In March, Grassroots Leadership Conference participants expressed their opinions on six topics—architecture education, financial alignment, the profession, communications, knowledge, and membership—during the annual Issues Forum. Following are responses to the same questions by AIA members who have responded to electronic polls offered in AIArchitect over the past six weeks. The number of questions vary per topic, as do the number of AIA members who answered them.

Responses are presented as percentages of total responses received per question.

Architecture Education (690 responses)

1. I support opportunities for architecture students to gain practical experience in conjunction with their formal education.
1. Strongly agree—81
2. Agree—16
3. No opinion—1
4. Disagree—2
5. Strongly disagree—0

2. The amount of personal time I would devote to mentorship in the profession is:
1. Significant (10 hours a month)—35
2. Moderate (a few hours a month)—47
3. A few times a year—15
4. None—3

3. I think the amount of structured time spent by architecture students in design studio should be lessened in favor of more traditional liberal arts studies and business education.
1. Strongly agree—19
2. Agree—31
3. No opinion—6
4. Disagree—32
5. Strongly disagree—12

4. What do you believe a future architect most needs to learn from professional degree education to become successful?
1. Practice/project management—31
2. Design—23
3. Construction technology—25
4. Leadership—10
5. Business skills—11

5. Professional degree programs in architecture adequately prepare students for the changing and varied practice settings of today.
1. Strongly agree—6
2. Agree—22
3. No opinion—8
4. Disagree—45
5. Strongly disagree—19

Financial Realignment (643 responses)

1. What percentage of your annual AIA membership dues is paid by your employer?
1. 75–100%—62
2. 50–74%—4
3. 25–49%—3
4. 0–24%—31

2. I would most support the following AIA dues model:
1. Existing three-tiered structure—38
2. Single flat fee for all three levels—5
3 Lower flat fee plus a la carte charges for additional services—57

3. I feel that members receive appropriate value for their dues.
1. Strongly agree—9
2. Agree—26
3. No opinion—9
4. Disagree—38
5. Strongly disagree—18

The Profession (950 responses)

1. To what extent should sustainability be emphasized in the profession?
1. To a great extent—62
2. Moderately—36
3. Not at all—1
4. No opinion—1

2. In your opinion, what is society’s perception of the greatest contribution the AIA could make?
1. A source of trends in design and construction—22
2. Commitment to higher standards of professionalism—39
3. Responsiveness to client and public needs—39

3. The profession of architecture is changing from being about “what architects do” to being about “what architects know.”
1. Strongly agree—18
2. Agree—34
3. No opinion—18
4. Disagree—24
5. Strongly disagree—6

4. Which of the following AIA services is of greatest value to you as a member?
1. Knowledge delivery—40
2. Advocacy—28
3. Practice tools—32

5. Which of the following has had the greatest effect on eroding the scope of architectural services?
1. Construction management—38
2. Interior design—5
3. Design/build—32
4. Other—25

6. At what level do you think the concerns from the previous question should be addressed?
1. National component—23
2. State component—6
3. Local component—2
4. All levels—69

7. The emerging design and construction industry trend that will have the greatest impact on the future of the profession is:
1. Globalization—9
2. Alternative project delivery methods—36
3. Technology—19
4. Relevant services to clients—23
5. Workforce/talent retention—6
6. Strategic alliances—7

8. There should be greater alignment among architects, interior designers, and landscape architects to create a better built environment.
1. Strongly agree—53
2. Agree—33
3. No opinion—7
4. Disagree—6
5. Strongly disagree—1

9. The current AIA Honor Awards program appropriately reflects the values we should be promoting to the public.
1. Strongly agree—12
2. Agree—28
3. No opinion—21
4. Disagree—27
5. Strongly disagree—12

10. Would you support a national architectural license?
1. Yes—72
2. No—28

11. What is the most important resource that the AIA national component can provide to empower and enable members to become involved in their local communities?
1. Mentorship program—19
2. Leadership institute—36
3. Case studies in community activism—20
4. Publications on livable communities—25

Communications (296 responses)

1. The national advertising campaign is mandated through December 2004. How important is it to continue the campaign after that?
1. Very important—50
2. Somewhat important—22
3. Neutral—11
4. Not very important—10
5. Not important at all—7

