On January 1, 2024, NEHS is moving to providing secure digital membership certificates to students. The decision to make this change has not been taken lightly. However, the following factors have influenced our decision-making process:
- USPS is notoriously slow, meaning that printed membership certificates often do not arrive on time for induction ceremonies. Similarly, many certificates either never arrive or arrive damaged, resulting in reprinting of the certificates, repeated mailings, and more students and Chapter Advisors waiting.
- NEHS inducts approximately 27,500 new student members each year. This means that we send out 27,500 printed certificates across the United States. The production of our certificates, their packaging, and their mailing make a small but, nonetheless unnecessary, contribution to the on-going global environmental and global warming crises.
- The production and shipping of printed certificates is a significant, and constantly-increasing, cost for NEHS. We do not want to pass this cost on to students and chapters by increasing membership fees.
- We have successfully trialed digital membership certificates for international NEHS chapters throughout 2023.
Benefits of Moving to Digital Certificates
- A quick turn-around time. You will have access to your certificates within 72 hours of student membership payments being authorized. No more lost or damaged certificates!
- If you need to change the spelling of a student’s name, this can be done very quickly, and the updated certificate sent to you within minutes of the change being approved.
- Similarly, if you ever need a copy of your students’ certificates, you will be able to get them quickly and easily.
- Students can make easy use of digital membership certificates for university applications or professional portfolios.
- The environmental cost of the digital certificates is negligible in comparison with printed certificates.
- They will remain free of charge for all student members.
If you have any questions about our transition to digital certificates, please contact Chris Lockwood, NEHS Director.
More from NEHSXpress: December 12, 2023
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Holiday Closure
Graduation Regalia, Induction Ceremony Merchandise, and Limited-Edition Apparel
