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The Newsletter of the Western States Communication Association Printer Friendly Version www.westcomm.org April 2003 Volume 30, Issue 2 Editor: Stephanie J. Coopman, San Jose State U Assistant Editor: Deborah H. Rosengarten, San Jose State U In this issue: New! WSCA News Format | President's Column | Membership News | 2003 Award Winners | Distinguished Service Award Speech | CFN: 1st VP, 2nd VP, LA Delegates at Large | CFN: Executive Director | CFN: Website and News Editor | CFN: Distinguished Service Award | CFN: Model Teaching Program Award | Journal Information | 2004 Local Hosts | New! Undergrad Conference | CFP: 2004 WSCA Convention | 2004 Convention Program Planners   New! WSCA News Format WSCA publishes WSCA News three times each year: January 10, April 1, and October 1. At the Publications Committee's recommendation, the Executive Council adopted the following policy at its February 2003 meeting: "The Association will land mail a one-page news flash that sends the membership to the website for the complete newsletter." Beginning with the April 1, 2003 newsletter, the complete WSCA News will be available only on the WSCA website. From the President's Desk: Looking Back Fondly and Looking Forward With Anticipation Connie Bullis, U of Utah Greetings from Utah's Wasatch Mountains! Now that the 2002 Salt Lake City WSCA convention is behind us, it is time to remember the highlights as we begin to plan for the 2004 Albuquerque convention. About 600 of us gathered at Salt Lake City's Downtown Marriott in mid-February to consider "Communicating for Sustainability." University of Utah students and Weber State partnered with high school students to produce kickoff presentation which included a welcome and dance to celebrate the importance and fragility of nature's sustainability. The convention preconference brought scholars together to consider the conference theme as did many panel sessions. Lois Gibbs inspired and instructed us with the communication strategies and tactics she used to bring Love Canal to the attention of lawmakers. The traditional sock hop was a roaring success and President Kathy Adams hosted all of us for her President's party. Two of the traditions I especially appreciate are the luncheon and the panels. At the luncheon, we have an opportunity to gather and celebrate our culture, honor some of the many important achievements our members have accomplished over the year, and hear some thoughtful comments from our President. At this year's luncheon, we had the opportunity to honor Local Host Dennis Alexander for both his superb hosting of the 2003 convention and for his lifetime contributions to WSCA as he was awarded the Distinguished Service Award. Congratulations Dennis!! We had the opportunity to honor James Darsey, Georgia State U, with the B. Aubrey Fisher Award for the Western Journal of Communication article "A Conspiracy of Science." And to thank the many people whose background work made the convention go so smoothly. The interest group planners worked throughout the year to assure stimulating programs. Mike Espiritu and his staff of the Downtown Marriott provided the service and attention to detail that made the convention proceed without problems. Special thanks go to three people whose ongoing attention really provided the backbone of the conference. Marianne Neuwirth worked closely with me all year planning the convention. Kate Schneider served as the right arm to the local host. And Sue Pendell guides all of us as she masterfully manages the organization behind the scenes. It is always a joy to take a moment from our busy lives at the luncheon to honor these people. The real heart of our conference and organization is the membership. Our heartiest thanks to those of you who came to the conference, presented your academic work, played hard in the WSCA tradition, and supported one another with attendance, feedback, and your presence. Now is the time to begin to plan to attend the 2004 convention in Albuquerque. Program Planner Ron Lustig and Local Host Ken Frandsen are preparing for an exciting conference that will continue our work hard/play hard traditions in a superb setting. Please join me in preparing to share your academic work, enjoying the wonderful associations with our colleagues, and contributing to WSCA to maintain our "Best of the Regionals" tradition at our 2004 convention. Importance of WSCA Membership Brenda J. Allen, Second Vice President Greetings! If you were at the convention in Salt Lake City, I hope your experience was as productive and enjoyable as mine. The local hosts did a fabulous job. They even procured beautiful, mild weather for us! Affectionately known as "Western," the annual convention is a primary benefit of membership in WSCA. Your membership also entitles you to subscriptions to two high quality journals and other resources such as this newsletter and our listserv. These help WSCA accomplish its mission of making the communication discipline accessible to many people. WSCA will continue to meet its goal only if we maintain and increase our membership base. I invite you to renew or upgrade your membership. If you are not a life member, consider becoming one. I also encourage you to recruit others, including colleagues who do not know about WSCA, or those whose memberships have lapsed. I am particularly interested in increasing the number of adjunct or honorarium faculty members. They could become members of a supportive scholarly community, and we could benefit from their expertise and insight on teaching, research, and application. Western