Anchorage Information

Plan your Fall Syllabus with the USRC in Mind!

The Undergraduate Scholars Research conference is an extraordinary opportunity for undergraduate scholars and researchers. Students share original research in the form of critical investigation, experimentation, or analysis at our annual Western States Communication Association convention. We welcome papers from a diverse range of philosophical, theoretical, and methodological approaches to the study of communication. And, the USRC gives undergraduate scholars a place in which to showcase their work and receive feedback from experienced scholars.

The WSCA 2010 convention will be in Anchorage, Alaska, March 5-9. The USRC typically is held at the start of that convention, and we are planning to organize the conference so that our student scholars can attend many of the activities that are bringing us to Anchorage. Log on to WSCA's website for a fantastic slide show of Anchorage and the events planned for the convention.

Undergraduate students benefit from participating in the research conference by crafting and sharing a professional presentation, meeting other undergraduate scholars from the Western region and the U.S., learning about each others research interests, receiving supportive feedback from scholars in the field and learning about graduate studies in communication. The deadline for paper submissions still is far off: December 1, 2009. However, it's not too early to let students know of this fantastic opportunity and to begin helping them plan their submissions. In fact, planning a final paper deadline for a course you are teaching before December 1 could encourage students to submit their work to the USRC. Papers should be between 18-25 pages in length. Students who submit must be undergraduate students at the time of submission. Students should not submit more than one paper for which they serve as primary author. Co-authored papers are welcome.

Professors and instructors, please spread the word! Please announce in your classes and distribute the call to advisors, colleagues, and student organizations. WSCA is working on securing some financial support for our undergraduate scholars so they can travel with us to Alaska, as well. For more information, please contact USRC Coordinator, Cindy Griffin.