Undergrads finally have a reason to join ACS
by mitch on May 05 2008 (1854 Views)When approached by undergraduates whether they should join ACS, I usually advise them to save their money. In the current setup, student members are 2nd class members of the ACS hierarchy. The benefits for being an undergraduate member are none, I really can’t think of any and I’ve been a student member for awhile. At the recent ACS-New Orleans meeting a rules change was passed to give undergraduates and graduate students almost full membership status. The only limitation, from perusing the bylaws, is they can’t hold an elected national office.
It’ll be interesting to see if this has the effect of incorporating student members into the governance structures of ACS. Being a graduate student I still find it impossible to get onto any ACS committees. Which is understandable, why would a division committee want none PhDs. We’ll see if this really changes anything.
C&EN coverage by Linda Raber: Council Approves Membership Overhaul
Constitution and Bylaws affected: Petition on Membership Categories & Requirements
Mitch
Update: Here is a list of councilors that voted against Student Members. 
Ex Officio Councilors: Gordon L. Nelson; Attila E. Pavlath
Agricultural & Food Chemistry: Michael J. Morello, Sara J. Risch
Analytical Chemistry: Alanah Fitch
Biological Chemistry: Felicia A. Etzkorn
Chemical Health & Safety: Kathryn G. Benedict
Environmental Chemistry: Martha J. M. Wells
History of Chemistry: Mary Virginia Orna
Industrial & Engineering Chemistry: Spiro D. Alexandratos; Kenneth L. Nash
Medicinal Chemistry: Peter R. Bernstein; Gunda I. Georg; Richard A. Gibbs
Physical Chemistry: Paul W. Jagodzinski
Professional Relations: John K. Borchardt
Rubber Division: Robert A. Pett
California: Rollie J. Myers Jr.; James M. Postma
Central North Carolina: Robert A. Yokley
Central Texas: Barry J. Streusand
Central Utah: Steven A. Fleming
Central Wisconsin: C. Marvin Lang
Chattanooga: Maurice R. Smith
Chicago: Mark C. Cesa; David S. Crumrine; Herbert S. Golinkin; Russell W. Johnson; Barbara E. Moriarty
Cleveland: Samina Azad
Colorado: Sandra J. Bonetti; Susan M. Schelble
Columbus: Theresa A. Huston
Connecticut Valley: Tyson A. Miller; Ronald J. Wikholm
Detroit: Walter O. Siegl
Idaho: Charles A. Allen
Inland Northwest: Jeffrey A. Rahn
Kalamazoo: Lydia E. M. Hines
Kentucky Lake: S. K. Airee
Louisiana: Jack H. Stocker
Louisville: James F. Tatera
Maryland: Charles F. Rowell
Minnesota: Lynn G. Hartshorn; Sarah M. Mullins; Wayne C. Wolsey
Nebraska: Michael D. Mosher
North Carolina: James L. Chao; Alvin L. Crumbliss
North Central Oklahoma: Joe D. Allison
North Jersey: Michael M. Miller
Northeastern: Patrick M. Gordon; S. B. Rajur; Alfred Viola
Pensacola: Allan M. Ford
Portland: Angela Hoffman
Rock River: Dennis N. Kevill
Santa Clara Valley: Linda S. Brunauer; Ferenc Makra
Savannah River: Christopher J. Bannochie
Sioux Valley: Jetty L. Duffy-Matzner
South Central Missouri: Frank D. Blum
South Jersey: Guenter Niessen
Southeastern Pennsylvania: James Foresman
Southern California: Rita R. Boggs; Stanley H. Pine
Upper Peninsula: Ann L. Kemppainen
Wabash Valley: Frank A. Guthrie
Western Michigan: Mark Thomson
I was thinking of joining but I’ll hold out until I go to a national meeting. That way the school covers the membership for me.
The school might cover registration fees at a national meeting, but they definitely won’t cover membership dues.
My school does not directly cover the membership dues. However, the ACS Student Association at my school does, and they get a budget from the Chemistry Department yearly from sales of Gen Chem lab manuals. So in essence my school does pay membership dues.
But what the ACS SA spends the money on is totally up to them, and they spend it on that for certain students as well as a lot of other stuff.