PROFESSIONAL ETHICS AND PRACTICES - COLUMN 161
Topical Index-Table of Contents to the Professional Ethics and Practices Columns
A topically based Index-Table of Contents, “pe&p index.xls” cov ering columns, articles, and letters to the editor that have been referred to in the PE&P columns in Excel format is on the AIPG web site in the Ethics section. This Index-Table of Contents is updated as each issue of the TPG is published. You can use it to find those items addressing a particular area of concern. Suggestions for improvements should be sent to David Abbott,
dmageol@msn.com
Compiled by David M. Abbott, Jr., CPG-04570,
5055 Tamarac Street, Denver, CO 80238, 303-394-0321,
dmageol@msn.com
Transitioning from Student to Young Professional Status
Student members have been an increasing percentage of total AIPG membership since 1998 and currently comprise 38% of the total member- ship, as shown in Figure 1.1 The next step in AIPG membership is the Young Professional (YP) category. While YP membership has increased each year since 2011 and stands at 83 members, this is only 1.15% of total AIPG member- ship (includes student and associates) and 2% of the CPG and Professional membership. More than 83 Student members graduate each year with the degree they will use to enter the geoscience profession but they are not converting to YP status. There are prob- ably several reasons for this conversion failure but a main one is that YPs pay dues and Students do not. A related reason is that it often takes the recent graduate a period of time to land a pro- fessional position.
AIPG is currently undertaking a review of its Bylaws, one of those things that is periodically needed. I’m heading this effort. One of the potential changes is to create a Transitional membership category, possibly with reduced dues, that allows recent graduates to maintain AIPG membership as they are transi- tioning into the geoscience workforce. Do you support this idea? What should be the requirements? For example, should it only cover the period from graduation to the beginning of a geoscience job, or should it cover a longer period?
Alternatively, should Student mem- bership include a grace period—perhaps 6 months—before transfer to YP status? Given that most students graduate in June, this grace period would allow
Figure 1. Percentage of AIPG’s membership groups from 1998 through May 2016. CPG are Certified Professional Geologists, Mem are Professional and Young Professional members, and A+S+C are associates, students, and corporate members.
Student member status to continue until the beginning of the new year. AIPG membership can commence at any time but once begun, runs on a calendar year basis. Therefore, Student member status that was renewed in the fall will “begin” on January 1st and can potentially run for the full year, which essentially grants a 6-month grace period. However, at the individual’s choice, a Student member can upgrade to YP status shortly after a June graduation. In either case, the individual would be billed for a full year of YP membership in the fall dues billing cycle; that full year beginning in January. This 6-month grace period is effectively now with no changes required
other than applying for YP status at the beginning of the year.
Should Transitional status be per- mitted more than once? For example, Maggie Boos receives her BS degree and enters Transitional status for 9 months prior to getting her first professional geoscience job and applies for YP sta- tus.2 Three years later, Ms. Boos returns to school for her PhD and returns to Student membership status. Following receipt of her PhD, should Ms. Boos be able to re-enter transitional status while seeking a geoscience position? Should there be a limit to the number of months allowed for Transitional status? If so, what should the limit be?
1. I’ve been compiling AIPG membership statistics for several years. The data are taken from the May issue of the TPG each year. The A+S+C category is essentially student members; there were 2,782 student members, 45 associate members, and no corporate members as of May 2016.
2. The fictional Maggie Boos is named in honor of Margaret Fuller Boos, who attended AIPG’s organizational meeting and was a Charter Member as CPG-711.
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