2004 Membership Committee Report

2003 has been a relatively successful year in terms of recruitment of new members.  Over a period of six months, from October 2003 to March 2004, a total of 307 regular members and 229 student members have been approved.  The new members represented a large and broad group of physiologists. Our recruiting efforts have been very successful in attracting more female members.  There has also been significant increase in Asian, Hispanic, Black, and American Indian members, indicating that the society is reaching to members of all different racial backgrounds and heritages.  The vast majority of members hold a PhD and/or MD.  Members with other degrees such as DVM, DM, MBBS, MSc, MA, and EdD are also represented.  The new members represent a good cross section of all academic positions and ranks including Professors, Research Scientists, Postdoctoral and Research Fellows, as well as Chairpersons, Vice Presidents, Associate Deans, and Teachers.

During the same reporting period, there was a decrease in regular membership by 849 and in student membership by 1,190.  That resulted in a net decrease in the number of members by 1,552 or 14%.  The decrease in membership could be attributed to three factors: 1) the usual attrition of membership that we experience each year; 2) the increase in regular membership dues, although this effect may not be completely apparent until 2006 (two years after dues are in arrears); and 3) the fiscal year dues changes from July-June to January-December cycle.

The Membership Committee met in Washington, DC at the April Experimental Biology 2004 meeting.  The primary topic of discussion at the meeting was how the Committee might best serve the Society so that it can continue to attract and recruit new members. Although there was an agreement among members that the observed decrease in membership could be largely due to fiscal year dues changes, the Committee felt that possible measures may need to be considered in order to retain the current members and to decrease the dropout rate.

One of the issues raised at the meeting was to emphasize the importance of being an APS Member.  Being a member of APS is an honor and a great privilege.  Members would have great pride if they could be identified among other attendants of a scientific meeting as APS Members.  It was proposed that the ID badge at the Experimental Biology meeting would include the term "APS MEMBER".  The term should be written in an attractive color and large font and should be clearly visible. 

It was also suggested that established and senior physiologists should be invited to write a brief note in the American Journal of Physiology or The Physiologist indicating from their own experience the benefits they achieved from being APS members.  Postdocs could also be invited to write a note indicating their personal experience and how the student membership helped them in their early careers.

The decreased membership number over the past six months was carefully discussed. It was suggested that additional statistical data should be collected to determine whether there is a possible inverse relation between the number of years of membership and the dropout rate.  It was also recommended that the members' mailing addresses should be updated regularly.  Dropouts should be contacted first at the address provided in their application.  Failure to respond after five trials would initiate a direct contact with the institution and request for a forwarding address.  The increased dropout rate was particularly evident among student members.  It was noted that 84% of the student members being dropped for nonpayment of dues have never paid dues.  However, it was also noted that the student group is the most likely to relocate, and special measures should be taken to maintain an updated and revised student mailing list.

Members are contacted a maximum of five times in order to encourage dues payment. The Society sends three email notifications and two mailed, paper dues notices. The Committee suggests that included in these communications are bullet points outlining the benefits of membership. Additionally, the mailed dues notice letter should include a letter from an established physiologist (for regular members) and a postdoc (for student members) describing their personal experience and the benefits they gained from being members of APS. If a member still fails to pay dues after the fifth contact, the Society should send a questionnaire asking why the member does not wish to maintain membership in the Society. The questionnaire should ask what other societies the individual belongs to. The list of members being dropped for nonpayment of dues should be sent annually to the Membership Committee so they can directly contact members and convince them to retain their membership.

In summary, this is a time of change for the Membership Committee. The duties related to review of applications has been streamlined, freeing up time for the Committee to focus on other important goals, especially those related to recruitment and retention. On behalf of the Committee members, I would like to say that we continue these important duties with great enthusiasm. 

Raouf A. Khalil, Chair

• Council accepted the report of the Membership Committee.

• Council approved a motion requesting that those members be dropped receive a letter from the members' section chair encouraging him/her not to drop their APS membership.

• Council approved the request that the list of dropped members be sent to the Membership Committee each year for possible follow-up from the Committee.