Source: RISK newsletter,
Fourth Quarter 1995, published by the Society for Risk Analysis
At the March SRA Council meeting there was an extensive discussion of the current dues structure and the anticipated financial needs of the Society. At the meeting the following points were established. First, the Society's cash reserves are approximately $200,000 below the level that is regarded as necessary for a society of our size. Second, the current dues are significantly below those of similar societies. Third, while the Society has aggressively moved to reduce existing expenses (resulting in a 15% decline in total expenses over the last three years) the Society's current and predicted net income will not provide an appropriate cash reserve for more than six years.
An additional budgetary issue is that SRA has embarked on a two-year effort to expand the editorial leadership for its journal. The current editorial arrangement has provided a unique relationship with Oak Ridge National Laboratory which has minimized, for the Society, the actual cost of operating the editorial office. It is anticipated that a new editor would be unlikely to offer such an arrangement to the Society, nor should the search for an editor be restricted to individuals enjoying government or industry support for that activity. Therefore, the society should plan ahead so that it is able to independently support a high quality journal.
Based upon these findings, the Council unanimously voted to increase the SRA dues by $10 per year over the next three years, starting January 1996. In an effort to maintain the availability of memberships in the Society for students, the Council also decided unanimously to maintain student dues at their current levels. Finally, the Council agreed to examine further whether or not individuals with annual incomes of less that $30,000 should be provided a reduced dues rate.
As a result of these actions, the SRA dues for the next three
years will be as follows:
| Student Dues | ||
| Regular Dues | (Without Journal) | |
| 1996 | $85 | $10 |
| 1997 | $95 | $10 |
| 1998 | $105 | $10 |
This increase of the dues will ensure a better financial
health for the SRA, and the independence that the journal needs
to retain its exceptional quality in the long run. Yet, the 1999
level of the dues will still make SRA one of the least expensive
professional and scientific societies, even by 1995 standards.