Please address any questions or comments to:
Heidi S. Erickson, M.S., Doctoral Candidate
Chair, WAS Student Outreach Committee
University of Arizona
Dept. Vet. Sci. / Micro.; Aquaculture Pathology
Bldg. 90, 1117 E. Lowell
Tucson, AZ 85718 (USA)
Phone: +1-520-621-4438
FAX: +1-520-621-4899
E-mail: heidiserickson@hotmail.com
COMPREHENSIVE STUDENT POLICY
The purpose of this policy is to provide comprehensive guidelines to all World Aquaculture Society (WAS) committees, boards, and groups on issues that pertain to student members. The guidelines are developed with the understanding that students are a significant (perhaps the most significant) constituent of future Society membership and that student excellence is an essential component of WAS’s strategic role in assuring the progressive development of aquaculture worldwide. The overall strategy that underlies this Policy is to develop and implement practices that will help students become educated in aquaculture, enter the aquaculture community, and gain their loyalty to the Society.
A. Participation in the Society on Committees, Boards, and Groups. To provide an initiation to the conduct of WAS business and a personal investment in the ultimate success of their Chapters and the Society, students should be recruited to serve on committees at the Chapter level and in the parent Society. The obvious avenues for student participation are the WAS Student Outreach Committee (SOC), Chapter Student Activities Committees, and the Student Social Subcommittee (see Item F below). Other avenues include Conference Program Committees, Promotions & Membership Committees, Affiliations, or committees within the Chapters that serve similar functions.
B. Dues rate. Student members will be offered a membership rate of 50% of regular member dues (not to be less than $40). To obtain the special rate, students must provide verification of student status (undergraduate, graduate, or technical) by way of signature of the student’s director or departmental chair.
C. Registration rate for the annual conference. Student members of WAS will be offered a fixed, low rate for annual conference registration to be set at approximately 40% of the regular “early bird” member registration rate. In the event of a Triennial or any other WAS annual conference co-sponsored with another organization, every attempt will be made by WAS representatives on the Steering Committee to negotiate these conditions for student registration.
D. Cooperative programs with Chapters to enhance student attendance at regional conferences. To enhance student attendance at regional conferences, matching funds for Pre-Conference and/or Best Presentation awards will be granted annually by the WAS SOC to Chapters that submit a written request describing their suggested program prior to 15 October each year. The amount of match will vary from year to year depending on current budgetary constraints within WAS and the extent of requests made by Chapters. The Chapters may request 50% matching funds for up to two Pre-conference Awards (up to $200 per Chapter) and 50% matching funds for two Best Presentation Awards, oral and poster, (up to $400 per Chapter). These funds will be derived from the annual SAC budget.
E. Employment Service. An Employment Service area, including posting boards and an interview area, will be provided during each WAS annual conference for posting of resumes, listing of work opportunities, and interviews. All of the expenses for maintaining this area will be covered by the conference. A portion of expenses incurred by the Employment Services Coordinator will be reimbursed by WAS provided expenses conform to the WAS Travel Policy.
F. Student Social Subcommittee. A Student Social Subcommittee will be formed within the WAS SAC comprised entirely of students and provided guidance by the Committee Chair/Co-chairs. This Subcommittee will be multinational and will have the task of arranging the main student social event at the WAS annual conference. The Subcommittee will be consulted by WAS Conference Steering Committees to determine appropriate events at annual conferences such as a student orientation meeting, student tour of a local farm/facility, or a special presentation to students relating options/opportunities in the aquaculture industry. Funding for such events will be provided through the conference to the extent possible and when approved in advance by the Conference Steering Committee.
G. Student home page on the WAS www site. A separate page will be maintained on the WAS web site that will include but is not limited to information relating to cost and benefits of Society and Chapter membership, links to college and university programs worldwide that relate to aquaculture, an additional section with a current list of student members (w/contact information), a calendar of events, a jobs section, a listing of SAC members for the current year, a section outlining the WAS Comprehensive Student Policy, a section covering/linked to Chapter Student Programs such as the US Chapter’s mentorship program, a "Student Issues" Forum, a "Student Spotlight" section, links to various aquaculture institutions worldwide, and activities of potential interest to student members. Relevant activities would include Travel and Merit Competitive Awards for WAS annual conferences, the WAS Employment Services, Student Social Events, Excursions, and activities of regional interest contributed by Chapter representatives. Oversight of the Student Page will be provided by the SOC Chair/Co-chairs and the WAS Web site master.
H. Student information brochure. An information brochure will be created and updated as needed through collaboration between the SOC and P & M Committee. Design and production of this brochure will be included as a line item in the WAS budget, separate from the SOC and P & M Committee budgets. In addition to relevant student information, the brochure will provide linkage with the main www site for WAS.
