APAGS Committee

Elected officers of the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS) serve as one method for students' voices to be heard in APA on a variety of graduate student issues such as financing and market-sensitivity of education and training, and increasing diversity within programs.

For that reason, getting to know your officers is important, says Carol Williams-Nickelson, PsyD, former APAGS associate executive director. "They are students like you, dealing with the day-to-day issues of graduate student life," she says. "If you think APA or APAGS needs to hear a certain perspective, contacting your elected APAGS committee member is one way to communicate your ideas."

American Psychological Association of Graduate Students

Pillar A: Address the financial burden of graduate psychology training and its impact on the lives of students

• Increase awareness amongst stakeholders of the high level of debt and accompanied financial burden incurred by graduate students.
• Address the differential impact of financial burden on students from underrepresented and disenfranchised backgrounds and respond to this disparity in all advocacy efforts.
• Strengthen graduate student financial literacy, awareness of debt repayment optionsopens in new window, and knowledge of existing financial resources.
• Develop a Graduate Training Financial Burden Task Force that develops and implements strategies to reduce the financial burden and increase the financial viability of pursuing careers in psychology.

Pillar B: Support graduate students in developing their roles as leaders in psychology

• Develop a clear roadmap for future leaders in psychology, supporting the transition from APAGS into APA leadership and governance roles.
• Communicate leadership opportunities within APA and beyond for graduate students.
• Promote the recruitment and retention of student leaders from underrepresented groups, while addressing the institutional barriers that may limit access to leadership roles.
• Support current graduate student leaders by providing the necessary resources and tools to develop into transformational leaders in psychology.

Pillar C: Advocate for high quality training opportunities in science and practice

• End the Accredited Internship Shortage.
• Advocate for equal access to internship training for students of diverse personal (e.g., race/ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender diversity, religion, disability, socioeconomic status, nationality, and documentation status) and training backgrounds.
• Increase access to training in advanced quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research methodologies.
• Connect students with research opportunities, enhance the visibility of student research, and involve students in mentored review and editorial experiences.