As announced previously, Project Phoenix has begun. We’ve received the results of our initial survey and have spent some time reviewing what was said. STC President Michael Hughes will have a blog post soon with a link to the results and an explanation of what we’re doing with them. But I wanted to touch on one specific way Project Phoenix is already bearing results for you!
The survey results—combined with many individual communications through phone calls; emails; postings on Ning, Facebook, LinkedIn, and STC’s Notebook; and leadership input—tell us members want:
- Value for their money
- Practical information for their jobs
- Access to top-level educational opportunities
- The ability to connect with each other, virtually and in person
Members want STC to be a voice for the profession. They want STC to create a climate where technical communicators are valued—and hired—for their expertise. And members want a sense of passion—of caring about the profession and each other as professionals.
The communities suggested the Basic membership package should include one chapter and one SIG membership. Others suggested added value, such as the new Gold membership package introduced in 2009 with a host of benefits bundled into the dues.
As a result we have new and exciting Basic and Gold membership packages for 2011.
The Basic dues will remain the same for 2011 as in 2010. For $250, the 2011 membership package will include:
- One Chapter membership ($25 value)
- One SIG membership ($10 value)
- Two free archived seminars ($98 value)
- Electronic version of Technical Communication
- Electronic version of Intercom
- STC’s Notebook blog (open to all for public access)
- Free Basic listing in the STC Buyers’ Guide to Products and Services ($100 value)
- 10% discount on select MadCap products and 15% discount on select ComponentOne products
- Advance viewing of jobs posted on the STC Career Center
- Preferred pricing on live web seminars, online certificate courses, Technical Communication Summit, and SUMMIT@aClick
(The STC Board remains committed to choice in dues for the Basic membership package. While this package includes community membership, members can choose to opt out when renewing.)
The Gold Membership package is a bargain at $395—for a package worth more than $1,200. You save over $800 and get everything in the Basic package (including Chapter and SIG membership), PLUS:
- Five free live web seminars ($395 value)
- 50% off one online certificate course or SUMMIT certificate course ($298 value)
- Free Premium listing in the STC Buyers’ Guide to Products and Services ($250 value)
- Free access to the STC Salary Database and sortable spreadsheets ($30 value)
The renewal period starts on 1 October and we have a host of new and exciting developments to unveil in 2011 with Project Phoenix.
I’m extremely excited about Project Phoenix and look forward to an even greater STC in 2011 and beyond!
Nice changes! I do suggest not including things like STC Notebook as a member benefit. We need to distinguish between paid benefits and the things STC does in support for technical communication globally. Notebook falls in the latter bucket, not the former. As we advocate membership and its benefits, we should also consciously advocate what STC as a whole offers to the world in advocacy of technical communication. I believe that is in part being a voice for the profession.
I missed this detail in my comment… What about those who do not/cannot join a chapter? Will basic membership allow them to substitute a SIG or two in place of the chapter?
But, I see this opens another can of worms that we’ve been dealing with for years… the chapter/SIG division of community models just doesn’t work. I’ve made my proposals year over year for changing this. Rather than go into detail, they are basically:
Option 1: leave chapter as an OPTION, and do away with SIGs as a community and change focus/purpose to leave them open to all members as think tanks of sorts, and figure out a new funding model for them as a full membership benefit.
Option 2: do away with distinguishing between chapters and SIGs and call them communities, and make them the same price to join.
You are all now free to flame away. I can take it. 😉
Bill, I like option 2. I thought we were heading in that direction; why not just go there? Pardon my ignorance, but what makes chapter membership cost $25 and SIGs $10? Btw, I really like getting the archived webinars as part of the package.
Bill,
You hit the nail on the head. Some members just don’t want to be a member of a chapter and some members don’t want to be a member of a SIG. This is why the board is committed to community membership choice and why there is an opt-out function on the renewal form.
Here’s how it works:
If you do not want to be a member of a chapter, you can opt out of chapter membership and the amount you owe will be automatically deducted ($250-$25=$225.) If you do not want to be a member of a SIG, you can opt out of SIG membership and the amount you owe will be automatically deducted ($250-$10=$240.) Opting out of both reduces it even more ($250-$25-$10=$215.)
Extra chapters and/or extra SIGs are still available for a la carte purchase, just as they were previously. If you opt out of a chapter and you want two SIGs, you pick the primary SIG on the form (which is included in the Basic membership package), pick a second SIG, and you will automatically owe an additional $10 for the second SIG. ($250-$25+$10=$235.)
You bring up a very interesting model that changes the SIGs into think tanks of sort and removes the “membership” option. Quite a number of associations use that model.
Also, a number of associations have eliminated having multiple SIGs in favor of having just one “think tank” to allow discussion relating to all topics affecting the profession. All members would be eligible to participate in this group.
Another possibility is having two profession-wide large discussion groups: one open to members and nonmembers where only professional issues are discussed, and one open only to members in which more STC-centric issues could also be discussed.
There are many interesting ideas that STC might consider for the future!
Thanks for the clarification.
the think tank model for SIGs is grounded in need and value. Over the years we’ve seen communities flourish and others tank. Those who buy into a flourishing one get a lot back for their investment. Those who buy into a tanked community feel jilted, and are less likely to invest in another.
By opening SIGs up to all paying members, we can refocus the SIGs into groups that feed the greater good of the Society, and ones that can inform and review the BoK as it grows. Sure, we can do that now, but with a buy-in model, we may not be able to catch the right people to help out. After all, the buy-in model has born two mindsets among SIGs: 1 is to be open regardless of buy-in, and the other is to be closed to anyone who is not a paying SIG member (hoarding info/value, so to speak).
By looking at a different funding model to make all SIGs open, we have the potential to really ad significant value to STC membership.
There has been a retired/senior citizen discount. Will it be offered again this year? Please say Yes.
Yes, there are still plans for retired members and student members. Please see the dues information chart on https://www.stc.org/membership/renew-your-stc-membership.asp for details. However, you’ll need to contact the membership department to confirm eligibility, at membership@stc.org.