Being
the Best We Can Be!
Dawn O. Braithwaite,
WSCA President
As President, I am committed to WSCA being the very best association we
can be. I believe we do quite well for an all-volunteer organization!
I hope you will take the time to thank the folks working on our behalf
when things go well and let us know in the event they do not. We have some big
changes coming up this year I would like to tell you about.
First, we are seeing an expansion of member services as we continue to take advantage of
technology and the WWW. We are
increasingly relying on our website for information, membership issues, and
advance publication of our entire convention program. As of 2000, members are able to download the membership and
convention registration forms from our website: http://www.westcomm.org
In the very near future (we are hoping for this fall), members
will be able to pay their membership and convention fees via credit card.
The next step will be to join, renew, register, and pay via the web.
We believe members will find this to be much more convenient.
Of course, we will always accept snail mail as well!
Second, our Executive Director, Connie Conlee, will be completing her five year
term in office and our WSCA office will be moving during Summer, 2001 to Colorado State University under the watch of Sue
Pendell. The Executive Director
job is a huge one and we are
grateful to have members like Connie and Sue willing to do the job for us.
As Sue plans the opening her WSCA office next summer, I know she will
welcome your ideas and suggestions: Sue.Pendell@colostate.edu
as do I: dbraithwaite@unl.edu
Third, nominations are open for the WSCA
Newsletter Editor/Webmaster position and this person will be named in
February, 2001. Since our current editor, John Cagle, began, this position
has expanded to include serving as webmaster, which has increased the
responsibilities, but also the opportunities.
I envision some great changes in this role in the next few years, as
the next editor will continue to redefine the position and what we can offer
members. Among other things, I have started to work with my Community College
Advisory Board and others to talk about the possibility of adding material on
teaching to our current publication.
Fourth, convention planning is underway for 2001 and beyond!
President Elect Sandra Petronio, 2001 Local Host Betsy Bach, Executive
Director Connie Conlee, and all of the Interest Group Program Planners are
hard at work planning the 2001 convention in Coeur D’Alene.
The folks from Long Beach (2002) and Salt Lake City (2003) are working on
preparations for hosting WSCA in the future.
Finally, Time and Place Committee Chair Tim Hegstrom and his colleagues
are searching for future sites and hosts and value your input.
[note:
WSCA News print version has a error on the 2003 date; Salt Lake City is the
correct location for the 2003 convention.]
Given these and other changes, we are looking to the future of the
association. In fact,
Immediate Past President Dennis Alexander is heading a committee to study
future directions of the association. Some
of the issues I see facing us include:
-
How
do we continue and increase our contribution to members? We have always been
known for our outstanding scholarship and pedagogy, and especially for our
commitment to students and new scholars, as well as established scholars.
How do we do even better?
-
How
can we best promote our discipline in the Western Region and beyond?
-
How
do we maintain and increase our membership base? We are healthy and need to
maintain and grow.
-
What
can we do to continue hosting one of the best, if not the best, annual conference in the discipline?
-
How
can we maintain and even increase the quality of our publications?
We are well aware of the high regard with which our publications are
held and want to make sure that others understand that as well.
-
What
is the state of our finances, and, given upcoming projects and changes, what
can we do to ensure a healthy financial future?
As always, members of WSCA Executive Council want to
hear from you. Please contact me
with your ideas and concerns. Consider volunteering for a committee or
leadership in an interest group, or running for office this year! My heartfelt thanks go to the many volunteers—editors,
interest group chairs, paper readers, officers, manuscript reviewers,
committee members, and all the others who contribute to WSCA!
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WSCA
2001 Convention News from President-Elect
“Translating Our Scholarship into Practice”
Sandra
Petronio, WSCA President-Elect
COME TO THE WSCA CONFERENCE in Coeur d’Alene,
Idaho and experience a convention that promises to be both stimulating and
fun. This year there are a number of interesting workshops including issues on
new technologies, feminist alliances, intercultural questions, and points
about mediation. So far, the proposals reflect the many creative ways our
members have interpreted the process of translating our scholarship into
practice. Practical theories, practical applications, and practical approaches
to teaching are only a small portion of the different ways people have focused
on the theme.
