AHA Council

Being a Council member is a volunteer position requiring time, energy, and good judgment. Elected Council members have made a commitment to participate in the leadership of the Association. This work includes institutional governance and oversight of the Association’s finances. Council members are expected to attend Council meetings, maintain an active membership in the Association, and support the Association’s annual fundraising efforts. The daily work of the Association is carried out by the Executive Director,  who oversees the Association’s professional staff.

AHA Council members:

• help set AHA priorities in consultation with the Executive Director
• offer ideas and suggestions consistent with the AHA’s mission and current goals
• work with others to implement key projects and initiatives
• help the AHA balance competing priorities and respond to member concerns
• help ensure the AHA can continue and expand its work and contributions to the discipline

Council members are fiduciaries of the AHA, which means they are legally required to act for the benefit of the Association, putting the AHA’s interests above their own, making careful, good-faith decisions in the best interest of the institution consistent with the AHA's mission, independent of undue influence from any private, professional, or financial interests. All members of the AHA Council are subject to the requirements and expectations of a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, including the standard legal duties of nonprofit board members.

According to BoardSource, "It means board members, as stewards of public trust, must act for the good of the organization rather than for the benefit of themselves. Fiduciary duty requires board members to be objective, responsible, honest, trustworthy, and efficient. They are expected to exercise reasonable care in all decision-making, honor their duties under the law and avoid placing the organization under unnecessary risk. It also means board members ensure the programs align with the mission and that the impact of said programs is measured and reasonable."

In District of Columbia law, under which the AHA is incorporated, all non-profit board members have three distinct duties:

• Duty of care: Council members are expected to exercise care and judgment when making decisions, using all information reasonably available. Council members actively participate in the Council’s work: preparing for and attending Council meetings, asking questions, proposing plans, and exercising independent judgment.
• Duty of loyalty: Council members must ensure that any opportunity to help the Association is presented to the AHA. Council members avoid conflicts of interest and promptly report any that may occur, recusing themselves from decision-making if there is a conflict.
• Duty of obedience: Council members are expected to uphold the mission of the AHA and must not allow the Association to do anything that would endanger its nonprofit status or conflict with its mission.

Expectations and Guidance for Conducting Business of the AHA Council

 The American Historical Association appreciates the members who serve on its governing Council and their dedication and service to our discipline and the AHA’s mission.

In accordance with leading practices for nonprofit governance, all members of the AHA Council are expected to:

