Executive Board Announces Planned SIOP Dues Increase

At its January 22nd  meeting in Atlanta, SIOP’s Executive Board took action to implement a modest dues increase for the 2011 dues year (May 1, 2010 –April 30, 2011).

The increase would raise dues by $9 for Fellow, Member, Associate and International Affiliate member statuses and by $4.50 for Student Affiliate and all Retired member statuses. This change represents a 15 % increase from current dues and does not require a vote of the entire membership. (Dues increases more than 15% must be presented to the membership for a vote.) However, in accordance with Bylaws Article VIII, Section 2, members have 60 days to provide input to the Executive Board (via the SIOP Exchange) before a final vote is taken at the April Board meeting.

Please provide your comments and opinions about this action in the comments section below. Continue reading for more information.

The Executive Board is considering a dues increase at this time for several reasons. Historically, SIOP’s dues have remained very low compared to similar organizations because our dues structure originally grew out of our status as a division of the American Psychological Association (APA). When members paid dues to APA, they paid a nominal fee to become a part of a specific division, such as Division 14, and APA then supplemented each division with a portion of the APA dues. However, over time, SIOP has taken steps to become more independent of APA, grow beyondits division status into a full-fledged professional organization, provide more services and opportunities to members, and build a stronger professional image for I-O psychology; meanwhile, the field of I-O has continued to grow. At the same time, APA’s financial support to SIOP has dwindled to a minimal contribution.

The board thinks that an increase for the 2011 dues year is necessary given the increasing costs of technology, services, utilities, and administration (employee salaries, healthcare, 401Ks) necessary to be an effective and vital professional organization.  Throughout the economic downturn, SIOP has fared well, taking proactive steps to reduce our operating budget by 4% last year, but our fixed costs and member services have continued to increase over time.

We last increased dues $5 in the 2008-2009 dues year; they are currently $60 for professional members and $30 for students and retirees. That increase coincided with the launch of SIOP’s journal, Industrial-Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science and Practice, to which all members receive a subscription as a benefit of membership. SIOP has begun providing several additional services to members since then, including the Learning Center, upgrading JobNet and the Placement Center, and  new CE opportunities. Ongoing projects include branding efforts started in 2008 that will continue to be developed as well as several other exciting initiatives in the areas of visibility, public advocacy, and services to practitioners and to the public. Additional technology costs have also been associated with our new Web site, JobNet, Placement Center, and administrative upgrades.

As an organization dedicated to advancing the field of I-O psychology, we wish to continue to provide excellent member services and support for the I-O profession as a whole. This dues increase will help ensure these excellent member services continue and also allow the Society to provide additional services as member needs become apparent.

Even with this increase, our dues will continue to be much lower than those of similar organizations that offer comparable services. The extra funding will be an important step toward bringing our dues up to par with comparable organizations and will assist us in ensuring SIOP remains one of the most prestigious and influential professional organizations in the field of psychology.

Given the many benefits of being a member of SIOP, we hope the value you find in your membership will offset the additional 75 cents per month (professional) or 38 cents per month (students/retirees) you will pay in dues.

From the SIOP Executive Board

Comments

[Kurt Kraiger]

@Dana:
Something I just learned recently - you need to be a member of APA or APS in order to JOIN SIOP, but ongoing membership in either society is not required once you are a SIOP member.

[SIOP Administrative Office]

To clarify, while APA, APS, CPA and/or EAWOP membership is required of applicants for SIOP Member and Associate membership statuses, continuing membership in one of those four outside organizations is NOT required beyond the first year of SIOP membership. For membership application requirements, please visit www.siop.org/joinsiop.aspx.If you have questions about SIOP membership or dues in general, please contact siop@siop.org. Thank you!

-SIOP Administrative Office Staff

[Cents Saver]

Personally, I am against a dues increase at this time. I don't have money to spare for much of anything, let alone professional organizations.

Also, I saw something in the statement that gave me pauise:

"Even with this increase, our dues will continue to be much lower than those of similar organizations that offer comparable services. The extra funding will be an important step toward bringing our dues up to par with comparable organizations..."

Why is raising our dues to match other organizations' dues a good thing? That doesn't make sense to me, but it seems to make cents for the SIOP board.

[Dana]

While I'm not thrilled with the idea of increased dues, I believe that the explaination given of the increased operating costs make sense. However, my understanding is that in order to become a professional member of SIOP (this is my last year as a student member), we have to maintain membership with APA. I belong to APS as opposed to APA for the pure reason that I don't believe APA well represents our field or our issues any longer. However, going forward I will have to pick up a membership with an organization that I don't want to associate with in order to associate with one that I do (i.e., SIOP). Thus, APA dues *and* increased SIOP dues doesn't sit well together. Perhaps removing the APA requirement would help alleviate the cost increase of the SIOP dues?

[Bye Bye SIOP]

See ya.

[New Student Affiliate Member]

I hope that you do not decide to raise the dues. So many of us are displaced workers, students, or both! I think you would see a decline in membership if you do raise membership fees.

[Worried Member]

TEA. Keep rate lower.

[an associate member]

associate members should get a dues reduction sine we dont matter

[Member]

I feel that 15% is a huge increase in one year. The economy is still shedding jobs and many find it difficult to make ends meet. The timing couldn't be worse.

[Ernest Onyishi]

I am an International Affiliate member, based in Nigeria. I have actually benefited a lot being a member of SIOP. However, I would like the fees for International Affiliate members to remain what it is now or a subsidy be introduced for members who are interested in SIOP but find it a bit difficult to pay the dues. Some of us in developing economies find it extreemly difficult to pay the fees. From your record, you can observe that I hardly meet up with the deadlines for renewal of membership.

[Concerned Member]

I believe the fee increase of a whopping 15% to be unjustified. At a time when there is a global recession and fees for most services are either static or reduced it makes no sense that SIOP increases fees