Currently we are developing a series targeting
“Communication Theories That Have Stood the Test of Time,” preparing the
“Great Debate,” and each interest group chair is working on proposing many
stimulating panels. Do not forget the Preconference on “Changing Tides of
Social Trends: How Contributions of Communication Scholarship Translate into
Everyday Practices” organized by Daniel Canary and Sally Planalp.
We are pleased to announce that Professor Irwin Altman
is going to be the Keynote Speaker at the Coeur d’Alene convention. His long
list of accomplishments, most notably, Professor Altman’s work on social
penetration, illustrates the theme of translation. He has been concerned with
communication interaction and the way our social environmental influences
communicative behavior. Professor Altman’s scholarship has been put into
practice in a number of ways. Please join us for his keynote presentation on
Sunday, February 25, 2001.
This year also look for the opportunity to attend a
reception for schools with Masters and Ph.D. programs to engage in
conversations with prospective students. Bring your banners, bring your
faculty, and bring students currently in the program to talk with prospective
students. WSCA thanks Professors
Kristin Valentine and Robert McPhee for their efforts in setting up this
opportunity.
We will also have a “Newcomers Reception” where
individuals who are attending the WSCA convention for the first time will be
able to meet the WSCA governing body and other members interested in welcoming
new members. We invite you all to
attend.
As our local host, Betsy Bach outlined, we have
inexpensive hotel rates and there will be numerous enjoyable and entertaining
activities at this convention. The resort is absolutely BEAUTIFUL and not to
be missed!!! Don’t forget the SOCK HOP and the numerous opportunities to
engage in conversations with your friends, colleagues, and the scholars you
would like to meet. We look forward to seeing you at this year’s WSCA
convention!!
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Local
Host News: Let it Snow!
Betsy Bach, Local Host Coordinator
On
behalf of my colleagues at the University of Montana, Idaho State University,
Eastern Washington University, and the University of Idaho, I am delighted to
invite you to the Coeur d' Alene Resort, in Coeur d' Alene. You
can check it out at their website at www.cdaresort.com.
We
are staying in a world-class resort that has offered us rock-bottom prices.
Economy rooms are $77.00 per night, Park Wing rooms are $99.00 per night,
and Lake Tower rooms are $125.00 per night.
There is no per-person extra
charge.
You
will fly to Spokane airport, which is a 45 minute ride from the Resort.
Resort busses will transport you to and
from the airport for $35.00. Busses
will leave every hour.
The
Resort offers unparalleled service, superb conference facilities,
wonderful
restaurants, and a full European Spa. In
addition, we plan skiing
events, sleigh rides and (if there is enough interest) dog sledding at Lookout
Pass. We hope to have the Sock
Hop on two of the Resort's fleet boats,
which will be tethered together in the lake adjacent to the Resort.
Ask
any of your colleagues who have attended the annual meeting of the Northwest
Communication Association at the Resort.
They'll tell you it's fantastic!
Plans are well on their way for our
meeting to Coeur d’ Alene. For you outdoor types we have all-day ski trips
in the works for Friday and Saturday, and sleigh rides on Sunday and Monday
evenings. Those of you more inclined to stay indoors can enjoy a day trip to
Sandpoint (and Coldwater Creek) on Saturday, a gala wine tasting on Thursday
evening, and a single-malt scotch tasting on Monday evening. Others of you
might want to combine indoor and outdoor activities by attending the Micro
brewery crawl tentatively scheduled for Saturday night. Whether you are an
indoor or outdoor type, you can always take advantage of the Coeur d’ Alene
Spa and treat yourself to a massage or Pine Salt Glow.
