Operations Committees

Archives Committee

1. Ensure that documentation and other artifacts relevant to the history of NCSS are secured in the archives.
2. Suggest steps and policies that would increase the acquisition of relevant documentation and artifacts for the archives.
3. Review the current archives and make assessments as to weaknesses, needs, and strengths of the current collection.
4. Recommend ways to ensure that the current documents and artifacts are easily accessible and used.
5. Conduct searches of the archives for special needs of the Board.
6. Propose programs and steps so that Associated Groups may contribute to the archives or build archives of their own.

Awards Committee

1. Meeting with all Awards Subcommittee Chairs to ensure consistency and fairness in the awards process;
2. Coordinating the awards programs by developing consistency across recognition programs (application and selection process, judging criteria, incorporating and utilizing best practices);
3. Enhancing outreach efforts (within NCSS network, leveraging Affiliated Council social studies networks, and beyond) to encourage applicants to apply;
4. Establishing guidelines (i.e. consistent practices for award election processes and award presentations);
5. Developing standards and providing oversight of subcommittees to ensure integrity of awards and processes;
6. Working with NCSS staff to annually disseminate, promote, and celebrate award winners through media and social media; and
7. Considering new awards in line with the goals and priorities of NCSS, as well as available financial and staff resources.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Social Studies Committee

1. Investigate and make recommendations to the Board of Directors on ways that NCSS can promote equitable, inclusive, anti-racist, and anti-bias practices, resources, and programs in the social studies.
2. Review existing NCSS resources, position statements, and publications and recommend necessary revisions to ensure that current NCSS resources and publications reflect equitable, inclusive, anti-racist, and anti-bias positions and practices.
3. When requested, work with the Board of Directors to prepare position statements and responses to current events and issues that publicize and promote NCSS’ commitment to equitable, inclusive, anti-racist, and anti-bias positions and practices.
4. Create professional learning opportunities, such as webinars and conference sessions, to promote equitable, inclusive, anti-racist, and anti-bias practices in the social studies.Create and help identify high quality resources for NCSS members that members can use with faculty and with students to teach topics and teach through instructional practices that promote equity and inclusion.

Government and Public Relations Committee

1. Investigate and propose action plans to the Board of Directors; to promote the definition, nature, and status of social studies and to promote its importance for preparing students to assume their roles as citizens in a free democratic society.
2. Investigate and propose action plans to publicize the work of NCSS, its officers and Board, its Committees, Affiliated Councils, Associated Groups, and their policy positions and guidelines, and to serve as a resource to the Board of Directors.
3. Monitor existing NCSS efforts at public relations and make recommendations for future directions, policies, activities, materials, and areas of concern.
4. Propose and lead sessions at the Annual Conference and other regional, state, and local meetings relative to establishing, maintaining, monitoring and enhancing current public relations efforts on the state and local levels.
5. Establish, enhance, and monitor linkages between NCSS and the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government at the national, state, and local levels as per NCSS policy guidelines and Board directives.
6. Develop strategies and procedures to influence public policy with the goal of promoting social studies, and enhancing education for civic competence.
7. Advise and make recommendations to the Board and the Executive Director on matters pertaining to these linkages and efforts to influence public policy.
8. Establish, enhance, maintain and support a legislative network composed of representatives of each state, the District of Columbia, and the leadership of CS4, CUFA, and NSSSA.
9. Sponsor sessions at the Annual Conference that would help the membership to establish, enhance, and monitor legislative networks at the state and local levels.

International Visitors' Committee

1. Coordinate efforts with the International Assembly, the International Collaborative Community, and the Program Planning Committee in order to coordinate activities and opportunities for networking between international visitors and U.S. social studies educators at the Annual Conference.
2. Create surveys and collect data from international visitors attending the Annual Conference, with assistance from NCSS staff, in order to adjust and adapt future conference planning to enhance the program. The data collected will be provided to the NCSS leadership and groups involved in international activities.
3. Encourage the International Assembly, International Collaborative Community, and other units to submit proposals to NCSS, and to propose and solicit proposals for the Annual Conference, that broaden the perspectives of conference attendees and provide opportunities to learn about curricula, methodologies and issues of interest and concern (e.g., Vital Issues Sessions on global warming, fiscal policies, genocide, child labor laws, international treaties).
4. Offer opportunities for international participants and U.S. social studies educators to meet in a variety of settings in order to raise awareness about world regions and social studies related programs.
5. Compile a list of Annual Conference sessions with international themes to be highlighted in the conference program, and to place a printed listing of these sessions in the International Visitors’ registration packet along with an International Visitors’ ribbon signifying their status as international participants. The list will be given to the Conference Chair and NCSS staff.
6. Host and recognize international visitors throughout the conference on multiple occasions and in a variety of ways.

Membership Committee

1. To study, report, and make recommendations concerning policy issues, processing, and promotion of membership in NCSS with special focus on raising the voices of all social studies professionals in an organization whose culture is inclusive and where all voices are encouraged, supported and celebrated.
2.  To recommend to the Board of Directors strategies to communicate the purpose and activities of the association and its components (e.g. Associated Groups, Affiliated Councils, Committees, Task Forces, and etc.).
3. To invite new members to become involved; to educate current members about how to become more involved; and to increase and promote member engagement.

Publications Committee

1. Create a process to conduct a search to identify and recommend to the NCSS President and Board of Directors for appointment of an editor and an editorial review board for each of the NCSS practitioner journals and other publications identified by the Publications Committee. CUFA identifies and selects the editor and editorial review board for Theory and Research in Social Education.
2. Create and continuously revise and update a Publications Manual that will include editorial guidelines and other structures and protocols that will guide the work of NCSS publications and resource collections. The NCSS Board of Directors may edit or revise the Manual at any time and any changes to the Manual suggested by the Publications Committee must be approved by the NCSS Board of Directors.  
3. Meet at least quarterly with one meeting occurring at the annual conference.
4. Recommend policies to the Board of Directors regarding an overall publications program of NCSS, including types of publications.
5. Aid NCSS staff in putting together a database by providing information regarding potential authors and reviewers, resources and institutions, subject topics, trends, and research bases.
6. Make recommendations to the Board of Directors, in consultation with NCSS staff, the journal editors, and the journal editorial review boards, regarding topics for future publications, types of publications/format, objectives of publication, treatments, and audiences. When making recommendations concerning NCSS publications, such as revised content or professional education standards, the Publications Committee should consider that such documents align with and reflect the current NCSS position statements and approved resolutions.
7. Assist NCSS staff by reviewing initial manuscripts of proposals for consistency with criteria for publication (as stated above), if asked to do so by NCSS staff.
8. Establish and implement procedures whereby Affiliated Councils, Associated Groups, and individual members may share ideas and suggestions regarding areas of need and potential topics, trends, and resources that a publications program of NCSS may properly address.
9. Involve the Chair and NCSS staff in all decisions about special projects involving any type of publication. Appropriate NCSS staff shall have the opportunity to review all materials produced.

Serve on an NCSS Operations Committee

NCSS invites its members to apply to volunteer on an Operations Committee!

NCSS raises the voices of all social studies professionals in an organization whose culture is inclusive and where all voices are encouraged, supported and celebrated. In all policies and activities, every effort will be made to achieve this goal.

You must be a member of NCSS to serve on a committee, serving on one committee at any time. NCSS is committed to expanding participation of underrepresented groups. All members are encouraged to apply. 

Appointments will next be made in the Spring of 2024 for terms starting July 1.