is an excellent venue for exposing undergraduate and graduate students to scholarly meetings. The atmosphere is warm and collegial, and the size of the conference is not daunting. Consider sponsoring students who aspire to become members of our discipline, develop a plan within your department to supplement student memberships, and/or encourage students to join on their own. One last request: Check to see if your school has a departmental membership. Mine does not, but that will soon change. Look for my department's name in the listing of departmental members in next year's conference book. I hope to see your department's name as well. To join, renew, or upgrade your membership, click onto the website at www.westcom.org and use the online membership form. Thank you for considering these ideas, and best wishes. WSCA 2003 Award Winners Distinguished Service Award: Dennis Alexander, U of Utah Model Teaching Program Award: Cypress High School, Cypress, CA, and West High School, Salt Lake City, UT B. Aubrey Fisher Outstanding Journal Article Award: James Darsey, Georgia State U, "A Conspiracy of Science," Western Journal of Communication, 66(4), 469-491. WSCA Debut Paper Award: Janice L. Krieger and Angelika Kausche, Western Michigan U, "Becoming an Effective Sensemanager: A Model of Sensemaking as a Leadership Communication Process" (nominated by the Organizational Communication Interest Group; presented by the Executives Club) Feminist Scholarship Award: Karrin Vasby Anderson, Colorado State U, "Hillary Rodham Clinton as 'Madonna': The Role of Metaphor and Oxymoron in Image Restoration" (presented by the Organization for Research on Women and Communication) 2003 Speech Presenting the Distinguished Service Award to Dennis Alexander Melanie M. Bloom, CSU, Fresno This year's recipient of the Distinguished Service Award fits the long history of devotion to WSCA established by previous recipients. I know some of them are here this afternoon, so before I describe this year's recipient, I would like you to have an opportunity to express your thanks to the previous award winners. Would the previous Distinguished Service Award recipients please stand. Thank you. These individuals have made WSCA the vibrant, outstanding regional association it is today, and they have mentored many sitting here into the organization, providing a model of servant leadership to all of us. The individual selected this year continues this long tradition. All the supporting letters spoke of this person's love for the work, the scholarship, the students, and WSCA. Especially impressive were personal messages from colleagues and former graduate students speaking about the mentorship of graduate students. One colleague wrote, "at our new graduate student orientation, he comes bearing WSCA membership cards. . . . one of the first and most important things that we do is introduce ourselves to each other. [He] ALWAYS introduces himself in terms of his devotion to WSCA. He waves those membership cards and says, "you need to join WSCA because it's one of the most important and useful things that you can do for yourself while you are in graduate school." Those of us who have not been his graduate students or taught at his university have not missed the extraordinary service he has given to WSCA. One person described him as "the poster child for WSCA." He embodies the joy, energy, and exuberance of the organization. He has been the Second Vice President, First Vice President, and President of the organization. However he is perhaps best known as the two-term Executive Director of WSCA. He professionalized this position, created a sound financial footing for the organization, acquired our nonprofit status with the IRS, established the Association's archives at the University of Utah's Marriott Library, and left an Executive Director calendar detailing the duties and deadlines of the office, an incredibly valuable resource for incoming Executive Directors. In addition he completed all the normal responsibilities of Executive Director and made it look easy. Of course it wasn't. He devoted hours and hours attending to every detail and every individual's needs, our needs. He was the quintessential Executive Director. For one ten-year period, he went to every Executive Council meeting. And this year, the year that he retires, he serves us for a second time as local host. Before we all stand to offer our thanks to Dennis Alexander, would those of you who have been mentored by him, either through the University of Utah or through WSCA, please stand so we can appreciate the impact this man has had on generations of scholars as well as WSCA. CFN: WSCA First Vice President, Second Vice President, Legislative Assembly Delegates At Large Deadline: August 1, 2003 The WSCA Nominating Committee is in the process of compiling the slate for the First Vice President and Second Vice President offices and the five Delegates at Large for the Legislative Assembly. The committee consists of Immediate Past President Kathy Adams, Susan Messman, Natalie Dollar, Melissa Beal, and Edwina Stoll. The First Vice President is a four-year commitment, including organizing the Undergraduate Scholars Research Conference, planning the convention, serving as President and Immediate Past President and member of the Executive Council. The Second Vice President is a one-year commitment and serves as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, member of Executive Council, and running a membership campaign. It is an important office, especially concerning membership issues and running a good Legislative Assembly meeting. The FIVE