We are working with a local group to
engage in a "day of service" on Friday (the day prior to the
convention). Helping out in the local soup kitchen or working with Habitat for
Humanity are two of the options under consideration. Details will follow in
the next newsletter.
A new twist has been added this year.
Those of you typically hosting parties have already received a note from John
Gribas of ISU, our designated "Party Guy." John is coordinating all
parties in collaboration with the Resort. If you are planning a party or
reception, and have not received information from John, please contact him at gribjohn@isu.edu.
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WSCA
2001 in
Coeur d’Alene . . .
It’s
Where You Want to Be!!
John
Gribas (Party Guy)
Hello
all! On behalf of the WSCA 2001
conference host planning committee, I welcome you in advance to the beautiful
community of Coeur d’Alene, the wonderful Coeur d’Alene Resort, and the
WSCA 2001 convention. I’ve
inherited the honorable role of “party guy” for this year.
It is my job to contact those of you who might want to schedule a
party/special gathering at the convention and to make sure you have the
information you need to plan for the event.
In this letter, I’ve tried to provide what you’ll need.
But if you have questions or difficulties, please feel free to contact
me and I will do my best to help you out.
First
and most important, Wendy Netz is the Director of Conference Services
at the Coeur d'Alene Resort. Her
email address is wnetz@cdaresort.com.
She is ready, willing, and able to help you in any way.
-
You need to make
reservations after October 1 and no later than February 1.
This is a great resort with a super staff, but, understandably, waiting
until the 11th hour will make it very difficult (maybe impossible) for the
hotel to accommodate your needs.
-
For those of you interested in food
and refreshments, Wendy has informed us that there are new menus in
the works for 2001. They will be ready
by November 15 and will be available electronically.
Once you send Wendy a request for a group event, she will let you know
how to access menus via email.
-
If you plan on having parties
in your own room, you may bring in your own food and beverage.
However, if you reserve a "special" room for parties,
you MUST use the hotel food services.
That’s part of the WSCA contract with the resort.
That’s
really about all you need to know to start planning. The most important thing to remember is “contact
Wendy.” You can also access
the resort web page via the link on the WSCA home page, or go straight to http://www.cdaresort.com.
And if all else fails, don’t hesitate to contact me.
See
you in Coeur d’Alene!!
John
Gribas (Party Guy)
Speech Communication, Box
8115,
Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID
83209-8115
208.282.2695 (office); 208.282.4598
(fax); gribjohn@isu.edu
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Time
and Place Committee Seeks
Local Host
in Northern Nevada or Northern California for
the 2005 Convention
Tim
Hegstrom, Chair, Time & Place Committee
WSCA plans its convention sites about four years in
advance. Currently the Time and
Place Committee is seeking applications from institutions willing to host the
2005 convention. The bylaws of
the association require that the convention site be rotated so that all
regions within the western United States might expect that the convention
periodically will be held in their locale.
In 2005, it will be time for the convention to return to the
"central" region, designated in the by-laws as Northern Nevada and
Northern California. Some
flexibility is allowable. Alternative
regions would be considered if no suitable site can be found in the indicated
region. The association would be
interested in hearing from all colleges and universities willing to serve as
local hosts for the convention in 2005.
Local hosts mainly will need to be able to recruit a
good-sized number of volunteers to work at the convention in such capacities
as keeping track of audio-visual equipment, staffing registration, and
arranging for local events.
In the next few years the convention will be held in
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho (2001-north), Long
Beach, California (2002-south), Salt Lake City, Utah (2003-east), and
Albuquerque, New Mexico (2004-east). In
the past five years the convention has been held in Pasadena (1996, south),
Monterey Bay (1997, central), Denver (1998, east), Vancouver (1999, north),
and Sacramento (2000, central).
A new member of the Time and Place committee is elected
each year by the Legislative Assembly. Current
members of the Time and Place Committee are:
Tim Hegstrom (Chair), San Jose State University; Karen Huck, Central
Oregon Community College; and Christina Beck, Ohio University.
