MEMBERSHIP: Benefits, Join CGU, Member Survey

 

CGU 25th Anniversary  - Summary (by David Eaton,  Feb. 12, 1999)

A Questionnaire was sent to CGU members in 1998.  Here is the summary of the survey.  The Survey results will help the CGU executives in providing better service to their fellow members.  The time spent by the 146 respondents to answer the questions is highly appreciated.
 

1. Age Distribution

 2. Gender:

Female: 17

Male: 127
 

3. Occupation


 

4. Member type:

General: 88
Hydrology: 53
 

6. Mode of Meeting

7. Joint Meeting Preference

Suggestions for other groups to hold joint meetings with:
 
 
Western or Eastern Snow Conference
SEDI
rotate as seems advantageous.
no real preference
No preference
KEGS?
GSA
ESC/WSC
CWRA
CAP

Other suggestions about mode or venue of meetings:
 
 
not Banff all the time. Very hard to get to from Calgary
Move to Calgary - it's a working meeting, not a resort vacation of taxpayers' expense.
If we have a joint meeting the typical session divisions at CGU meeting should be retained.
I would prefer 35% rather than 50% of meetings to be non-Banff. Alternative sites should tend to be fixed rather than variable, e.g. Quebec. Joint meetings should have strategic purpose, e.g. AGU (in contrast to "no purpose" such as GAC/MAC). From CGU perspective the GAC/MAC meeting last May was a near complete failure.
Have meetings in Calgary or some other big city.
EGS
Considers Quebec City as the Eastern venue equivalent to Banff as the Western venue.
AGU swallows everything!

 
 

  1. Newsletter:


    2. Percent of respondents who read the newsletter: 58% (84)

    Percent of those who read the newsletter who are happy with:

    Frequency: 82%

    Format: 75%

    Content: 69%

    Percent of those who read the newsletter that want the newsletter:

    Expanded to include updates on related meetings: 18

    Distributed electronically by email: 21

    Distributed electronically by web: 27
     
     

  2. Web site:


    3. Percentage of respondents who have never used the web page: 47%

    Percentage of those who will now use the web page: 76%
     

    Web based services preferred

    Other suggested web-based services:
     
     
    Searchable conf. Abstracts
    Employment opportunities for geophysicists.

     
     

  3. Other services:
          Percentage of respondents who favour regularly published scientific journal: 6%
  • Percentage of respondents who favour occasional special publications: 27%
    •  Suggestion for themes:
     
     
    Use of geophysics in other disciplines (hydrogeology, environmental etc...)
    Tectonics
    Sedimentation (e.g., Quebec 98 type content)
    Perhaps in conjunction w/joint meetings w/CSEG or CIG so there are more volunteers (& the other org. may have a cheap publisher)
    New, non-standard ideas on Canadian tectonics
    Marine Gas hydrates
    Lithoprobe -related work, Mining Applications
    Geophysics of Canadian Regions - e.g. Lithoprobe at crustal scale, deltas or aquifers at the near-surface scale.
    Geophysics & Global Change, Geophysics & disaster mitigation.
    Geophysical detection of various mineral deposit types.
    Exploration Geophysics, Cordilleran Paleomagnetism - special publications can be the outcome of special sessions at CGU/Joint with ?meetings... (This link could be done conjointly with other organizations, like CSEG, AGU..?
    Astronomy

    Percentage of respondents who favour additional disciplinary groups: 11%
     
     

      What disciplinary group not currently represented by the CGU might complement the existing membership?
     
     
    Water resource
    Seismology
    Oil and mineral exploration
    Oceans & Atmospheres. Space Physics. Land Surface processes (beyond hydrology)
    Mineral Physics
    Hydrology
    GIS - geomatics
    Geomorphology
    Geomagnetism & Paleomagnetism etc. I have not proper idea, but I remember that "Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism was not written anywhere web or newsletter.
    Fluvial seomorphology
    Environmental geophysics
    Atmospheric Sciences

     
     

    CGU is adequately performing

    Ranking of CGU activities

     