Delegates at Large for the Legislative Assembly are two-year terms and those elected serve as delegates to the Legislative Assembly meeting for two years. Please send names of nominees no later than August 1, 2003 to: Kathy Adams, WSCA Immediate Past President, Department of Communication, 5201 N. Maple Ave. M/S SA 46, California State University, Fresno, Fresno. CA 93740; email: kathya@csufresno.edu According to new guidelines for nominations, please include a statement that confirms the nominee(s) is willing to serve. CFN: WSCA Executive Director Deadline: October 15, 2003 Western States Communication Association (WSCA) invites applications for the position of Executive Director (ED), the chief operating officer of the Association. The term is for three years, 1 July, 2005 to 30 June, 2008, with the ED-select shadowing the current ED during 2004-2005 and being available to the new ED during 2008-2009. The term is renewable. Benefits of the position include developing new skills, interacting with a broad range of individuals in the discipline, visibility for the individual and her/his department, and service to WSCA. Support for the position includes a minimum one course per semester buy-out; funding for a part-time administrative assistant; travel to the WSCA, NCA, and one additional regional association's conventions per year; and office support. Requirements include a separate, furnished office including computer and telephone; storage space for journals in addition to the office; a department willing to pass through costs, and department endorsement. As specified in the WSCA Constitution and By-Laws and the Policies and Procedures Manual, the duties and responsibilities of the ED include, but are not limited to, Member services, including assisting the Second Vice President in recruiting; preparing and distributing renewal notices; maintaining journal subscription mailing lists and preparing journal mailing labels; preparing, distributing, and tallying ballots for elections and constitution/bylaw changes, and preparing and distributing convention registration information. Convention planning, including site visits and recommendations, negotiating contracts with convention hotels, scheduling meeting and event facilities; preparing and distributing convention registration materials; coordinating printing of convention programs, and arranging recognition awards. Financial affairs, including maintaining accounts receivable and payable; developing the annual budget proposal; preparing the annual financial report; having books and records audited annually; filing Federal tax reports, and making investments. Meeting administration, including scheduling and arranging facilities for the Executive Council and other committee meetings; preparing and distributing agendas and reports, and taking, preparing, and distributing minutes of the Executive Council, Time and Place Committee, and Finance Committee meetings. Clerical functions such as maintaining and distributing handbooks and manuals, the membership database, reports, and minutes. Other administrative duties, including keeping the web editor updated with new information, supplying information to members, etc. The ED must be responsible, well organized, fiscally knowledgeable, attentive to detail, personable, patient, and dedicated to WSCA. Applications should include a cover letter expressing interest and detailing qualifications, a vita, three letters of recommendation, and a letter of support from the applicant's department chair. Applications should be sent to: Kathy Adams, Chair, WSCA Executive Director Search Committee, Department of Communication, 5201 N. Maple Ave. M/S SA46, California State U, Fresno, Fresno, CA 93740-8027, kathya@csufresno.edu. Deadline for applications is 15 October, 2003. CFN: Editor of WSCA Website & News Deadline: October 1, 2003 The Western States Communication Association announces a search for a new website and newsletter editor. The WSCA Website and News Editor maintains the website, manages the Association listserv, and edits and announces the WSCA newsletter. The person appointed solicits and collects information for the website and newsletter, and periodically sends out announcements to the membership via the listserv. The Editor works closely with the Executive Director, President, President-Elect, other members of Executive Council, and the interest groups to provide the membership with timely, accurate, and comprehensive information. The appointment is for a three-year term beginning July 1, 2004. The Editor is a nonvoting member of the Executive Council, which meets twice yearly (at the NCA and WSCA conventions) and a nonvoting member of the Publications Committee (meets once yearly at the WSCA convention). Interested candidates are invited to visit the Association's website and contact Stephanie Coopman sjcoopman@yahoo.com, the current editor, for additional information about the position. Candidates should send a letter of application and vita by October 1, 2003, to Leah M. Ceccarelli, Chair, Publications Committee, Department of Communication, U of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, cecc@u.washington.edu. Applicants should submit a letter of willingness to serve, a statement about qualifications, and a letter from the person in charge of the academic unit in support of the application. CFN: 2004 WSCA Distinguished Service Award Deadline: December 5, 2003 The WSCA Distinguished Service Award Committee seeks nominations for the Association's 2004 award. The Distingushed Service Award honors persons who have made significant and long-lasting