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being a member of the AIA or associate AIA, is it worth it?

ArchNyen

pros and cons?

thanks,

 
May 26, 14 3:55 pm
LITS4FormZ
Are you paying for it? Or will your firm reimburse?
May 26, 14 4:02 pm  · 
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haruki

Are you a boring old guy who wants to associate with other boring old guys? Are you not preoccupied with the all engaging work of trying your hardest to put good buildings out into the world and thus have extra time on your hands to waste?  If so perhaps it is worth becoming a member. 

May 26, 14 4:16 pm  · 
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quizzical

The only real answer that makes any sense depends totally on whether you would (or would be able to) be an active participant -- meaning, getting involved in committee work at the local, state and/or national level. One only gets out of AIA what one is willing to put in.

I was very active in AIA for 25+ years and that participation was one of the great experiences of my life. It enabled me to meet people I otherwise never would have met; to participate in the life of the profession in ways I otherwise never would have been able to participate; and learn - in a very meaningful way - about aspects of our profession that I otherwise would not have been able to learn. However, I put a lot of time and energy into this activity, so it was an investment. For me, the investment paid off.

I know many other members of the profession who won't (or can't) participate actively -- for those individuals, membership is almost always a waste of their dues money.

May 26, 14 4:25 pm  · 
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What quizzical said. Even if my firm didn't pay membership dues I'd gladly pay to be a member. I've met friends, had some good opportunities come about, and have seen some great programs/taken ARE classes through AIA Chicago. Like anything else, you get what you put into it.
May 26, 14 6:20 pm  · 
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geezertect

Pros:  Networking possibilities (per quizzical's comments), some continuing education opportunities, and the right to put A.I.A. after your name, which the public has been led to believe means higher qualifications (like a doctor being board certified).

Cons:  Expensive considering how weak the organization is and how frustratingly out of touch with reality it sometimes is.

The Pros might be worth it if you believe you will pursue a fairly standard career as a practicing architect.  If your interests or the state of the economy push you in another direction (construction management, developer, municipal bureaucrat or such) then the advantages aren't as compelling.

Just one old fart's opinion.

May 26, 14 8:19 pm  · 
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ArchNyen

Thanks everyone for the feedback and comments; very helpful...

A follow up question. How helpful/significant will being a member of the AIA count towards IDP credit/hours? What is the max credit/hours have you earn through AIA in a year?

May 27, 14 5:57 pm  · 
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Janosh

Pretty sure you can't get IDP credits solely for being an AIA member. 

May 28, 14 1:21 am  · 
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A.I.

Along the same lines.. If you do become an AIA Associate, would you include that after your name.  Would it be proper to? (since associate just means you're a member and not actually registered or licensed)

May 28, 14 4:59 am  · 
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Being an AIA member does not earn you any CEU's.  Most chapters offer free CEU courses during their monthly program, so it is possible to network and fulfill CEU requirements all at once.  The AIA does track your CEUs for you, so if you get audited by your state you can turn over your AIA record as proof that you are fulfilling your CEU requirements.

Note: joining the AIA is not about networking for *clients*. You will likely never meet an actual client *at* an AIA event.  The networking is about knowing what is going on in your local industry and who is involved.  What does happen, often, is that you will get to know other firms through AIA events, and they get to know you and what you do.  Then at least two options open up:

1. The other firm gets a line on a project that is too small/not appropriate for them, so they pass it on to you and/or

2. The other firm has an opening and knows your skillset and personality, so they offer you a lateral move.

As many above have said: what matters is what effort YOU are willing to put in to it.  When I've been a non-active AIA member (in my previous city) I was damn glad my firm paid for it because it was pretty meaningless to me.  When I have been, as I am currently, very active (serving on committees and Board, going to every monthly meeting), I've gained so much from the experience and connections that I can't imagine not joining every year now.

And yes, if you're Associate AIA you do put that on your business cards. Also, as a recent grad your local chapter most likely has a fee arrangement that will help you, especially if you volunteer to serve on committee. In fact some chapters do this as a matter of course: in exchange for fee subsidy, you volunteer time.  Call your local chapter Executive Director or President - or check your local chapter website to see if they list who is in charge of membership - and give them a call.  Despite common stereotyping (by many here), the AIA is generally NOT an exclusive old-boys' club: they want you to join.

May 28, 14 8:56 am  · 
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Sorry, Quan Nyen Tran, I misread.  You do not earn any IDP credits for being on the AIA, unless they still have a volunteer hours requirement, for which you could claim any time you spend on a committee.

May 28, 14 8:57 am  · 
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quizzical

As a supplement to my earlier post, AIA offers a large amount of continuing education webinars "free of charge" to members. Each year, I am able to pretty much satisfy my continuing ed requirements -- both for AIA and for my state licenses -- without any additional cost simply by periodically scheduling webinars during my lunch break. If for no other reason (and there are many) this feature - plus the CES transcript system Donna mentions above - makes my membership dues worthwhile.

Of course, if you're not an AIA member or licensed, this benefit is of little real value beyond the educational value of the programs.

May 28, 14 7:22 pm  · 
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A.I.

Thank you for the info Donna.

May 29, 14 3:42 am  · 
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It's worth noting that new graduates can become associate AIA members free of charge. More info here: http://www.aia.org/join/assoc-newgrad/

And if you've joined the AIA within the past year, you also get free registration for the big national convention in Chicago.

I'm fortunate to be in a city with a very active AIA chapter (NYC), with lectures and panel discussions happening throughout the week, and an active committee of emerging architects with ARE study groups, seminars on how to navigate the licensure process, etc. And of course, there are the professional and social networking opportunities.

It's definitely been worth it for me. If you're a new grad and can take advantage of the free membership deal, there's really no reason not to join even if your local chapter isn't as active.

May 29, 14 8:03 am  · 
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Our local Young Architects Forum YAF (an AIA committee) is doing really cool, supportive programming for those working towards licensure.

May 29, 14 11:45 am  · 
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OH MY GOD NOT EVEN KIDDING I *just* got an audit letter in the mail from my state Board! They randomly selected me to verify I'm meeting my CEU requirements, as they do!!! I'm calling our AIA Exec a Director tomorrow yo see about getting my transcript sent over!
May 29, 14 5:54 pm  · 
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quizzical

Donna - you should be able to view your entire 'lifetime' transcript online at AIA.org -- specifically at: http://aia.learnflex.net/users/index.aspx  -- I just looked at my own record going back to 1997.

You can filter by specific date periods and print out a transcript for the exact period covered by your audit.

Actually, this is one of the things that AIA does right.

Good luck -- hope you have reported all the LUs you need !

May 29, 14 7:56 pm  · 
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