Career StagesNational Associates Committee

Working towards licensure or thinking of a non-traditional career? Associate AIA membership is open to a variety of professionals and is represented by the National Associates Committee.

Interested in becoming an Associate AIA member? Learn more about Associate AIA membership criteria and benefits. Are you a new graduate from a NAAB-accredited degree program? Don’t forget new graduates receive complimentary AIA membership for up to eighteen months!

Quick Links
National Associates Committee
Get Involved
Programs and Initiatives
Publications and Communications
Scholarships, Grants, and Awards

National Associates Committee

National Associates Committee Executive Board
National Associates Committee Regional Associate Directors

NAC Press Releases
Summer 2011: “NAC Elects 2012 Executive Board”

NAC Documents
Rules of the Committee
NAC Directory of Public Statements
NAC Strategic Plan

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Get Involved

To learn more about local networking and education opportunities, contact your NAC Regional Associate Director and/or your local component.

Associates are talking. Join the following conversations:
NAC Blog
NAC on Knowledge Net
Archinect
ARE Forum
Associate Directors ListServ

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Programs and Initiatives

Be sure to see our Getting Licensed webpage for more information on the Architect Registration Examination. To learn more about IDP and NCARB, visit our Intern Development Program webpage. Don’t forget you can earn IDP credit by completing the Emerging Professionals Companion!

Intern Titling Survey
In the past, Associate AIA members have had little input on their defined professional title. Unable to claim the title of Architect, associates have been referred to as Intern Architects, Architectural Interns, or just as Interns. In 2009, the AIA conducted the Intern Titling Survey.

Internship and Career Survey
In 2003, the National Associates Committee, in conjunction with ArchVoices, launched the 2003 Internship and Career Survey. The NAC Survey Task Force championed this initiative and is committed to producing a findings document to be published online later this year. The group’s ongoing goals are to develop and implement a survey to collect and evaluate information about interns and alternative career professionals, a process which will be reevaluated every two to three years.

NAC Response and Position Papers
The NAC often crafts position papers and responds to the collaterals’ press releases and positions. While the NAC is a committee within the AIA, bound by its rules and regulations, the NAC speaks out in support of the Associate members. Six Month Rule White Paper | NAC Diversity White Paper

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Publications and Communications

The AIA strives to provide information that is most relevant to you. Members, to manage your entire list of AIA e-mail newsletters, use the online form. To update your contact information or add an AIA Knowledge Community, update your AIA member profile.

AssociateNews
Reformatted in 2011, AssociateNews is now a news service, posting timely and relevant news announcements that may be of interest to the Associate members. These posts will be through a variety of media, including KnowledgeNet, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.  The previous format, a semi-monthly newsletter, was produced by the National Associates Committee for the Associate membership of the AIA and included the latest information and events from around the country.

NAC Annual Report
The NAC publishes an annual report at the end of each year for distribution to AIA leadership at all Institute levels, collateral leadership, and architectural press to promote and the endeavors, activities, programs, and accomplishments of the NAC. View past reports: 2008 | 2007 | 2006

AIA Best Practices
Find AIA Best Practices on Public Service and Community Involvement at the local level and Staff Development including mentoring. Created specifically to encourage the support of interns in the profession, see the IDP Outstanding Firm Awards Program Best Practices.

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Scholarships, Grants, and Awards

Jason Pettigrew Memorial ARE Scholarship
The National Associates Committee (NAC) and NAC alumni maintain the Jason Pettigrew Memorial ARE Scholarship and Fund to remember their friend and colleague, Jason Pettigrew, Assoc. AIA, and to assist other Associate AIA members in their professional development. Learn more at www.aia.org/Pettigrew.

Apply for the Scholarship
Make a Donation
Watch the “Remembering Jason Pettigrew” video on YouTube

Intern Development Program Firm Awards Program
Since 1991, the IDPAC has recognized firms from across the country who actively embrace the Intern Development Program and demonstrate their commitment by making the path to licensure an integral part of the firm’s culture through the Intern Development Program Firm Awards Program. Learn more at www.aia.org/IDPFirmAwards.

AIA Associates Award
The AIA Associates Award is the highest award given to individual associate AIA members who best exemplify the highest qualities of leadership and have demonstrated an unparalleled commitment to their component or region's membership, in the community, in professional organizations, and/or in the design and construction industries.

Emerging Professionals Component Grant
The College of Fellows has established a small grants fund to assist AIA components in the development of programs which foster the mission of Young Architects and Associates. These funds may be used to enhance the activities of an existing Emerging Professionals group or as seed money to help start a new one. Because one of the goals of the component grants program is to make Emerging Professionals groups a vital component activity, an explanation or demonstration of component commitment and support is essential. Learn more about the Emerging Professionals Component Grant.

Comments or Questions? Send an email to nac@aia.org

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