Potentials - May/June 2017 - 4

the way ahead

Grades of IEEE
membership
by J. Patrick Donohoe

re you familiar with the various grades of IEEE
membership? The different grades of membership
are designed to enhance every stage of your engineering career. From the Student Member or
Graduate Student Member studying to achieve an undergraduate or graduate degree, to the Life Member who has
remained part of IEEE throughout his or her career, you
can take pride in being associated with the world's largest
technical professional organizat ion. Adva ncing your member
grade can bring added peer recognition to your accomplishments.
Grade advancement is encouraged
because it is required, in many
cases, for key volunteer positions at
the IEEE.
Once an IEEE Student Member or Graduate Student Member
reaches his or her graduation date,
based on information provided by
the student, IEEE elevates him or
her to the next grade of IEEE membership for which he or she qualifies
(typically the Member grade). Those
individuals elevated to Member are
qualified to vote in IEEE elections. The IEEE supports
recent graduates by providing a 50% discount off IEEE
dues the first year following graduation. There is no paperwork involved to qualify for this discount as individuals
will automatically receive the appropriate discount on the
next renewal bill following their graduation date. This "recent graduate" discount is only available once per Member.
The grade of IEEE Senior Member is the highest for
which application may be made and requires experi-

ence reflecting professional maturity. For admission or
transfer to the grade of Senior Member, a candidate shall
be an engineer, scientist, educator, technical executive,
or originator in IEEE-designated fields for a total of ten
years and will have demonstrated five years of significant performance.
The grade of IEEE Fellow recognizes unusual distinction
in the profession and shall be conferred only by invitation
of the IEEE Board of Directors upon
a person of outstanding and extraordinary qualifications and experience in IEEE-designated fields and
who has made important individual
contributions to one or more of these
fields. The total number of IEEE Fellows selected in any one year does
not exceed one-tenth of 1% of the total voting membership.
IEEE life status is an automatic process that is based on an individual's membership record. The
member must be at least 65 years
of age and been a member of the
IEEE or one of its predecessor societies for such a period that the sum
of his/her age and his/her years of membership equals or
exceeds 100 years. Members who qualify each year will be
notified by mail. Life status will be effective at the beginning of the following year.
Based on the different grades of IEEE membership, it
is obvious that being an IEEE Member is a lifetime benefit
to you and your professional career.

Once an IEEE Student
Member or Graduate
Student Member reaches
his or her graduation
date, based on
information provided
by the student, IEEE
elevates him or her to
the next grade of IEEE
membership for which
he or she qualifies.

Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MPOT.2017.2669370
Date of publication: 8 May 2017

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May/June 2017

IEEE PotEntIals

about the author
J. Patrick Donohoe (p.donohoe@ieee.org) is the IEEE
Member and Geographic Activities chair-Student Activities.

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