I felt compelled to state that I strongly disagree with the Financial
Restructuring Poll question about receiving value for my dues money. The dues structure in Virginia is strongly skewed toward the state component at the expense of the chapters. Most of the services to members comes from the chapters, not the state, but most of the dues money goes to the state, not the chapters. I have chosen to keep my base membership in [Washington] DC, where I work, and join NOVA [AIA Northern Virginia] as an unassigned member to receive the best return on my dues investment. This cannot be the only example of an antiquated national-state-local dues structure hurting services to members.
—John A. Burns, FAIA
Deputy Chief and Principal Architect, HABS/HAER/HALS

I am somewhat puzzled by this poll. I was hoping for more substantive questions regarding realignment. Question One does not relate to a sole practitioner, and Question Two ignores the fact that many of us have two-tiered membership (in my case, state and local are the same), thus my answer to Question Three: We do not receive good value for our dues.

Much of my term as a director was taken up with this discussion. One of our conclusions being that the total of any individual's dues payment shall not exceed $400—this when we agreed that convention registration would be free to all members.
—Morris Hancock, AIA

The AIA fees are among the highest of all professional associations while the salaries and fees for architects and architectural services are among the lowest. How can this be??? On average, a licensed architect with, say, five years of experience plus school would be lucky to make $50,000/year. The AIA membership fees should be more in line with what the average compensation is in the profession. Using the medical or legal profession as a bench mark, the yearly fees for the AIA should be around $350/year. Now, if the AIA were to somehow promote the value of the profession to the general public, and the salaries and fees for architecture services were to rise and be in line with the medical and legal professions, then I would say that the current annual AIA membership fees would be appropriate.
—Jack E. Andersen, AIA

P.S. One way the medical profession was able to promote itself and the value it brings to the general public is through specialization: The greater the value to the public, the higher the standard of living for their members. They accomplished this through "board certifications" in specialized areas of medicine. Maybe the AIA should look at the same!!!

As the AIA builds value in its services and products, I have felt the dues are at an appropriate level. Now that I am an architect working in a related field in the public sector—planning and urban design— I find it rather expensive for the limited use I am able to make of the membership. Thus, I am interested in a low-rate plus the ala carte add-on approach. Thank you for the survey.
—Patricia Thomas, AIA
Urban Design Planner, City of Eugene

I feel that as a small practitioner I get very little for my dues. Record-keeping for continuing education is the service I use most. The next most used service would be contract documents (but that is an additional cost). I would like to see more effort made to insure the architects get credit in the press whenever buildings or designs are featured. I would like to see greater effort to prevent non-architects as well as engineers from practicing architecture at the smaller project end of the spectrum. There are laws in place, but no enforcement. While this does not effect larger firms it is of great importance to medium/ small practitioners.
—Kevin S. Munroe, AIA

It seems to me that in a relatively short period of time the AIA has gone through a huge growth in self importance. The focus has changed from the individual architect to the collective of architects, with leadership being the guiding principle of expansion. I know that humans are genetically predisposed to function best in packs, but I seriously question the universal applicability of this preference in the realm of design and technology. Passing the exam used to be the basis for professionalism, and what one did with that accomplishment was pretty much a matter of individual choice. The AIA imprimis has overtaken that personal effort, and while that's a victory for the schmooze in all of us, I gave up a good deal more than I got.

My AIA initials cost my firm 300 bucks a year; $3.00 is more like what it's worth to them, and to me, personally. For those who like climbing the rigging of the great Arch, I suspect the larger figure is a small price to pay, since they tend to shape their lives around their work. There really needs to be a graduated membership, so that those who count their architectural attainments in a more humble way, like having a good job, for instance, could still be "members". Perhaps the letters in a different font would preserve enough of the AIA panache for us and our clients so that we could use this knock-off logo, but for a pittance. That would feel right for me.
—Chris Williams, AIA

Copyright 2003 The American Institute of Architects. All rights reserved. Home Page