AIBS has announced a new webinar, Building Resilient Scientific Societies: The Contribution of Retired Members to Academic Societies, which will take place October 28, 2020 at 2:00pm ET.
Date:
October 28, 2020
Time:
2:00 - 3:00 PM Eastern (this program will be recorded)
Moderator:
Diane Bosnjak, Membership Manager, AIBS
Who can attend:
AIBS Council Representatives, Elected Leadership, or Staff of AIBS and NSCA member organizations.
Discussion:
This meeting will discuss how professional societies can engage retired scientists.
Presenters:
Pamela Diggle, Botanical Society of America and University of Connecticut
Charles B. Fenster, 2020 AIBS President and South Dakota State University
Marvalee H. Wake, 2005 AIBS President and University of California, Berkeley
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has caused significant economic and operational disruptions for scientific societies and science-serving organizations. Some of the effects of the pandemic will be relatively short-lived, but other impacts will influence the sustainability and operations of scientific societies for years to come.
While some organizations may withstand economic losses from meeting cancellations, they may not weather the effects of reduced revenue from journal subscriptions or member dues. Other organizations are struggling to retain engagement from volunteer leadership and to ensure that future leaders are prepared to guide organizations through increasingly tumultuous times. Some professional communities are trying to understand how to retain global engagement during a period of restricted travel. These are but a few of the significant issues facing scientific society leaders.
A common challenge for all organizations is a lack of good information and best practices for how to navigate catastrophic disruptions.
The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) invites representatives of its member societies and organizations to join colleagues in a series of virtual Council Meetings with presentations and facilitated discussions that will empower the leadership of biology serving organizations to guide their societies through this chaotic period.
Topics include, but are not limited to:
- Identifying factors that lead to resiliency
- Meeting planning in an era of uncertainty
- Financial planning and reserve management
- Membership engagement
- Leadership development and recruitment
- Operating virtually
- Cultivating and supporting organizational leadership<
- Risk mitigation through collaboration
- Finding the silver linings
These discussions are an opportunity for leaders of scientific societies and organizations to share concerns, identify best practices, and exchange resources. These programs will also help AIBS better serve and advocate for our members.
The program will be recorded and made available to AIBS Council Representatives who are unable to participate in the live program.
Future programs will be announced in the coming weeks. Discussions and recommendations from these programs will help inform the agenda for the 2020 AIBS Council Meeting, Strengthening the Bioeconomy, which will take place on December 10, 2020.