ARPAS is about creating a culture of integrity in our industry by virtue of our commitment to a code of ethics and maintaining professional accreditation. Membership is the key element because it contributes to our critical mass in the industry. Thus, membership has to be the key objective in a multi-faceted approach.
Graduate Students. Forty-six universities, including five in Canada, have been contacted and a faculty member agreed to present to departmental graduate students why to become an ARPAS member. Graduate students are the primary target for several reasons: they have the highest exam passage rate, the ARPAS Foundation pays their $25 exam fee the first time they take the exam, and once a member they are more likely to continue as a member for their career. In fact, some of the faculty members I have contacted said that is when they became an ARPAS member. A PowerPoint set and a 1-page flyer about membership were provided for these presentations to graduate students. I attended one of those virtual presentations last December and offer to do so for others too. The big challenge is to get the graduate students to actually take the exam. That requires some follow-up to get this as a priority for them. The pandemic has hampered contact with graduate students and their gathering as a group in many cases. The link for this exam process is www.arpas.org/Becoming-a-Member/ARPAS-Online-Exams
Highly Qualified Individuals (HQI). An alternate route for ARPAS membership to taking a qualifying exam is now available for HQI individuals. A key question is what is your group, organization, company, university department’s number of ARPAS members? If every ARPAS member would nominate just one HQI person, the impact on ARPAS membership would be astonishing! Please nominate a person (s) who you feel is worthy of ARPAS membership. Membership Information (arpas.org)
Sponsorship. ARPAS is blessed this year with 22 sponsors, including for the symposium. The full listing of current sponsors is below with links to their website. Is your group or you on the listing? There is still time to become a 2023 sponsor and be recognized for next year. www.arpas.org/Sponsors/Annual-Registry-Sponsorship
Demographics. There will be a more refined and more useful demographic template for new and renewing membership. We simply need to know more about who our members are, and what areas might need more attention and help to increase. We will share some of this information of our membership as it becomes more available.
Annual Meeting. This year, we were able to meet in person in conjunction with the ADSA meeting in Kansas City. Then we motored to relatively nearby Oklahoma City for the ASAS meeting. At both venues, there was an ARPAS booth, and two-three sessions were provided at each place for taking the ARPAS qualifying exam.
What thoughts do you have for what ARPAS can do, do better, or not do at all? Contact me at andhil@swbell.net or 314-495-8939.