time. There will be 9 two-hour sessions held virtually between January and May. Register today to secure your spot!
The Committee on Public Relations & Communications can make suggestions to your group to help spruce up their digital footprint. Our team of communications aficionados can craft a customized PR plan to increase visibility and connection with your members. We can offer advice on web design, social media, newsletters, programming, networking, and more. If you’re interested in a consultation, contact CPRCMakeovers@gmail.com. Submissions are due each year by May 1 and November 1.
Learn how your local section, technical division, or fellow international chapter can be more engaged with ACS communities worldwide in this C&EN article published by Sergio Nanita, Chair of the Committee on International Activities.
For those planning event activities for your respective units, please be mindful of any potential risks and liabilities that may arise. This is especially important if the event involves minor children, taking video and/or photographs, use of commercial music, physical/outdoor activities, working with vulnerable populations, or use of volunteers outside of the unit.
It is good practice to have participants sign a liability waiver/release before partaking in the event/activity. Should you have any questions or need further guidance, please contact ACSLegal@acs.org.
ACS is excited to announce that all members of the ACS community will now have access to ACS Link networking platform. ACS Link provides you with a new way to connect virtually with individuals in the global ACS community who are around the corner, or around the world! This benefit is now included in your current benefits package. Have a question? The ACS community might just have the answer.
Please use this form to submit a request for a Certificate of Insurance and send the completed form to businessinsurance@acs.org to ensure prompt handling of these requests. Certificate requests should be submitted at least 30 days before an event. Requests and/or questions may be sent to ACSLegal@acs.org.
Chemists know how influential their work is to society, but not everyone is aware of these secrets. So tell someone! The ACS National Historic Chemical Landmarks program helps do just this. And now those who speak Arabic or Mandarin can learn about the development of penicillin in the respective languages. There are also six landmarks translated into Spanish.
The DEIR Educational Resource Guide contains a non-exhaustive list of resources meant to provide further enrichment and education on common DEIR topics and terms, such as allyship, microaggressions, unconscious bias, and more. It is meant as a starting point for those interested in learning more about DEIR issues. To learn more about the Office of DEIR check out our website or contact us at diversity@acs.org.
With an American Association of Chemistry Teachers (AACT) membership, you'll get access to our vast community of teachers who will share their time-tested teaching strategies to help you overcome everyday classroom challenges. Combine that with our massive library of quality classroom resources including lesson plans, demos, and videos and you'll have the tools you need to share your passion of chemistry with your students. Join the AACT community today!