    Bottom Line
     
     
    Web based Services - recipients of major awards. Occasional publication - the categories used to divide talks at meetings. The CGU should try to make itself more visible to undergraduate students pursuing studies in geophysics. Also more relevant into. on the web page - more links and lists of interesting sites.
    Web based educational packages.
    The spring meeting conflicts with my annual holiday, so I've never been.
    The Canadian geophysical community tends to be small and fragmented, and thus risks becoming marginalized. I for one would support moves towards re-amalgamation with GAC and other organizations with an Earth Science focus, to increase our critical mass, and to tighten the linkages between members of the community - Ron Macnab GSC Atlantic
    Take the example of CAP and develop an effective lobby with the federal government, and appropriate provincial governments.
    Take CGU out of ivory towers. Put meetings where media can find them. Promote relevance of Geoscience to Canadian Public. Act as spokesperson for geoscientists checked the areas and know CGU does??
    Students are the key to attracting new members
    Seek linkages with other organizations wherever possible. CGU is small - no point in duplicating what the GAC, AGU and other related organizations already do well (or not so well), but seek to help out (with meeting organizations) For instance, say, a special session that is then publishing with sponsorship from the CGU. Foster organizations in Canadian Geophysics Community. 
    Role of the CGU - Realistically present to students their poor career options. Bottom Line - Promote non-establishment scientific ideas. Also, keep your research goals practical and down-to-earth. The research geophysical community in Canada right now is too insular and self-serving.
    Regularly Published Journal - NO too many journals already. I believe one problem is that the Geophysics community has been somewhat decimated in the last few years. There will be some recovery and new blood so I expect there will be many new members in the coming years. 
    Reach out beyond the membership (first to young students to interest them in a geophysical career.
    Publish a Journal
    Provide members information on the general activities of geophysicists in Canada, for example, activities in exploration and research which are currently going on. This may be achieved through the website or the newsletter.
    Payment of Dues by VISA/MC!
    Other Role of the CGU - to stronger support the professional status of geophysicists at all levels or disciplines. (In a similar way the professional engineers associations do.)
    Other role of the CGU - to explain to the public what geophysicists are doing and why.
    Other role of the CGU - promote environmental social applications of geophysics & public awareness of geophysics re global change, disaster mitigation, etc. Bottom Line - Expand the horizons of its members and help them improve their capacity to convey the importance of their work to decision makers and the general public.
    Occasional "Special" publication - History of Geophysics - Canadian Contributions. Other Role - promote occasional "special" theme publications.
    More frequent publication of the newsletter.
    More association with groups like KEGS (Canadian Exploration Geophysical Society)
    Member since - though I attempted, unsuccessfully to join as a charter member in 1973. Regularly Published Journal - There needs to be some research publication magazine. That is one of the main thing scientific societies do. Other role of the CGU - to facilitate the wider dissemination of Canadian geophysical research. Bottom Line - become a more visible, broadly-based "front" for organizing and projecting Canadian Geophysical Research. It's all very well-oriented now, but hopelessly low key. 
    Is there still a CNC/IUGG, To promote and support.. - No MPs are deaf, not point in wasting time on them. Better to lobby NSERC and govt. dept hence other role of the CGU 
    Interactions with media/public
    Increase the number or/and availability of distinguished lecturers
    I am too new a member to evaluate the adequacy of performance
    Have the Banff Meeting in the eastern part of Canada on a regular basis; Quebec 98 was great but should not be a regular basis event (e.g. 1 out of 5 years)
    Elements by E-mail - would save paper & costs.
    Elements - Given the capabilities of today's Word Processing software would it be feasible to design a more interesting format? 
    Dave, you're doing a great job and so are the other guys. I wish I could suggest something original, but basically I think we just have to keep raising the profile by good old hard slog.
    Bottom Line - Increase its presence. The causes to which our membership dues go are really not obvious.
    Being an oceanographer find it hard to relate to any of these & wonder if I should even belong to this organization.
    Be more of a presence! My AGU membership is far more important to me right now. I feel as if I gave my money to CGU and that's it. If CGU wants to be a charity organization then fine, but don't lead people to believe that they are joining a dynamic organization that will enhance their geophysical careers.
    A regular published scientific journal is impractical. Collaboration with AGU re. "Reviews of Geophysics"? I have no objections to a low key organization as I am actively involved with many other groups.
    A members profile - either web based or hardcopy. A simple profile of contact and research details might enhance/facilitate communication between individuals conducting research of similar nature. It might also entice members due to the exposure???
    A frustration has been the lack of marine geoscience participation, myself included. The nature of special sessions at annual meetings and the venue in Banff may be contributing factors.