Press Release
Contact: |
Arnita A. Jones, Executive Director, American Historical Association |
Date: |
January 8, 2007 |
Subject: |
Status of AHA Business Meeting Resolutions |
For Immediate Release
- Resolution Opposing the Use of “Free Speech Zones” to Restrict Academic Freedom
- Resolution on United States Government Practices Inimical to the Values of the Historical Profession
- Resolution to Subscribe to the Informed Meetings Exchange
At its 121st annual business meeting on January 6, 2007, members of the Association adopted two resolutions, the first opposing the use of "Free Speech Zones" and the second concerning U.S. government practices inimical to the historical profession. A third resolution, directing the Association to subscribe to the Informed Meetings Exchange (INMEX), was referred to the Association's governing Council for further study.
Under the Association's Constitution, resolutions are considered by the Association's governing Council for acceptance, nonconcurrence, or veto. If accepted by the Council, they are binding on the Association.
At its meeting on January 7, the Council accepted the statement on "Free Speech Zones"; instructed AHA Executive Director Arnita Jones to investigate the desirability of the AHA subscribing to INMEX and to make a recommendation to the Council at its June 2007 meeting; and adopted the following statement concerning the resolution on U.S. government practices:
At its January 7, 2007, meeting, the AHA Council accepted the resolution, but because the resolution came into the Association too late to be published in the December 2006 issue of Perspectives prior to the business meeting where it was passed, and because of its intrinsic importance, the Council believes its acceptance should be ratified by a majority of those voting in an e-mail ballot of the membership.
The Association staff is currently exploring the best means of implementing this decision, and will announce the timing and procedures for the e-mail ballot by the end of January.
The American Historical Association is the oldest and largest professional historical organization in the United States, bringing together nearly 5,000 institutions and more than 14,000 individuals, including college and university faculty, public historians, independent scholars, archivists, librarians, and secondary school teachers. The Association was organized in 1884 and chartered by the United States Congress in 1889; its establishment coincided with the professionalization of history as a discipline in the United States. Over the years, the Association has changed as the discipline and profession have changed, but its central mission has remained unaltered: the advancement of historical knowledge.
To meet and address the varied needs of its members, the Association publishes the American Historical Review, the major journal of record for the historical profession in the United States, and Perspectives, the major national news monthly of the profession. The Association's annual meeting, which is held during the first week of January, is the largest annual gathering of historians in the United States.
--end--
http://www.historians.org
Last Updated: July 18, 2007
