Membership Committee

I. Purpose

The Membership Committee cooperates with the SAA Executive Director, staff, and the Council to provide advice and counsel on matters of membership recruitment and retention.

II. Committee Selection, Size, and Length of Terms

The Membership Committee shall be composed of a chair, a vice chair/chair-elect, and six additional members to serve in staggered three-year terms. The chair of the Diversity Committee serves as an ex officio member. Standing subcommittees shall be appointed by the chair as needed and shall be chaired by a committee member.

The composition of the committee shall represent as broadly as possible all constituencies within the Society. The committee chair submits recommendations of prospective committee members to SAA's vice president/president-elect for consideration, as well as the name of a third-year committee member to serve as its next vice chair. The vice chair will serve a one-year term, followed by a one-year term as chair.

III. Reporting Procedures

The Membership Committee chair and vice chair must submit an annual report to the Council by December 31. The committee works closely with the SAA Executive Director and staff throughout the year as needed.

IV. Duties and Responsibilities

The Membership Committee is responsible for the following:

• Membership Service. Identifying the needs of members and recommending the development of services to meet those needs.
• Increasing Membership. Recommending means for increasing SAA's membership base, especially among underrepresented groups including, but not limited to, African-Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and Asian/Pacific-Americans.
• Keeping Membership Informed. Recommending to the SAA Executive Director, the Council, and other SAA committees and related associations ways in which to make prospective and current members aware of the resources, services, and membership benefits of SAA.
• Welcoming New Members. Recommending ways to acknowledge new members and to encourage participation in SAA activities. Conducting welcoming activities via the committee's Key Contact program.
  
• Identifying Nonmember Needs and Perceptions. Gathering information on and analyzing non-members’ needs and perceptions of SAA. Recommending ways in which to meet these needs to attract non-members to join SAA.

V. Meetings

The Membership Committee meets at least once during the Annual Meeting and at other times, if necessary.

Approved by the SAA Council: January 1988
Revised: June 1992, June 1997, September 2004; December 2009

See also:
Membership Committee website