May 29, 2019
In 2018, the GS board identified a need for the society to examine its activities and how well they are serving the international geochemistry community. The organization has a broad mission statement: The Geochemical Society is a nonprofit scientific society founded to encourage the application of geochemistry to improving our understanding of the Earth and solar system. How effective is the society at achieving this mission? To answer that question, the board decided to undertake a strategic planning process this year.
The GS has grown rapidly in the last decade, with membership rising from 2,500 to more than 4,000. The Goldschmidt Conference, which the GS runs in partnership with the European Association of Geochemistry, has also increased in size and scope. We have also launched new programs like Introductory Student Memberships and the Endowed Biogeochemistry Lecture while expanding others such as Goldschmidt student grants. These programs receive continuous refinement based on member feedback, but the society has not conducted an overall analysis of its efforts in many years.
The strategic planning process will begin with data collection—members received a short online survey on May 29 asking for their views on the society and how it might improve. Some members will also be asked to provide more in-depth comments via interviews. With this feedback in mind, the board will meet in August to conduct an in-depth review of the current state of the organization and establish goals for the next several years. The process will be facilitated by a professional consultant who has guided many other organizations through the same process.
The finished product will be a short document that identifies specific goals that can help the GS achieve its mission of advancing geochemistry. If you are a GS member, we encourage you to respond to the online survey. The purpose of this exercise is to align the society's activities with the needs of its members, so your input is very important. For questions or comments, please contact gsoffice@geochemsoc.org.