contributions to WSCA and to the communication discipline. Recent award winners include Dennis Alexander, U of Utah (2003), Lynn K. Wells, Saddleback College (2002), Bill Wilmot (U of Montana (2001), and Jody Nyquist, U of Washington (2000). See the WSCA website for a complete list of past recipients. Nominations should include a detailed listing of the nominee's accomplishments (and/or vita) and one or more letters describing the nominee's specific contribution to WSCA and the discipline. Please submit nominations no later than December 5, 2003. Direct questions and nominations to the committee chair: Leigh Arden Ford, Department of Communication, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008, leigh.ford@wmich.edu. CFN: Model Teaching Program Award Deadline: September 3, 2003 The Model Teaching Program Award Committee seeks nominations for the Teaching Program Award to be presented at the next Western States Communication Association meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico (February 2004). The award may be given to one or more speech or communication programs from elementary schools, secondary schools, or community colleges. The following criteria will be used to evaluate and select the award programs: The program should reflect the breadth and depth of the communication discipline. The program should have teaching personnel with specialized training in communication. The program should integrate curricular and co-curricular activities. The program should have strong administrative support. The program should relate to the mission of the particular institution. Nominations must include at least two letters of support (one should be from the school or college; the other should come either from a former student or from someone outside the program) that detail the program's success in meeting the above criteria. Additional supporting documents, such as descriptions of course curriculum and innovative teaching methods are encouraged. The deadline for nominations is September 3, 2003. (Note this is an earlier than usual deadline!) The recipient(s) will be notified in December and will present a panel on the Model Teaching Program at the Albuquerque Convention. Nominations should be sent to Melissa L. Beall, Communication Studies, 337 Lang Hall, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa 50614-0139. Three other members of the selection committee are from the Communication and Instruction Interest Group, the Community College Interest Group, and the Elementary and Secondary Education Interest Group. Questions about the award and/or the nomination process may be directed to Melissa Beall at 319-273-2992, 319-266-9827, or Melissa.Beall@uni.edu. Journal Information Western Journal of Communication, Volume 67, Issue 2 Table of Contents Larry A. Erbert, Frank G. Pérez, and Elisabeth Gareis, "Turning Points and Dialectical Interpretations of Immigrant Experiences in the United States" Marouf Hasian, Jr., "The 'Hysterical' Emily Hobhouse and Boer War Concentration Camp Controversy" Marianne Dainton, "Equity and Uncertainty in Relational Maintenance" C. Wesley Buerkle, Michael E. Mayer, and Clark D. Olson, "Our Hero the Buffoon: Contradictory and Concurrent Burkean Framing of Arizona Governor Evan Mecham" Nancy M. Schullery and Stephen E. Schullery, " Relationship of Argumentativeness to Age and Higher Education" Communication Reports Email your manuscripts to CR Editor-Elect Walter Zakahi, wzakahi@nmsu.edu. Go to the journal's webpage for a complete description of CR's editorial policy. BIENVENIDOS A NUEVO MEXICO! WSCA 2004: Albuquerque, New Mexico Ken Frandsen, Local Host We are excited to extend an early invitation to join us in sun-filled Albuquerque in February 2004. It is never too soon to start making your plans for next year's convention. With exquisite sunsets, a unique array of cuisines, plenty of outdoor adventures, renowned museums, and a tri-cultural atmosphere, you will not want to miss the 75th Anniversary WSCA Convention! Visit the Local Host Information link on the WSCA website and, for additional information about Albuquerque, visit the official Albuquerque website. Highlights for the special events (e.g., skiing and the skytram, shopping in Historic Old Town, golf, etc.) will appear later. On behalf of our community, we look forward to seeing you soon! NEW! Undergraduate Scholars Research Conference (USRC) Mary Jane Collier, First Vice President Scheduled for Saturday, February 14, 2004, the first annual Undergraduate Scholars Research Conference (USRC) is an extraordinary opportunity for undergraduate students to present their work, obtain constructive feedback from faculty respondents, and engage their peers in discussion. In addition they will be invited to attend a workshop about graduate degrees in Communication Studies and learn more about WSCA at the Newcomers reception. The USRC is sponsored by WSCA and Executives Club. Papers reporting original research and utilizing diverse philosophical, theoretical and methodological approaches are welcome. Members of the WSCA Executives Club and Executive Council will review and select papers for presentation at the USRC. DEADLINE for receipt of completed papers to 1st VP: December 1, 2003. USRC Call for Papers will be published in the WSCA Fall Newsletter and on the WSCA website. Please announce in your classes, distribute to student organizations, and incorporate into your planning of course assignments for spring and fall, 2003! For more information, contact USRC Coordinator, Mary Jane Collier, mcollier@du.edu. CFP: 2004 WSCA Convention 2004 Convention Program Planners