About Membership
MEMBERSHIP IS FOR EVERYONE INTERESTED IN EMERGY RESEARCH
Membership is open to those whose activities are consistent with the purpose of the organization, specifically, members must have an interest in performing research using the emergy methodology, be engaged in emergy research, the application of emergy research in decision-making or be seeking the training to allow them to begin engaging in such activities. All members are entitled to vote in the affairs of the nonprofit corporation and to be counted toward a quorum in any meeting of the membership. All regular members are entitled to serve as members of the Executive Council. There are four classes of membership: regular, student, honorary, and emeritus. Regular membership is open to those persons who are professionally engaged in emergy research or its application in management. Student members must be students in good standing at any level of educational activity and have an interest in learning the emergy methodology. Honorary membership may be conferred by the Executive Council upon persons recognized for outstanding work or interest in the field of emergy research and/or education. Any ISAER member who is at least 70 years of age may request emeritus membership. Honorary and emeritus members shall not be required to pay dues. Application for membership shall be in writing in such a form as the Executive Council shall prescribe, and shall be submitted to the Secretary. The Secretary will confer membership upon approval of the Executive Council or its representative and receipt of dues by the Treasurer.
BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP
The primary benefit of membership is the use of the ISAER website for the exchange of information on emergy research and as a tool for more closely connecting with the international community of emergy researchers. On this web site we have implemented Buddy Press as a tool that allows the self-organization of research and social networks. Also, on the website we have included the “Emergy Research Clearinghouse”, a direct tool to promote the establishment of connections between potential mentors and mentees in emergy studies and as a tool to establish communication among those with similar research projects or interests. The website is a valuable resource and it holds a compendium of useful information on up-coming events, courses, recently published papers, as well as articles and reviews that may be of interest to our members as well as the public at large. Another benefit of membership is that you become eligible to apply for funds that ISAER provides to support travel to attend the Emergy Research conferences and to fund activities at these conferences, such as the student poster competition. Also, Emergy Society funds have been used to support pilot research projects on topics of particular significance to the emergy community. Membership confers the opportunity to apply for research funds when they are available. In addition, membership is required to attend the Biennial Emergy Research Conferences and to publish in the conference proceedings or special issues of journals that are produced from the presentations given. In general, this requirement is lifted for those who have emergy research to present.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF MEMBERSHIP
Members have the responsibility to pay dues and support the Emergy Society in other ways, when called upon, for example, by becoming a member of a committee or a candidate for the Executive Council. The Executive Council can set dues using emergy measures to insure equal ability to pay or in any other fair and equitable manner. Currently dues are $50 for regular members and $10 for student members. Dues are payable to the Treasurer at the beginning of the calendar year or when requested during the year. Members who owe dues for two years can be dropped from membership, if still delinquent after the annual business meeting. However, in practice, the Emergy Society has a liberal accommodation policy that allows waiving dues for financial hardship, political barriers to exchange and other just reasons. The Executive Council has also instituted a reduced membership fee of $25 to accommodate those for whom paying the regular member fee would constitute a financial hardship. Our financial policies are designed to retain members; and thereby, further the mission of the Emergy Society, which is to promote the communication of knowledge about emergy and transformity.