• Always abide by the AHA’s Code of Professional Conduct at Officially Sanctioned AHA Activities and Statement on Standards of Professional Conduct.
• Respect the rules, policies, and practices of the Association.
  • Abide by the AHA’s Constitution and Bylaws and all AHA policies, including the Communications Policy and Conflict of Interest Policy. Recuse yourself from discussions and votes where you have a conflict of interest. If you have questions regarding a policy or Council parliamentary practices, ask the Council secretary or parliamentarian for clarification.
• Help create a productive and positive environment to create a meaningful experience for all.
  • Be considerate, open-minded, and respectful.
  • Be considerate of others’ opinions and life experiences.
  • Operate in good faith. Share your thoughts honestly and thoughtfully, and assume others are operating in good faith as well.
  • Respect the expertise of other Council members and the AHA staff.
  • Do not interrupt or talk over others. If you have already spoken on a topic, allow others to speak before weighing in again.
• Promote the AHA and the work of the Council.
  • Maintain a positive attitude toward your fellow Council members and the AHA staff when speaking with colleagues or in public forums such as social media and the press. If you have concerns, bring such matters before the Council instead of having private discussions or airing disagreements publicly.
  • Alert the relevant Council members and staff to any issues you think the AHA should be aware of.
  • Share relevant and accurate information about AHA activities with your networks as appropriate. If you witness misinformation being spread about the AHA, offer a gentle correction and/or notify the relevant staff members.
• Keep discussions and questions on topic during Council meetings and email correspondence.
  • Keep your comments and actions focused on the discussion topics provided. Staying on topic enables us to learn from each other and benefit from a productive exchange of relevant ideas.
  • Respect the time limit allotted to specific agenda items. We have much to discuss on many important issues and cannot always devote as much time as one might want on a specific topic.
  • Avoid stating individual political views (or engaging in political conversations) unrelated to the AHA, commercially promoting specific products or companies, debating matters of personal taste, or critiquing another individual’s personal qualities or interactions.
  • Give appropriate credit to ideas or works created by others.
• Maintain confidentiality.
  • All Council discussions are confidential. Sharing information about Council discussions or agenda items with anyone outside the AHA Council or staff is not permitted. Exceptions include when Council or staff request relevant experts to offer guidance on specific issues before Council; such actions must be cleared by the executive director and/or the Executive Committee in advance.
  • Council members are expected to abide by the collective decisions of the Council. Regardless of individual votes or personal views, members should not disclose or discuss internal disagreements outside the Council.
  • To allow for free, open, and candid discussion, as well as to maintain confidentiality, Council meetings are not recorded. However, to provide transparency as a nonprofit, the AHA posts all Council actions on its website and in Perspectives on History and makes meeting minutes available upon request. Meeting minutes focus on actions taken rather than on details of discussions.
  • Do not screenshot any Council discussion or documents.
  • Respect the privacy of others, including the content of one-on-one conversations, as well as small-group breakouts.
• Be an active participant in the Council’s work.
  • Respond promptly to discussions and calls for votes in the AHA Council community. If you are unavailable to check the community for a period of time, please notify the Council secretary in advance to prepare for time-sensitive agenda items.
  • Carefully review the agenda book before each Council meeting. AHA staff and Council members take great care and time preparing the reports to ensure Council is fully informed about recent initiatives, news, and updates.
  • Between Council meetings, stay informed by reading AHA emails such as Fortnightly News and regularly reviewing the AHA’s website. 

Adopted October 2025

The agenda of the Council draws on communications from members and other historians, initiatives from Council members, and the work of AHA staff. Council members conduct their work throughout the year. Council meetings are held in person each January during the AHA annual meeting and the first weekend in June. Teleconference meetings are held each spring and fall.  Additional ad hoc teleconference meetings may be held as needed.

Social media and communications with the press offer the American Historical Association opportunities to announce and promote activities to the historical community, engage with members and potential members, and connect with other online constituencies. The AHA encourages and supports the use of social media by staff and Council members to share news and engage in conversations with audiences around the world.

AHA staff and Council members may identify themselves using their AHA affiliation but should not state or imply that they officially represent the AHA or speak on its behalf, unless approved to do so by the executive director. The executive director is the only individual authorized to speak on behalf of the AHA. The executive director may delegate the responsibility of speaking to the press to other staff or Council members.

Press inquiries should be directed to press@historians.org. The director of communications and public affairs will ensure that inquiries are shared with the appropriate people and that responses are sent.

The AHA understands that staff and Council members use social media and other websites and platforms for personal matters in the modern workplace. Personal social media accounts are the responsibility of the individual. While staff and Council members may use social media to engage in online discussion around issues related to AHA activities and concerns, whether and how an individual chooses to do so is a personal decision. AHA staff and Council members are not required to use their personal social media accounts to promote the AHA or its activities.

When using personal social media accounts, staff and Council members may identify themselves using their AHA affiliation when discussing an AHA program or project they manage. They should not state or imply that they officially represent the AHA or speak on its behalf, unless approved to do so by the executive director. In addition, staff and Council members’ conduct on social media should adhere to provisions in the Employee Handbook and to the AHA’s Code of Professional Conduct at Officially Sanctioned AHA Activities. Within these boundaries, the AHA recognizes the right of its staff and Council members to use personal social media accounts at their own discretion.

Download the full AHA Communications Policy