Major Changes Ahead for the LSA

At its May 2005 meeting in Washington, DC, the LSA Executive Committee approved a plan for fiscal year 2005-2006 with several new features. These features are designed to provide additional services to our members while at the same time reducing expenses.

1. LSA Bulletin

The June 2005 LSA Bulletin will be the last bulletin published in paper format. Beginning with the first issue of the LSA Bulletin in the new fiscal year (beginning October 2005), the bulletin will be available on-line at the LSA website; a printed version will no longer be mailed to members. In place of a paper bulletin, an electronic newsletter will be sent out to all members, with short news items and links for additional information.

2. On-Line Membership Renewal

In the next few months, the LSA website will be upgraded to allow current members to renew their memberships on-line. It is expected that this service will be available by the end of the summer, making it possible to renew membership for 2006 on-line. Members will also be able to preregister for the Annual Meeting and make contributions to LSA funds when renewing. The facility for new members to join the LSA and pay membership dues on-line will be available in the near future.

3. Registering for the Annual Meeting

It is expected that later this fall current members will be able to preregister on-line for the 2006 LSA Annual Meeting in Albuquerque (if they have not already done so when renewing their membership).

4. 2005/2006 Membership Dues

Beginning 1 July 2005, new or returning members will become members for the remainder of 2005 and for all of 2006. Prior issues of Language will no longer be mailed automatically to new or returning members who join after 1 July each year. These individuals will have the option of purchasing prior issues separately. The membership dues for these individuals will be as follows:

U. S. Addresses
Regular Members (new and returning): $110
Student Members (returning): $ 45
Student Members (new): $ 30

Non-U. S. Addresses
Regular Members (new and returning): $120
Student Members (returning): $ 55
Student Members (new): $ 40

These individuals can request the March 2005 and June 2005 issues of Language ($20 each) using the dues invoice.

The new dues structure means that members who join or return late in the calendar year will no longer immediately receive a renewal notice for the upcoming year; they will already be members. Since new students typically do not join the LSA until the beginning of the school year, the new dues structure will allow them to join at a reduced rate for the remainder of 2005 and all of 2006.

5. The LSA Summer Meeting

The LSA Summer Meeting will return! These student-focused gatherings will be held during even-numbered years in alternation with LSA Linguistic Institutes which occur during odd-numbered years. Michigan State University has offered to host the inaugural 2006 Summer Meeting. More information about the Summer Meeting will be available soon on the LSA website. Institutions wishing to host future summer meetings are invited to contact the LSA Secretariat (lsa@lsadc.org) or the Secretary-Treasurer (gw@northwestern.edu).

7. LSA Fellows

If a constitutional amendment is passed by the LSA membership, members of the Society who have made distinguished contributions to the discipline may be recognized as Fellows of the LSA. Nominated by LSA members, Fellows will be selected via secret ballot by the six elected at-large members of the Executive Committee. After the language of the proposed amendment to the LSA Constitution has been finalized, members will vote on the proposed amendment in August.

For further information, contact the LSA Secretariat. In the meantime, stay tuned for future developments!