I. Student Section in the Magazine. Space will be provided (approximately one page) in each issue of the Magazine for student activities. Material for this section will be submitted by members of the SAC or any other WAS members to the SOC Chair/Co-chairs. Content of the article will be similar to the content of the web site but also may include items such as photographs of Award winners. It is the responsibility of the SOC Chair/Co-chairs to edit the content of the Student Section in the Magazine and to submit it in a timely manner to the Magazine Editor.
J. Student Sections in Chapter Newsletters. WAS recommends that as a means of advertising the benefits of Society and Chapter membership, each Chapter should include a Student Section in their Newsletter.
K. Judging of Student Abstracts and Presentations at WAS conferences. For WAS annual conferences, the SAC will coordinate judging of student abstracts (process outlined below under Item L) and the H&A Committee will coordinate judging of student presentations (process outlined below under Item M) as follows. By the abstract deadline for the annual conference, each Chapter of WAS will submit the names of 3 chapter members who will judge abstracts and 3-6 chapter members who will attend the annual conference and agree to judge presentations. Depending on the number of names submitted, additional judges will be selected by the SOC or the H&A committee. Judging criteria are shown in Appendix A to these Guidelines.
Chapters are encouraged to adopt similar programs for regional chapter conferences (refer to Item D above).
L. Pre-Conference Award process. As a means of encouraging globally diverse student attendance at WAS annual conferences, the WAS H&A Committee will conduct a Pre-Conference Award program based on merit of abstracts submitted by WAS students by the abstract deadline. This award will be restricted to students outside the region where the annual conference is to be held and is intended to enhance the value of Society membership to students, encourage attendance at annual meetings, and to reward students for high quality work. The H&A Committee in conjunction with the Conference Director will decide for each conference the most reasonable geopolitical bounds of the “region.” Two awards will be made to the authors of the two highest scoring abstracts in the amount of $300 each. No single author can receive both WAS pre-conference awards. Funds for the Pre-conference Award will be derived from the H&A Committee budget. This program will be prominently advertised in all conference brochures and in the Student Section of the Magazine.
Chapters are encouraged to conduct similar pre-conference award programs for both the annual WAS conference and regional conferences (refer to Item D above). The Conference Manager can supply, upon request, copies of abstracts submitted by WAS students from which can be selected those that are Chapter members. Chapters are expected to advertise both the WAS and the Chapter Pre-Conference Award programs in their newsletters. Chapter members for a conference. Although no single author can receive both WAS pre-conference awards; a single author conceivably could receive a WAS and one or more Chapter pre-conference awards in the same year, provided they are members of the relevant Chapter(s).
M. Best Student Presentation Award process. As a means of heightening the excellence of student presentations at WAS annual conferences, the WAS H & A Committee will conduct a Best Student Presentation Award program based on merit of presentations made by WAS students. Two Best Student Presentation Awards will be made following each annual conference to the authors of the highest scoring oral presentation and the highest scoring poster in the amount of $200 each and accompanied by an engraved plaque. Funds for the Best Presentation Award will be derived from the H & A Committee budget. No single author can receive both the WAS Best Paper and the WAS Best Poster Award. This awards program will be prominently advertised in all conference brochures and in the Student Section of the Magazine.
Chapters are encouraged to conduct similar programs for both the annual WAS conference and regional conferences (refer to Item D above). The Conference Manager will supply, upon request, a list of scheduled WAS student presentations for a conference from which can be selected those that are Chapter members. Chapters are expected to advertise both the WAS and the Chapter Best Student Paper/Poster Award programs in their newsletters. Although no single author can receive both the WAS Best Paper and the WAS Best Poster Award, the same author conceivably could receive a WAS and one or more Chapter Best Presentation awards in the same year, provided they are members of the relevant Chapter(s).
N.
Complementary rooms at annual conferences. When available, the Conference Manager will notify the SOC of the
number of complementary rooms available to house students at WAS annual
conferences. The expected availability
of rooms along with the name and contact information for a rooming coordinator
will be prominently advertised in all conference brochures, the Student Section
of the Magazine, and in Chapter newsletters.
Priority for accommodation will be:
1. WAS student members from overseas making oral or poster presentations
2. WAS student members (local) making oral or poster presentations
3. WAS
student members from overseas working in some capacity for the conference
4. WAS student members (local) working in some
capacity for the conference
5. WAS student members from overseas merely attending the conference
6. WAS student members (local) merely attending the conference
O.
Programs for WAS and its Chapters that facilitate linkages between
students and industry. Chapters are
encouraged to develop and implement regional programs that increase the avenues
for interaction between students and established aquaculture
professionals. One example of such a
program was the US Chapter Mentorship Program that paired students and mentors
from commercial, academic, and government organizations. Upon request by Chapters, space will be made
available in the Magazine to promote
such programs and WAS Staff will provide assistance to the extent possible.
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Please direct site comments to: Heidi
S. Erickson |
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