2003 Annual Reports for Boards and Committees

2003 MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE ANNUAL REPORT

Committee Composition and Slates

2003 Committee Members: Bill Safarjan, PhD, Chair; Janet R. Matthews, PhD, Vice-Chair; Arnold S. Kahn, PhD; Derald Wing Sue, PhD; Lynn T. Pantano, PhD; and Richard M. Suinn, PhD.

Outgoing members are Bill Safarjan and Arnold Kahn. Janet Matthews is the 2004 Chair. Richard Suinn will serve as 2004 Vice-Chair and will become Chair in January 2005. Incoming members for 2004 are Mathilda Canter, PhD and John D. Robinson, II, Ph.D.

The Committee will continue to focus on broad representation from APA’s diverse membership and greater representation from APA’s “younger” Fellows and Governance newcomers when devising slates. This remains a challenge, because Committee members must be APA Fellows and fellowship usually implies longer-term achievement. The outgoing and incoming committee members are involved in academia and practice. The Committee requested that slates for the 2005-2007 term represent the same general areas.

Strategic Marketing

The Membership Committee and Membership Development Group continue to deploy and evaluate strategic marketing initiatives intended to influence the pipeline of potential members and affiliates, recruit from these populations, inform them regarding the value of membership and keep them engaged, and prevent or minimize their attrition. This work includes manifesting a schedule of direct response campaigns and associated advertising and web or email solutions, reinforcing and expanding the (national opt-in advocacy) Department Volunteer Network and collaborating with APAGS campus representatives; expanding existing research and communications directed toward students and early career psychologists; adding significant new architecture and content to membership-related sections of the APA website; and improving existing membership resource materials used for member communications, retention, and recruitment.

The Membership Committee and Membership Development Group also have responsibility for loyalty incentive programs negotiated on behalf of members (e.g., travel and financial programs, subscriptions, office products) which now account for nearly $500,000 in annual royalty and advertising revenue for the Association.

The Service Center and Membership Development Group have moved from Central Programs to the newly reorganized Public and Member Communications Directorate, and are now working with the Executive Director regarding strategic development of the 2004 membership recruitment and retention fund.

2003 Membership Retention and Recruitment Fund

Based on recommendations from the Council Membership Recruitment and Retention Task Force, the Membership Committee, focus groups, APAGS, the Ad Hoc Committee on Early Career Psychologists, and trial uses of prototype products, a “tool kit” of information items was developed and produced. The tool kit was designed to concisely describe the work APA is doing in major interest areas of psychology and provide useful information about products and services.

Guiding parameters for this effort include brevity yet comprehensive scope, a uniform professional look, and the ability to be used stand-alone or in combination with any of the other components. Volumes of information have been consolidated into concise pieces of information and packaged to maximize grassroots advocacy and recruitment efforts in campus, state, and regional settings. Initial distribution is through existing networks of faculty and student representatives (Department Volunteer Network and APAGS Campus Representatives), with eventual distribution available online to anyone wishing to secure such information. Toolkit distribution includes an assessment instrument to secure direct feedback on the materials.

This membership advocacy project also includes a redesign of the prototype membership advocacy manual Make APA Work for YOU, online distribution of a downloadable PowerPoint presentation based on the toolkit for volunteer use, and several table-top displays for use at meetings and presentations.

Initial feedback on the toolkits has been very positive, and more feedback will be sought. Additional collaboration with APA offices and programs will continue to enhance the content and resources available. Surveys are proposed to identify how new members and students learned about APA and its products and services.

The fund also underwrote dues statements and reminder notices sent to early career psychologists in their first 5-7 years of membership. The statements and notices contained tailored messages drafted by the Ad Hoc Committee on Early Career Psychologists addressing relevant issues and resources. Also in collaboration with the Ad Hoc Committee, the fund underwrote expanded communications with newer members, including an expanded version and broader distribution of the Advancing Psychology newsletter.

APA Fellows

Upon recommendation from the Membership Committee and the Board of Directors, the Council of Representatives elected a total of 142 Members to initial APA Fellow status for the year 2004. A total of 231 Fellows were granted current Fellow status in additional divisions. Initial Fellows were congratulated with personal letters from the Committee Chair, sent Fellow certificates, and recognized as Fellows in the APA membership database and the American Psychologist. The Membership Committee conducted the Fellows Chair Workshop during the Annual APA Convention. Division Fellows Chairs from Divisions 1, 17, 33, and 38 attended the Fellows Workshop. The Membership Committee continued to assess the APA Fellow process and consider feedback from division fellowship committees regarding criteria, timelines, and application and nomination materials.

While considering Fellow nominations each year, the Membership Committee identifies several Fellow nominees whose work is of a truly extraordinary nature and potentially newsworthy. In 2003, the Committee worked with the APA Office of Public Communications to promote the achievements of these individuals in local and academic media.

Waiver Applications & Ethics Cases