2. Which do you consider the most important of the six ad campaign messages?
1. Call on architects early—10
2. Design adds value—25
3. Architects add value to entire communities—20
4. All kinds of projects need architects—16
5. Architects provide strategic value to clients—22
6. Look for the AIA credential—7

3. Which of the following communication methods do you find most effective for timely member news?
1. Electronic newsletters—89
2. AIA Web site—3
3. Printed publications—8

4. Which of the following communications methods would you find most effective for sharing AIA Best Practices information?
1. Electronic newsletters—65
2. AIA Web site—11
3. Printed publications—18
4. Local component programs—5
5. Convention programs—1

5. Which of the following communications methods would you find most effective for sharing scholarly research?
1. Electronic newsletters—44
2. AIA Web site—17
3. Printed publications—33
4. Local component programs—3
5. Convention programs—3

6. Which of the following do you most strongly associate with the AIA as an institution?
1. Fellowship—12
2. Knowledge—11
3. Prestige—11
4. Professionalism—55
5. Connections—11

7. Which of the following do you most strongly associate with AIA members?
1. Education—7
2. Creativity—-4
3. Professionalism—64
4. Certification—23
5. Design capabilities—2

8. The AIA should advocate for the inclusion of cost data in all product literature.
1. Strongly agree—48
2. Agree—30
3. No opinion—14
4. Disagree—6
5. Strongly disagree—2

Knowledge (458 responses)

1. From your perspective as an architect, what do you most need to know to become successful?
1. Practice/project management—34
2. Design—9
3. Construction technology—13
4. Leadership—16
5. Business skills—28

2. From the client and community point of view, what does an architect most need to know to become successful?
1. Practice/project management—26
2. Design—21
3. Construction technology—15
4. Leadership—26
5. Business skills—12

3. To which of the current priority areas should the AIA give more focus?
1. Scholarly research—12
2. Best practices—49
3. Programs developed for and delivered by AIA components—18
4. Topic- or market-specific knowledge communities (“PIAs”)—21

4. What would be most effective in demonstrating the value of architects to clients and the public?
1. Research demonstrating the impact of design—53
2. National recognition through awards programs—4
3. Opportunities for knowledge-sharing among architects and clients about specific building types—43

5. On which of the following topics do AIA members need the greatest amount of additional knowledge?
1. Sustainability—64
2. Livable communities—26
3. Security—10

6. What is the most significant obstacle in creating and sharing knowledge within the profession?
1. Limited time/money to participate—51
2. An attitude of not sharing professional knowledge—22
3. Matching knowledge needs to available resources—10
4. Sense of maintaining a competitive edge—17

7. Architects could improve their perceived value by clients and the public if they were able to quantifiably prove the value of design.
1. Strongly agree—59
2. Agree—29
3. No opinion—3
4. Disagree—7
5. Strongly disagree—2

Membership (590 responses)

1. Which of the following do you see as the greatest challenge to AIA membership growth in the next three to five years?
1. Lack of participation by emerging professionals—58
2. Changing demographics within the marketplace—6
3. Changing demographics within the profession—9
4. The economy—27

2. The current benefits and services of AIA membership have the greatest value for:
1. Intern architects—13
2. Young architects (licensed fewer than 10 years)—17
3. Established professionals—66
4. Architects in alternative careers—4

3. The most significant increase in enhancing AIA benefits and services should be directed to:
1. Intern architects—15
2. Young architects (licensed fewer than 10 years)—48
3. Established professionals—32
4. Architects in alternative careers—5

4. There is a perceived value in the AIA “brand” for firms.
1. Strongly agree—19
2. Agree—38
3. No opinion—10
4. Disagree—24
5. Strongly disagree—9

5. Some services of the AIA benefit firms more than individual members
1. Strongly agree—30
2. Agree—36
3. No opinion—23
4. Disagree—10
5. Strongly disagree—1

6. What prompted you to join the AIA?
1. Encouraged by a friend or colleague—6
2. Encouraged by your boss—14
3. Encouraged by a professor—0 (i.e., a total of two responses)
4. Sense of professional obligation—57
5. Some other reason—23

7. Were you a member of AIAS (or its previous incarnation) as a student?
1. Yes—31
2. No—66
3. Not applicable—3

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