Chemical Education Today
Association Report: ACS Division of Chemical Education
Don’t Put Aside That Ballot! by Diane Bunce
equally well described in their statements but represent someLife gets so busy and just when you think you can’t what different approaches. (Note that the Statement on Eduhandle one more detail, the ACS ballot arrives in the mail. cation of each candidate appears on pages 1108 and 1109.) It’s very tempting to lay the ballot aside while you deal with These candidates, Eli Pearce and Glenn Crosby, deserve to the more pressing details of your professional life. After all, be chosen by more than 19% of the Society. Help break the there are all those candidates’ statements to read and ballotrecent trend and make the time to take action and accept ing directions to follow! But do you know that on average responsibility for the direction of our professional society— only 19% of the ACS membership vote in national elections? vote in this election! That’s a relatively small number of ACS While we’re on the subject of votmembers who are deciding who will be We are counting on you this year! ing, don’t forget to vote in the Division president of your society. Matter of fact, of Chemical Education election. Our elections are often decided on the basis Mark and return those ballots! two candidates for chair are Arlene of only 1,000 to 2,000 votes. It does Russell of the University of California, seem that such an important office We want and need your response. Los Angeles, and Arlyne (Mickey) should represent the choice of more Sarquis of Miami Universitymembers of the Society. After all, each Middletown. Both of these qualified and creative women candidate presents specific issues and directions that he or bring a great deal of experience to the leadership of the Divishe is proposing for the Society. If we agree or disagree with sion. This year CHED ballots will be mailed on August 1 the direction our Society takes, we should register our opinand must be returned by October 1 to the Division treasurer, ion by completing the ballot. Anna Wilson, Purdue University, 1153 Biochemistry BuildYou don’t have to know a candidate personally in order ing, West Lafayette, IN 47907-1153. It is unfortunate that to cast an informed vote. The criteria for your choice are laid the rate of return for CHED ballots is even lower than that out in the candidates’ biographies and statements. Everyone for ACS—last year only 860 of the 5500 eligible members should have enough information from these materials to cast voted. That’s 16% of the membership. Couldn’t you find time an informed vote. All it takes is a few quiet minutes of rein your day to return the Division’s ballot? After all, the elected flection and decision. You have opinions on what the Socichair will spend quite a bit of her day working for you. Reety should and should not do on the national scene. Choose turn the favor by casting your vote and letting your decision the candidate who is most closely aligned with your prioribe counted. ties. The important word here is choose. Take the time to read We are counting on you this year! Let’s make the electhe candidates’ statements; mark and mail the ballot to ACS tion of a Division chair and a Society president represent a by the designated date. Take advantage of the opportunity to more broadly based electorate. Mark and return those balstand up and be counted. lots! We want and need your response. This year’s ACS election for president of the Society will soon be underway. Ballots will be mailed on October 2 and must be returned by November 13. We in the academic comDiane Bunce, chair of the ACS Division of Chemical Edumunity have an opportunity to choose between two experication for the year 2000, is a member of the Department of enced leaders who understand the importance of educating Chemistry, Catholic University, Washington, DC 20064; email: students and teachers. Their approaches to the problem are
[email protected] and
[email protected].
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Journal of Chemical Education • Vol. 77 No. 9 September 2000 • JChemEd.chem.wisc.edu
