Senior Member Program: Volunteer Resources
The following page provides an overview and explanation of the different facets of the IEEE Senior Member Program.
Nominate a Senior Member Initiative
Goal: The Nominate a Senior Member Initiative was designed to encourage all IEEE Sections and Societies to become actively involved in promoting the Senior Member grade.
This initiative aims to:
- Encourage grade advancement in IEEE
- Simplify the application process
- Offer financial incentives for approved Senior member applications
- Offer increased benefits for Senior membership
Deadline: To qualify for the 2021 Nominate A Senior Member Initiative, Senior member application and reference forms must have been completed no later than 13 November 2021.
Reward Structure and Administration: Nominating Sections and Societies that nominate at least five successful new Senior members will be awarded US$10 for each Senior member they nominate who is approved for elevation to Senior member in 2021. No rebate will be awarded if it is for less than US$50. To be credited as the nominating entity, the name of the Section or Society must be entered in the nominations portion of the application form. There can only be one nominating entity for each elevation. If there is no entity nominator listed, none will be credited and none can be added retroactively. If the nominating entity listed is a subsection or a combined entity, the incentive will be awarded to the Section the subsection belongs to, or to the first entity cited.
Rewards will be tracked on an ongoing basis for all applications received by 13 November 2021 and successfully approved by the Admission and Advancement Committee. Incentive reward payments will be paid out in early 2022.
Why the Senior Member Initiative: It has been demonstrated that there is a relationship between the grade a member holds and that member's likelihood to keep their IEEE membership. The higher the grade, the more likely they are to renew.
Below is the 2020 Retention Rate Table.
| IEEE Grade | 2020 Membership Year Retention Rate |
|---|---|
| Fellow | 97.9% |
| Honorary | 100.0% |
| Life Fellow | 94.4% |
| Life Member |
93.2% |
| Life Senior Member | 93.9% |
| Senior Member | 94.0% |
| Member | 71.9% |
| Associate Member | 52.8% |
| Graduate Student Member | 49.7% |
| Student Member | 21.5% |
| Grand Total | 66.5% |
Benefits to IEEE Sections and Societies
- Many executive volunteer offices require that a member hold Senior Member grade.
- Senior members provide leadership on a volunteer basis.
- The percentage and number of IEEE Senior members reflects the competence and prestige of IEEE and its products and services.
- Senior members have an average retention rate of 94%.
- A greater percentage of Senior members belong to IEEE Societies than do other IEEE member grades.
- Senior members volunteer at a higher percentage rate than do other grades of IEEE members.
Best practices for Sections and Societies
- Encourage qualified members to apply for Senior member (SM) elevation.
- Use OU Analytics to identify potential SM candidates and assist applicants in identifying SM references.
- List SM requirements in newsletters and on web pages.
- Assist candidates in finding Senior members and Fellows who can serve as references.
- Conduct SM elevation events at least twice a year; see the Membership Development Manual (PDF, 1 MB).
- Explain the qualifications and have applicants complete applications at a special Senior Member Nomination/Elevation session.
- Have Fellows and Senior members on hand to meet applicants, and for applicants to acquire the references needed.
- Encourage newly elected Senior members to take an active role serving as references.
- Form Senior member nominating committees in every Section to nominate worthy members for Senior member elevation.
- Send an email notice to potential Senior member candidates encouraging them to apply for Senior membership.
- Hold annual awards banquets or dinners and invite newly inducted IEEE Fellows and Senior members to give them their due recognition. Present them with a certificate, include their names in the program, or simply read out their names to the assembled guests. Don't forget to publish their names in the Section or Society's newsletter or web page as well.
Statistics and metrics
2021 Regional Statistics of Senior Member Elevations
| Region | Membership as of 31 December 2020 (Member grade) | 2021 Senior Member Goal | YTD SM Elevations as of October 2021 |
Percentage to Goal |
| 1 | 13,774 | 190 | 142 | 74.7% |
| 2 | 12,568 | 160 | 125 | 78.1% |
| 3 | 12,907 | 220 | 377 | 171.4% |
| 4 | 9,643 | 170 | 127 | 74.7% |
| 5 | 13,217 | 160 | 119 | 74.4% |
| 6 | 26,012 | 470 | 274 | 58.3% |
| 7 | 8,446 | 150 | 90 | 60.0% |
| 8 | 37,025 | 830 | 746 | 89.9% |
| 9 | 6,926 | 150 | 137 | 91.3% |
| 10 | 62,619 | 1,500 | 1,800 | 120.0% |
| Total IEEE | 203,137 | 4,000 | 3,937 | 98.4% |
Join the Membership Development Volunteers Community in Collabratec™ to:
- Post your questions
- Start discussions about MD efforts
- Share best practices
- Receive the MD Monthly report, and other important announcements that impact your MD efforts.
Network. Collaborate. Create.
All within one central hub - with exclusive features for IEEE members.