SPS Council Elections

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A picture of the 2022 SPS Council posing at the 2022 Physics Congress in Washington, DC.

Nominations and Elections for SPS National Council 

Nominations and elections are held in the spring of each year. National Council nominations are currently OPEN. Please nominate yourself or others for the positions of Associate Zone Counsilor (student), Zone Councilor (Faculty), or Sigma Pi Sigma President.

Nominations will occur through March 1st, 2024 and close at midnight US Pacific time.

Nominate yourself or someone else today!

 The following positions are up for election:

  • SPS Zone Councilors for Zones 8, 10, 15, 16, 18, 11 (three-year terms)
  • Associate Zone Councilors for all 18 Zones (one year terms)
  • Sigma Pi Sigma President (two-year term)

Each chapter gets a single vote. Therefore, it is encouraged that chapters discuss their ballot and potential nominee(s) together.

To view the current national council, please visit our

Governance section.

Descriptions of Council positions:

Associate Zone Councilor (AZC) - Student

Must be a member of a SPS chapter. Elected for a one-year term, the duties of the Associate Zone Councilor parallel those of the Zone Councilor: communicating with chapters, encouraging and urging chapters to host zone meetings, attending zone meetings, and encouraging chapters to excel in their chosen activities. This position is your opportunity to connect regionally and nationally with colleagues and professionals. 

The Associate Zone Councilor represents their zone at the annual SPS National Council meeting, often held in September. This means that nominees for Associate Zone Councilor must be a student member of SPS during their term of service. The date and venue of the next council meeting will be announced in due course. All travel expenses will be covered by the SPS national office. All students wishing to run for Associate Councilor Representative to the Executive Committee MUST plan on staying through noon on Sunday of the Council Meeting.

Read more in the AZC handbook.

Zone Councilor (ZC) - Faculty or official department equivalent

Elected for a three-year term, a ZC communicates regularly with chapters within their zone about SPS and Sigma Pi Sigma, encourages local and national initiatives, reminds chapters of deadlines, and meets with individual chapters as time and resources permit. The Zone Councilor also encourages and supports local chapter advisors and represents all chapters within their zone on the National Council. The goal of each ZC should be to support the events within a zone, as well as facilitate communication, and encourage chapters to be all that they can be. The date and venue of the next council meeting will be announced in due course. All travel expenses will be covered by the SPS national office. If held in person, all travel expenses to the National Council meeting will be covered by the SPS national office. All faculty wishing to run for Zone Councilor should plan on being present at the National Council meeting through Saturday morning. Nominees must have served as a chapter adviser.

Each Zone Councilor ensures that zone meetings are organized and held within their zone. This does not mean that the Zone Councilor has to organize the meeting but instead should work with chapters within their zone to ensure a successful zone meeting occurs.

Read more in the ZC handbook.

Sigma Pi Sigma President - Faculty or equivalent

Elected for a two-year term, the duties of this community professional include serving on the Council as its chairperson, presiding over meetings of the Executive Committee, and representing the Sigma Pi Sigma to the AIP Governing Board. Nominees must have served as a chapter adviser.

Related file

2019 National Council