Geoscientist Online

Geoscientist 19.9 September 2009

As those who attended the AGM on 3 June this year will know, Council has decided to freeze Fellowship fees for most categories in 2010, to assist Fellows as much as possible during the current economic downturn.

At the same time, Council also approved a move to make the standard Fellowship subscription cover online access to journals only, and to introduce a £10 supplement for all those wishing to continue receiving a printed version. The proposal to introduce the supplementary charge for hard copy was raised at the AGM and met with no dissent.

The impact of these difficult economic times is being felt by the Society as it is by many of our Fellows. The concern for 2010 is to tighten control of costs while at the same time offering an affordable Fellowship fee. The print and postal distribution of journals to Fellows constitutes a considerable expense and is an obvious area for cost-saving, particularly as many Fellows have made it clear over the years that they find the compulsory delivery of a paper journal oppressive. Council has taken the view that now is the right time to adopt a more environmentally sensitive approach to journal circulation.

Most publishers agree and are now moving towards the adoption of online as standard, and Council believes that the majority of Fellows will be happy to receive online-only access. Council also believes it is only fair that the anticipated minority still wishing to receive a print copy should contribute to the cost of doing so. Ted Nield

Online renewals

Edmund Nickless writes: In October we are hoping to be able to offer all Fellows the option to renew their Fellowship online via the Society’s website. This online renewal process will be easy to use and will involve a few simple steps. After logging in, a Fellow will have access to Fellowship renewals where they will be able to review their membership details, make changes to their journal subscriptions, then pay by direct debit (including instalment plans) or by credit/debit card.

If you would like to take up the option to renew your Fellowship online and not receive a hard copy invoice please could you confirm by September 7 to [email protected]. We will ensure that you are included in the list of Fellows to be sent an electronic renewal call only.