diff --git a/lib/ldap.ts b/lib/ldap.ts
index e083d3dd..a848e61a 100644
--- a/lib/ldap.ts
+++ b/lib/ldap.ts
@@ -6,11 +6,14 @@ interface MemberItem {
   program: string;
 }
 
-// note: the term parameter is different due to the way the LDAP database is structured
 export async function getMembers(
   year: string,
-  term: "w" | "s" | "f"
+  term: string
 ): Promise<MemberItem[]> {
+  if (term !== "winter" && term !== "spring" && term !== "fall") {
+    throw new Error(`[getMembers] Not a valid term: "${term}"`);
+  }
+
   let members: MemberItem[] = [];
 
   const url = "ldap://ldap1.csclub.uwaterloo.ca";
@@ -22,7 +25,7 @@ export async function getMembers(
     await client.bind("", "");
     const { searchEntries } = await client.search(searchDN, {
       scope: "sub",
-      filter: `(&(objectClass=member)(term=${term}${year}))`,
+      filter: `(&(objectClass=member)(term=${term.slice(0, 1)}${year}))`,
     });
 
     members = searchEntries
@@ -36,11 +39,10 @@ export async function getMembers(
       .sort((item1: MemberItem, item2: MemberItem) =>
         item1.id.localeCompare(item2.id)
       );
-  } 
-  // catch (ex) { 
-  //   throw ex;
-  // } 
-  finally {
+  } finally {
+    // catch (ex) {
+    //   throw ex;
+    // }
     await client.unbind();
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/test.ts b/lib/test.ts
index 3bf5cad2..e7f60485 100644
--- a/lib/test.ts
+++ b/lib/test.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { getMembers } from "./ldap";
 
 const main = async () => {
-  const members = await getMembers("2020", "w");
+  const members = await getMembers("2020", "winter");
   console.log(members);
 };