Frequently Asked Questions | AIChE

Other Sites & Tools

Technical Groups

Frequently Asked Questions

A warm virtual welcome to all first-time attendees of a Virtual Local Section (VLS) Meeting. The VLS was established to support you through great programming, and by archiving our webinars on our website, we enable you to view them at your convenience. The goal of the VLS Leadership is for members to be able to access all VLS content from anywhere at anytime. We want to support you in your career growth, in your networking, and in your career search.

The VLS utilizes the Zoom interface to broadcast our meetings globally over the internet. As you may not have participated in a "virtual" community like the VLS before, we have included a number of frequently asked questions below to help make your participation as simple and effective as possible. If you have other questions, please feel free to reach out to anyone on the VLS Leadership Team. 

Q: Where do I find the dates and times of VLS meetings?

A: The schedule for VLS meetings is maintained on our website's Events page. Also, if you register to join the VLS, we will add you to our e-mail list so you can get our meeting announcements. The link to join our live meetings will be posted on our web page and will be e-mailed to all VLS members and guests. If you are on social media, you can also follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook & Twitter.

Q: What is the cost to join the VLS?

A: The cost to join the VLS is $10 per year. You don’t have to be an AIChE member to attend VLS meetings although VLS officers must be AIChE members. To become a member of the VLS requires only registering. The VLS is supported by AIChE so we ask all VLS guests and members to join AIChE within a year of registering to join the VLS. This gives VLS members a year to decide whether the benefits of AIChE membership is worth the investment of time and money.  

Q: What if I have an audio problem?

A: The biggest issue with virtual broadcasting is not being able to hear the audio. If you can’t hear the presentation, you will be extremely frustrated. We suggest that you consider buying a headset with a microphone if you wish to interact with VLS members using audio via Webex. You will also have the option of dialing in via telephone for audio.

Q: What if I have an idea for a future meeting topic?

A: We are always looking for speakers and topics for our future meetings. Great programming is what makes our section effective and keeps VLS members coming back. If you have any ideas, please send them to someone on our Leadership Team or fill out our webform for submitting an Idea. 

Q: What if I want to get involved in VLS leadership?

A: We are always looking for help. Note that to be an officer in the VLS you have to be a dues paying member of AIChE. Elections are held annually as required in our bylaws. In addition to the bylaw required positions, there are a number of appointed positions. If you would like to get involved, please reach out to someone on our Leadership Team.