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Membership

Join the Western Center – Invest in Your Future

More than 85 percent of Americans live in metropolitan areas, characterized by complex and rapidly changing socio-economic environments. The Western Center for Metropolitan Extension and Research (WCMER) was established in 2014 by six founding western land-grant universities to increase Extension’s capacity to address metropolitan issues and reinforce the value of Extension to metropolitan audiences. Membership in WCMER provides tools for maintaining an impactful presence for your university Extension; and because WCMER membership is organizational, not individual, it benefits everyone in your institution.

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We are now accepting NEW members.

In response to enthusiastic support for WCMER activities, membership is now available to Extension organizations across the country. By expanding membership, WCMER can provide an even broader forum for advancing effective models of serving metropolitan regions and increased opportunities for metropolitan serving faculty and staff.

WCMER organizational members receive:

  • Professional development for Extension faculty and staff specifically designed to help them address the needs, issues, and interests of your metropolitan constituency.
  • Opportunities to engage in applied research and funded projects.
  • Access to additional staff capacity to scope, manage, and conduct multi-disciplinary applied research projects.
  • Access to Project Specialists to increase Extension’s ability to respond quickly to emerging issues.
  • Support for marketing metropolitan activities.

Membership Benefits

  • A wider range of project and funding opportunities
  • Access to additional staff capacity in order to scope, manage and conduct multi-disciplinary applied research projects
  • Access to the Hot Shot model that increases Extension’s ability to respond quickly to emerging issues
  • Proper tools to maintain an impactful presence for your Extension organization
  • Applied Research Fellow opportunities for individuals in membering institutions
  • Marketing support for metropolitan activities
  • The coordination and documentation of outcomes for staff exchanges
  • A broader forum for advancing effective models
  • Webinar presentation opportunities
  • Topic-based workshops and topic-based forms to further develop applied research and professional development opportunities

Membership Options

Extension organizations can join at either the Platinum or Silverlevel. An organizational membership to WCMER extends benefits to allof your institution’s faculty and staff (even those without an Extension appointment). Membership fees are paid on an annual basis. For a detailed listing of member benefits, see the Benefits of WCMER Membership table.

Platinum Investor Level – $5,000 – institutionshave access to the full suite of benefits: priority registration and discounts for all WCMER activities; ability to initiate, lead, or participate in exclusive professional development and applied research activities; opportunity to apply to be a funded WCMER Fellow; opportunity to host Center activities; and membership on the WCMER’s Advisory Board.

Silver Supporter Level – $2,000 – institutionshave access to a limited selection of benefits: discounted registration for all WCMER events, and the ability to participate in a selection of WCMER’s professional development activities and applied research projects.

Non-Member Options

  • Faculty can participate in live webinars and have access to the archived webinars on the WCMER website.
  • Faculty can attend WCMER workshops on an as-available basis.
  • Faculty can participate in applied research projects and other professional activities by invitation from WCMER.

Become a Member

Annual membership is based on a July 1-June 30 fiscal year.  Membership fees are not pro-rated for either new or up-grading members. To become a WCMER member, please contact Brad Gaolach, WCMER Director, at Gaolach@wsu.eduor 425-405-1734.