9/3/24
Membership Dues Increase
The BEA board of directors recently approved a membership dues increase for the coming year. This increase will be reflected in the dues invoices sent later this month. Before the invoices are sent, however, we wanted to provide you with more information about the increase and the reasons for it.
BEA has not raised membership dues in approximately 15 years, and in that time, despite increased costs to run the association, we have continued to expand member benefits and opportunities. BEA’s board has been able to avoid implementing any dues increases over this time through wise planning and investments. But due to recent rising costs, BEA’s Board of Directors has decided there is a need to modestly increase annual membership dues for some of our membership categories. This will take effect for all 2025 renewals.
The increased dues will help BEA offset the reality of the growing costs of running an association and help continue to improve member benefits. We do hope our members will understand the need and benefit for this increase. Please know that it is not our intent to make this a regular practice, and we do not anticipate another increase for the next few years.
Below is an explanation of the increases.
Individual Membership
BEA will institute a $10 increase on annual dues from $130 to $140. We are not increasing dues for Emeritus or International individual members.
Since the last dues increase in 2007, added benefits to BEA individual membership include:
- Additional grants and awards-
- Leibner Cooper Grant: Annual $2,500 to a faculty member producing a documentary, video, audio story/series, multimedia project or sports production focused on media related historical issues, figures or events.
- LABF Broadcast Historian Grants: Two annual $2,500 awards for books and creative work.
- New Faculty Research Grant: An annual $1,000 cash grant to a new faculty member to help fund research projects.
- BEA Research Grants: $8,000 in annual grants to support research projects that align with BEA’s mission.
- Additional Awards & Recognition: BEA Book Awards, BEA’s D&I Creative and Research Awards and Innovation in Teaching
- Coming soon…BEA Creative Grants: $4,000 in annual grants to support creative projects on topics that align with BEA’s overall mission
- Journal of Media Education (JoME) – BEA pedagogical journal published electronically four times each year includes both peer-reviewed creative and engaged scholarship.
- More research opportunities: Research Symposium and Research Committee special convention calls.
- Access to additional interest divisions: Sports, Service Learning & Community Engagement and Religion & Media.
- BEA On-Location – Launched in 2016, On-Location offers an additional avenue to showcase research, creative work and participating on panels.
- BEA Connect – BEA’s online community for faculty, students and industry partners to connect and share resources – home to the BEA Bookstore, The Exchange and the Student Media Hub.
- BEA’s convention registration rates are as much as 75% less than other associations. We continue to expand opportunities to present research, creative work, professional development and onsite including workshops.
Institutional Membership
BEA will institute an annual dues increase of $25 for institutional members. The new annual membership dues for institutions are as follows:
- BA Granting Institution – $215
- Graduate Degree Granting Institution – $290
- Graduate Degree Institutions with Free Graduate Student Memberships – $490
- Two-year/Scholastic Institution – $140 (will remain the same)
In the past 15 years, the following benefits have been added to BEA institutional membership:
- Free membership for all full-time undergraduate students attending BEA member institutions
- All Institutional Memberships include a FREE Collegiate Media Chapter and the following chapter activities:
- BEA Film 48 – 48-hour film competition in the fall
- BEA Audio Shorts – 48-hour audio stories competition each spring.
- We increased our student scholarships by an additional $12,000, now over $30,000 each year.
- Produce the annual “School Rankings” based on student creative achievements
- Expanded student programs including:
- RAB Student Scholar Program – RAB has supported over 1,300 students, providing $250,000 in registration fees and travel support through participation in the Radio Show and BEA’s convention
- MMJ Program – Each year six students receive travel support to cover BEA’s convention and NAB Show
- Grand Plans and Great Expectations – Presentation and discussion of in-progress thesis and dissertations
- Dr. Marjorie Yambor Signature Station Awards – Awarding excellence in student run TV and radio stations
We hope you value your BEA membership and look forward to continuing to serve you in the upcoming year. Please let us know if you have questions or need additional information.
BEA Board of Directors and Staff
