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Post by drbearjew on Nov 27, 2012 12:07:21 GMT -5
Can anyone confirm that they raised the rates from last year? Both membership and conference registration appear to be higher than before. So do the journal subscription fees. But I don't have the best memory.
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Post by studentfeeup on Nov 27, 2012 12:24:59 GMT -5
The student member fee is higher - I paid $20 last year, and now it's $50. The student journal fee is the same. I don't know about any other increases.
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Post by nonesense on Nov 27, 2012 13:11:17 GMT -5
Did fees for regular members go up as well? Or is this just another f*ck you to all the soon to be unemployed grad students?
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Post by drbearjew on Nov 27, 2012 13:14:02 GMT -5
Did fees for regular members go up as well? Or is this just another f*ck you to all the soon to be unemployed grad students? That's what I was wondering. It looks like fees for regular members increased. Also, though they are tiered to income levels (something I haven't noticed before), even the bottom tiers appear to be expensive compared to years past. |
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Post by anonymous on Nov 27, 2012 15:23:03 GMT -5
Yes, this issue resulted in a lot of discussion in the spring and summer of 2011. I was able to dig up one post from orgtheory, I know there was much more discussion there. Disgruntled commentary focused on how the ASA was handling its finances. Leadership from the ASA then issued a series of statements and explanations. The new fee structure was approved by a vote of the membership in 2011, with the changes scheduled to go into effect for 2013. |
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Post by hellyeah on Nov 27, 2012 18:45:36 GMT -5
is this just another f*ck you to all the soon to be unemployed grad students? +1 for that!  Do they have sliding scales for unemployed graduates like other associations? If not, shame on them. |
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Post by laughthroughit on Nov 28, 2012 14:00:52 GMT -5
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Post by student fee not up on Nov 28, 2012 15:12:58 GMT -5
The student member fee is higher - I paid $20 last year, and now it's $50. The student journal fee is the same. I don't know about any other increases. No, the student fee did not rise. It used to be $20, but with a required $30 journal subscription the total was $50. Now the flat fee for students is $50, and it includes a journal subscription. The previous structure did not have an "unemployed" category, but for those making less that $20,000 the cost was $71 ($26 plus a required $45 journal subscription). The new "unemployed" category lowered the fee to $50, and it still includes a journal subscription. In effect, the rates for unemployed members went down, not up. I'm not defending the new fee structure or the increases, but some of the knee-jerk reactions suggesting that the ASA is sending a " f*ck you to all the soon to be unemployed grad students" are off the mark. Save your victimhood for something grounded in reality. |
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Post by nonissue on Nov 28, 2012 17:30:28 GMT -5
Whether the fees went up or not I think it is safe to say that you get very little return on your investment.
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Post by asstprof on Jan 3, 2013 20:46:36 GMT -5
$230 to renew my membership? Not worth it.
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Post by Income on Jan 4, 2013 12:10:23 GMT -5
How "honest" are people when checking the income box for ASA dues? And what are people basing this on; one's supposed full salary before taxes? After taxes? After student loans?
This seems so arbitrary. The salary of someone making 55K with no debt and no kids is not the same as a single mom paying off 100K in student loans.
I would think the ASA would rather have people check a lower than "true" box and join, than not join because their category has become cost prohibitive.
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Post by Tea Party on Jan 4, 2013 14:55:26 GMT -5
Bunch of Tea Party sociologists. LOL.
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Post by Huh on Jan 4, 2013 15:24:41 GMT -5
I don't get your comment. Are you implying that people's complaints concerning the prohibitive cost (and also general worthlessness) of ASA membership are somehow on par with the Tea Party?
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Post by Tea Party on Jan 4, 2013 16:17:44 GMT -5
My comment was half serious.
I do believe that the ASA needs to work on cost control. Fees are too high, IMO.
That said, what does the Tea Party believe in? Lower taxation, the destruction of income redistribution, and the privatization of public services.
What do ASA fees pay for? They help subsidize student/unemployed memberships (i.e., redistribution), they fund public relations, lobbying, and data gathering on the state of our discipline (i.e., public goods), and they help fund scholarships and fellowships (more redistribution).
So... when people talk about "tax avoidance" and how their fees are bad "investments," then, yes, the Tea-Party label fits the bill.
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Post by idiot on Jan 4, 2013 17:51:02 GMT -5
My comment was half serious. I do believe that the ASA needs to work on cost control. Fees are too high, IMO. That said, what does the Tea Party believe in? Lower taxation, the destruction of income redistribution, and the privatization of public services. What do ASA fees pay for? They help subsidize student/unemployed memberships (i.e., redistribution), they fund public relations, lobbying, and data gathering on the state of our discipline (i.e., public goods), and they help fund scholarships and fellowships (more redistribution). So... when people talk about "tax avoidance" and how their fees are bad "investments," then, yes, the Tea-Party label fits the bill. Am I a tea party sociologist for noticing that the membership fee that I pay as a barely employed adjunct sociologist (125 for my salary range, plus any section memberships I'd like to join - my total came out to close to $200) is much higher than that of any comparable organizations? At my income, membership in the APSR would be $97. And section memberships at the APSR are not only cheaper, but generally include subscription to the section's journal (as opposed to the "newsletter" most sections have at ASA). MLA? $73. AEA? $20. And then I get the privilege of paying $200 to preregister for the annual conference, as opposed to 195 for the APSR, $150 for the MLA, or $65 for the AEA. Now, the difference in costs might not seem that great. But keep in mind that we are paying more for less. All these other associations have useful employment services, full access to teaching resources (as opposed to having to pay $25 more for access to TRAILS) and so on. So much for redistribution... But I guess only a tea party sociologist would be concerned about that. |
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