[ASA_PEWS] Supporting PEWS Section Membership

Tue Jul 28 10:35:41 PDT 2020

Dear PEWS members,

An important membership deadline is upon us: Friday, July 31 is the last day to purchase a gift ASA for a student and/or section membership for a student or a colleague.

The PEWS member count currently sits at 279. When we reach 300, our section will receive an additional session for the 2021 ASA meeting, as well as additional resources for the section budget. Given the pandemic and budget cuts, I think that we are doing well in terms of our member count at this point. Nevertheless, this is the time to purchase any gift memberships.

If your department has an ASA membership, then your department can secure a free 2020 ASA membership for new students (i.e., those who were new in the 2019-2020 academic year). Then, a PEWS membership can be purchased for a student for just $8. I did this yesterday for a few of our graduate students. This is both a relatively easy way to boost our members count as well as to introduce graduate students to our section and scholarly community.

Below is information from ASA on how to purchase a gift membership. Please consider doing this before Friday, if you are able to do so. I have also included information from ASA on how to give new students an ASA membership if your department has an ASA membership.

I hope that you are all doing well and staying healthy. Please take care, and I hope to see you virtually at the PEWS meeting on Tuesday, August 11 as we recognize the winners of section awards.

Best,
Bill

I. Instructions for Gift Memberships

Gift Memberships – July 31

ASA members can gift an ASA membership for students or a section membership for existing ASA members of any membership type by logging into https://asa.enoah.com<https://asa.enoah.com/>. The earlier you give a gift membership, the longer the member has to enjoy the benefits of membership and learn more about the section.

To purchase a gift ASA membership for students
Once you have accessed the member portal, please click “Purchase a gift membership for a student” under Contribute/Give. Students can be searched by name through the online member database. A new contact record can be created by the member making the gift if the student is not found in the database.

Your gift will be redeemable by the recipient for an ASA student membership. Your gift recipient will receive the gift credit via email immediately after your purchase. Please note that gift recipients will need to complete a membership form through the ASA member portal in order to redeem the gift membership. Gift memberships are not refundable if unredeemed within 30 days of purchase. Gift memberships are not tax deductible.

The deadline for a 2020 gift ASA membership for students is July 31, 2020.

To purchase a gift section membership for a student or a colleague
Once you have accessed the member portal, please click “Purchase a gift section membership” under Contribute/Give.

Select the section and search for your recipient by first and last name. Section membership requires 2020 ASA membership. Only 2020 ASA members who do not already have a membership in that section are eligible to receive a gift. Your recipient will receive an email immediately after your payment with notification of the section gift. Your name will be included in this message. If the recipient declines the gift within 30 days of receipt, you will receive a refund by mail. Please note that section gift recipients do not need to take any action to redeem gift section membership. Gifts are not tax deductible.

The deadline for a 2020 gift section membership is July 31, 2020.

II. Instructions for Departments with ASA membership to Give New Students an ASA membership

It’s not too late for your 2019-2020 first-year graduate students to become 2020 ASA members at no cost. This is exclusive benefit for ASA Department Affiliates will give your first-year students all the same benefits as other ASA student members.

To give your 2019-2020 first-year graduate students access to this benefit:

1.    Log in to the ASA website with your department's ID and password.

2.    Under the Graduate Department Resources heading, click the link that says "Activate free ASA membership for your first-year graduate students."

3.    List the names and contact information for students who entered your program in 2019-2020. The students will receive an email with instructions on how to redeem their free membership for 2020.

4.    Follow-up with your students to encourage them to redeem their membership.

When your department renews its affiliate membership for 2020-2021, your incoming first-year students will have access to this benefit for 2021. For now, don’t leave your 2019-2020 students behind. Help them connect with leading sociologists and develop their professional skills—submit their names today.

*******************************
Bill Winders
Professor of Sociology
Director of Graduate Studies
School of History and Sociology
Georgia Tech
221 Bobby Dodd Way
Atlanta, GA 30332-0225
(404) 894-8401

Books:
Global Meat<https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/global-meat> (MIT Press, 2019)
Grains<http://politybooks.com/bookdetail/?isbn=9780745688039&subject_id=2> (Polity Press, 2017)
The Politics of Food Supply<http://yalebooks.com/book/9780300181869/politics-food-supply> (Yale University Press, 2009)