We are pleased to announce the Student Member Campaign, scheduled to run from July 1, 2016 to July 1, 2017. Recognizing that today’s students are the future of the teaching profession, JALT has long offered a special rate to full-time students. At ¥7,000 per year, the student rate is little more than half the price of a regular JALT membership—a real bargain!
The driving force behind the current campaign is a change to the Standing Rule which governs student membership requirements to be considered at the June, 2016 EBM. In the past, student membership was limited to full-time students of Japan-based institutions. This revision, if passed—as I am confident it will be—will open up access to student membership rates to full-time students of overseas educational institutions as well.
Here is the key wording of the proposed motion: “A student member shall be defined as a full-time undergraduate or graduate student attending a university, vocational school, technical school, or other degree-granting program.”
This change reflects opinions expressed by JALT members that the location of the institution should not matter. What is important is that all such potential long-term members of JALT be given the opportunity to increase the depth and breadth of their professional development and contacts right from the beginning, and at a time when their level of disposable income may be low. They are full-time students, not full time workers.
If you know or work with full-time students, particularly those studying to become language teachers, please talk to them about what JALT can do for them, and about how much they can save by joining now.
Fred Carruth
JALT NPO Director of Membership