Current BSA President, Gurminder K Bhambra, completes her term of office in December 2023. We are now seeking nominations for the next President of the British Sociological Association.

A new structure and process is being implemented with effect from 2024. The incoming President’s tenure will be two years. Towards the end of the President’s first year, a call will go out for a Vice President who will work alongside the President for a year and then become President in 2026. Thereafter, there will be calls for a Vice President who will become President after being in post for a year.

The Presidency of the BSA is an honorary position, which is held by a respected member of the Association.  The President acts as Honorary Adviser to the Board of Trustees. They have a central role in the BSA Annual Conference, acting as host for the Annual Conference and spending a year organising key events at the conference. The President and the Conference Committee co-create the annual conference theme and plenary speaker line up. On the last day of the conference, the President announces the theme for the following year. The President also sits on prize judging panels and presides over award ceremonies. The President may also be asked to represent the Association at high profile events, and, with the Public Engagement Committee, to respond to matters affecting the discipline of Sociology.

Nominations are now sought for our next President for the period running from January 2024 to December 2025. Nominees must be members of the BSA. Nominations will be accepted from any member of the Association and must be accompanied by a short statement of between 250 and 500 words describing why the nominee would be particularly suitable for the role. Nominators will seek the nominee agreement prior to nomination, this agreement to be confirmed in the statement.  The nominations will be short-listed by the Board of Trustees and the new President will be elected by a ballot of the full membership.

The trustees seek to achieve a good balance of people in key positions with respect to equality and diversity and request that members are mindful of this when nominating.

Specific duties

  • Attend Board of Trustees meetings in an advisory but non-voting capacity (up to five times a year)
  • Attend meetings of the BSA Advisory Forum (once or twice a year)
  • Participate in judging the entries submitted for the annual BSA Philip Abrams Memorial Prize (business conducted online from December to February)
  • Present the award of the BSA Philip Abrams Memorial Prize and the BSA Distinguished Service to British Sociology Award at each BSA Annual Conference (normally at conference or during the conference month in March or April)
  • Present any other ad hoc awards at the BSA Annual Conference, e.g. Lifetime Achievement Awards (normally every ten years)
  • Act as host of the BSA Annual Conference, including delivering the welcome address
  • Co-create, with the conference committee, the annual conference theme and plenary speaker line up
  • Deliver a Presidential Address to the BSA Annual Conference in Year 2
  • Organise one to three Presidential conference plenary events
  • Represent the Association at external meetings, e.g. meetings of the International Sociological Association
  • Assist the work of the BSA Public Engagement Committee as required
  • Provide ad hoc advice and support to the Chair, trustees and staff of the Association

NB  A small sum is provided in the Association’s annual budget to facilitate attendance at key events during the year.

If you would like to nominate someone for the Presidency, please email their name, confirmation that they are willing to be nominated, and your reasons for nominating them (min. 250 words/max. 500 words) to: Katherine.Minnis@britsoc.org.uk  by no later than 31 October 2023.