Membership

Membership informs your work, connects you with your colleagues, and advances your career. Share knowledge, celebrate accomplishment, and lead the field.

Membership

Professional Membership

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We award Professional Membership to individuals who have demonstrated that they meet our Essential Competencies for Conservation Professionals.

We built our program on three key ideas:

an application and evaluation process that assess independent thinking skills and a comprehensive understanding of our Essential Competencies for Conservation Professionals, Code of Ethics, and Guidelines for Practice.
a program for maintaining and encouraging continuing professional development (CPD) for professionals as they develop their skills, conduct outreach, and make contributions to the field.
a process for removing the designation from members who either do not meet the minimum required CPD or who, after adjudication, we find to have committed violations of our Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Practice.

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Criteria
Prospective applicants must first be individual members. Please visit our Individual Membership page for information on how to join.

They also must have:
- undergone either training in a formal graduate program or other education and training that has prepared an individual to practice at a professional level.
- demonstrated their ability to use acquired knowledge to make independent decisions in professional environment for at least two years post training.
- engaged with the field by collaborating with conservators, performing professional outreach, participating in professional development opportunities, maintaining membership in professional organizations, and/or contributing to the body of knowledge for conservation.
Application Process

Our Professional Membership program uses a peer review application process. Current Professional Members sponsor applicants and guide them through the application process. This application includes submission of a resume/curriculum vitae, examples of work, and short answer responses that demonstrate knowledge of our Essential Competencies. Applicants then submit this application to the Membership Committee who will then evaluate the application and determine fitness for designation.
Submission deadlines: January 1, ~~July 1~~ now August 9, October 1
Why Apply?
- Same Dues
  Professional Associates pay the same dues as regular members (not higher). So, you get more member benefits for the same rate.
- One-time application
  Once accepted, you keep the designation for life, barring any Code of Ethics infractions or non-renewal of dues past a five-year grace period.
- Professional Services Location Tool
  Be accessible to the greatest number of potential clients with a listing in our professional services location tool.
- Marketing materials
  Only professional members can use our designation mark in marketing. Our mark distinguishes you from the many businesses that do not abide by our code of ethics.
- Jobs, Contracts, and Grants
  Many institutions and government agencies value it. The GSA's Fine Arts Policies and Procedures says, "all conservation procedures should... follow the [AIC] Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Practice... the conservator must have qualifications and experience equivalent to those required to be a Professional Associate or Fellow...."
- Professional Development Opportunities
  Some workshops and courses we run are only open to Professional Associate and Fellow members.
- Scholarship Eligibility
  Some of our scholarships are open only to professional members. This funding helps defray costs for your professional development, including workshops, courses and conferences.
- Leadership Opportunities
  Some volunteer leadership positions within the organization are open only to professional members. Volunteering is a great way to build your resume and show your leadership skills in the field.
- Respect From Colleagues
  Provide your colleagues with the means to advocate for you. The colleagues you respect and admire think that being a professional member is a valuable part of being a professional. Aspire to join them.
Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How is the current application process different from the earlier process?
A. 1) Applicants will now choose one of the following pathways under which to apply: Treatment, Preventive Care, or Scientific Principles, Analysis & Examination. 2) Sponsors and the Membership Committee will now use a rubric to ensure consistency in evaluating applications. 3) Sponsors will now remain anonymous the Membership Committee.
Q. Why is having a graduate degree not considered enough experience to be a professional member? Why the two-year experience requirement?
A. The main reason for the two-year requirement is that among the various graduate degree programs there are a lot of differences, such program length and emphasis on coursework versus hands-on experience. We require two years of professional experience but do not specify when it occurs. Applicants can now include professional experience gained in the field prior entering a graduate program.
Q. Can or should an applicant apply for more than one pathway?
A. No, the three pathways only exist to help an applicant customize their application to their particular training, skills and expertise. The examples in the Essential Competencies Evaluation Rubric show a reasonable amount of overlap in the pathways, so applying under more than one is redundant. Applicants determine the pathway that best suits their training, skills and expertise.

Q. Will the application pathway display anywhere as part of the designation?
A. No, we will not include the pathway in any public display. Neither member of the public nor members of the organization see the application pathway once we award the designation.

Q. How will evaluators assess an application?
A. Sponsors and the Membership Committee will review the applicant's professional background, work examples, and short answer responses, using a rubric (or "guide") based on the Essential Competencies. The Essential Competencies provide an outline of the basic competencies that define a conservation professional. There are nine core competencies and three practice competencies more specific to each application pathway. The rubrics provide a template applicants can use to construct their responses when demonstrating their knowledge of the Essential Competencies. Sponsors use the rubrics to ensure that applicants meet the application requirements. Finally, the Membership Committee will use the rubrics to assess an applicant’s knowledge of the Essential Competencies.
Q. Who will approve applications for professional membership?
A. The Membership Committee will evaluate and make final decisions on all applications. In the event there is no consensus on an application, they may assign the application to additional, trained reviewers who possess the applicant’s same training, skills and expertise.
Q. How are sponsor requirements different for the new application?
A. Sponsors now remain anonymous to the Membership Committee. Sponsors no longer have to write letters. They simply sign a statement attesting they have reviewed the application materials and support the applicant’s application for professional membership. This allows sponsors to continue playing a mentorship role in the application process while ensuring that the Membership Committee evaluates applicants on their own demonstrated abilities and not on who sponsors them.

Q. Do sponsors need to have pre-existing professional relationship with the applicant?
A. No, sponsors do not need to have worked with the applicant. All sponsors will use the Essential Competencies and Rubric to assess whether an applicant meets the application requirements, regardless of their prior relationship. If an applicant does not know two Professional Members who will sponsor them, the applicant should contact staff at membership@culturalheritage.org.
Q. Can applicants appeal a decision?
A. If the Membership Committee declines to approve an application, they will prepare a narrative outlining the applicant’s strengths, areas for growth, and process for re-application.
Q. What must professional Members do to maintain their designation?
A. They must pay member dues, not commit any Code of Ethics violations, and accrue the minimum amount Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

Questions

Contact 202.661.8065 or membership@culturalheritage.org.

Membership

Professional Membership

We award Professional Membership to individuals who have demonstrated that they meet our Essential Competencies for Conservation Professionals.

Criteria

Application Process

Why Apply?

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions