American Academy of Religion, Western Region
Follow Us on Social Media
  • About AARWR
    • Mission
    • Officers
    • Past Presidents
    • Administration >
      • Minutes
    • Policies and Procedures & Operating Agreement
  • Units
    • Graduate Student and Professional Development
  • Caucuses
    • Queer Caucus
    • Women's Caucus
  • Opportunities
    • Regional Development Grants
    • Regional Conference Travel Grants
    • Paper Awards
    • Open Positions
  • Member Publications
  • Virtual Conferences
    • Guides and Links
    • 2020 Virtual Conference Report
    • 2020 Virtual Meetings

Open Positions

Regional Board Member Positions
Annual Board elections are held each year during the business meeting on the final day of the regional conference. Most positions are multiple-year terms, so they will not be open for election each year. The position of Vice President-Elect is open for election each year. It is part of the presidential line, which transitions from Vice President to President to Past President, resulting in a four-year commitment. It is important to note that candidates must be able to secure a free host institution for the AARWR annual conference during their year as President. Further details on the positions and election process are available in our Operating Agreement.

Board Positions opening up in March 2023 

  • Regional Representative - SoCal
  • Student Representative - SoCal & Western Region Student Director 

Parties interested in running for any of these positions except for that of the Regionally Elected Coordinator (REC) should send their CV and Letter of Interest to Jake Nagasawa, AAR/WR's current REC, at jnagasawa@umail.ucsb.edu.

The deadline for submitting your documents to run for these positions is: March 17, 2023 at 11:59pm.
 
​For job descriptions of any open position, please see AAR/WR's Policy File and Operating Agreement.

Unit Chair Positions

Unit Chairs are filled on an as-needed basis. Each Unit can have two co-chairs. Members interested in an open Unit Chair position must submit their CV to the current President and/or Vice President, who will bring it to the Executive Committee for a decision. Unit Chair positions are 3-year terms, with the possibility of renewal. Please see the "Units" section of the website for more information on chair responsibilities.

If you would like to serve as a unit chair, please contact John Erickson and Marie Cartier a CV, letter of interest, and willingness to serve for three years.

Units with one or two Chair Positions openings in Spring 2023:

Asian American Studies
Buddhist Studies
Education and Pedagogy
Goddess Studies
Graduate Student Professional Development
Islamic Studies
Jewish Studies
Latinx Religions and Spiritualties
Pagan Studies
Psychology, Culture, and Religion
Queer Studies in Religion
Religion, Science, and Technology
Religion and the Arts
Religion in America
Religion, Literature, and Film
Religions of Asia
Womanist/Pan African
Women and Religion  ​​
On March 20, 2015, at the Regional Board Meeting at Santa Clara University, the Board voted that candidates interested in running for leadership positions are not required to be present at the Business Meeting to stand for election, but candidates are strongly encouraged to attend the general meeting at the annual regional conference, to demonstrate the seriousness of their commitment.