Exciting News About Your SETAC Membership
Bart Bosveld, SETAC Global Executive Director
CORRECTION: Please note that this article has been updated since the publication date with the correct, lower membership registration rates as approved by the SETAC World Council.
SETAC is proud to announce a major makeover of our membership model, which will be accompanied with a new website in July of this year. The preparation for this giant change project started in 2020 when the SETAC World Council engaged with MCI Group, an independent association management and consulting service, to review SETAC’s business operations and make recommendations about how we can best adjust to the changing needs of the society while serving our membership on all continents. One of the most critical needs identified in the project was an enhanced membership model to increase flexibility and choice for members, allowing for easier engagement. This recommendation prompted the SETAC World Council to develop a new global membership model and initiate the move to a new Association Management System, which is the software that serves as the backbone for all online functions of SETAC.
New Membership Model
The new membership model offers three levels of membership: Free, Explorer and Full. All current members will automatically transition to the Full level in the new system. To increase flexibility, the Explorer level allows members to join SETAC at a lower cost and enjoy select benefits, while the Free level will be open for everybody to receive information about our activities and stay connected with our network.
Under the new membership model, SETAC is able to maintain significant reductions for students and early career scientists as well as for members from low- and middle-income countries. Transactions (membership dues and registration fees) will be collected in three currencies: US dollars for members residing in the Americas; Euros for members residing in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa; and Australian dollars for members residing in Asia-Pacific, including Australia, Japan and China, etc.
The new membership model and the new association management system will also be able to facilitate membership administration for Regional Branches and Chapters wishing to do so.
Example Membership Dues
(starting July 2023)
Typical dues listed in this example are in USD. While SETAC defines the global dues structure, dues may differ between the Geographic Units due to local circumstances and currencies.
| Free | Explorer | Premium | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
||
|
Professional |
– |
$80 |
$160 |
|
Recent graduate (50% discount) |
– |
$40 |
$80 |
|
Student (75% discount) |
– |
$20 |
$40 |
|
Low- and middle-income countries (75% discount) |
|
|
|
|
Professional |
– |
$20 |
$40 |
|
Recent graduate (50% discount) |
– |
$10 |
$20 |
|
Student (75% discount) |
– |
$5 |
$10 |
Loyalty Program
SETAC cherishes its loyal members and offers extra benefits to those who continue their membership year after year. Full members with a continued membership of more than one year will receive a discount on meeting registration fees.
When SETAC transitions to the new membership categories in July, all current SETAC members will automatically become Loyal Full Members and can benefit from these reductions right away! So make sure you renew your membership to lock in your discount.
Additional Highlights
The new system will allow us to customize the experience of members leading to better engagement and collaboration to support SETAC’s mission.
Starting in July, Interest Group membership will be available for Explorer and Full members only. If you are a member of one or more of SETAC’s Interest Groups and not a member of SETAC, come July, you will have to make sure you join, either at the Explorer level or as Full member. With this change, we aim to increase the value of Interest Group membership and the facilities provided to its members.
I would like to conclude with acknowledging the strategic leadership of all Geographic Units and the SETAC World Council who directed SETAC to initiate these important changes. And I would like to thank the SETAC team who worked diligently to prepare for this major revamp of our society’s backbone. The Association Management System and website will serve as an all-in-one platform and online portal for our members across the globe and remove administrative burdens. I trust that this major investment pays off by offering you a greater choice, better services and a more user-friendly website.
Author’s contact: [email protected]