If your department is willing to serve as a local host
for the convention, please feel free to contact any member of the committee.
Committee Chair, Hegstrom, can be reached at (408) 924-5372 and hegstrom@email.sjsu.edu.
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Call for Nominations
2001 WSCA Distinguished Service
Award
The Western
States Communication Association's Distinguished Service Award
honors persons who have made significant and long-lasting contributions to
WSCA and the discipline of Communication. The 2000 award winner was
Dr. Jody Nyquist of the University of Washington.
The full list of those honored in past years is on the WSCA
website.
The WSCA
Distinguished Service Award Committee seeks nominations which
should include a detailed listing of the nominee's accomplishments
(and/or a vita) and one or more
letters detailing the nominee's contributions to WSCA and the
discipline. Please submit nominations no later than December 15,
2000. We welcome
electronically-submitted materials (use rich text format, MS Word, or Word
Perfect).
Direct
questions and nominations to the committee chair:
Karen Rasmussen, Communication Studies, California State University, Long Beach, 1250
Bellflower Blvd., Long
Beach, CA 90840; 909-606-8611 (h); 562-985-4314 (o); 562-985-4259 (fax);
karsmus588@aol.com
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Report
of the Nominating Committee
[Election
Ballots are sent in the “convention mailing.”]
First
Vice President
Connie Bullis, University of Utah
Leah VandeBerg, California State University, Sacramento
Second
Vice President
John
Cagle, California State University, Fresno
Clark Olson, Arizona State University
Legislative
Assembly
Karen
Ashcraft, University of Utah
Christina Beck, Ohio University
John Caputo, Gonzaga University
Deanna Dannels, North Carolina State University
Deborah Dunn, Westmont College
Betty Ensminger, Mission College
Barbara Gayle, University of Portland
Donna Gotch, California State University, San Bernardino
Kake Huck, Central Oregon Community College
Joe Oetzel, University of New Mexico
[Members of the Nominating Committee were Dennis
Alexander, Chair, Julie Benson-Rosston, Karen Foss, Dreama Moon, and Gust
Yep.]
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Model
Teaching Program Award:
Call for
Nominations
Sue
Pendell, Chair, Model Teaching Award Committee
The Model
Teaching Program Award Committee is seeking nominations for the Teaching Program Award to be presented at the next
Western States Communication Association meeting in Coeur d’Alene,
Idaho (February, 2001). The award may be given to one or more speech or communication programs
from elementary schools, secondary schools, or community colleges based on the
following criteria:
-
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 of which should be from the school or college; the other
should come either from a former student or from someone outside the program) which 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 November 1, 2000. The recipient(s) will be notified in December and
will present a panel on the Model Teaching Program at the Coeur d’Alene Convention.
Nominations should be
sent to Sue Pendell, Department of Speech Communication, Eddy Hall, Colorado State University,
Fort Collins, CO 80523-1783. Questions regarding the award and/or the nomination process
can be directed to Sue Pendell at (970) 491-5303 or Sue.Pendell@colostate.edu. Other
members of the selection committee are Julie Benson-Rosston, Communication
and Instruction Interest Group, Linda Zeuschner, Community College Interest
Group, and Melissa Beall, Elementary and Secondary Education Interest Group.
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Service
Learning Toolkit
Service-learning
is the focus of a major project of the National
Communication
Association and the American Association for Higher Education. One
focus of the project is to create a toolkit, or practical resource book, for
those interested in using service-learning as an instructional methodology, to
help them get started. Toolkit team member, Alysson Satterlund of the
University of North Carolina, is soliciting "course abstracts" from
current practitioners of service-learning for possible inclusion in the
toolkit. A course abstract should include the following:
- Service
site activity
- How
the activity connects with course concepts
- Reflection
activities that give students the opportunity to demonstrate
their
grasp of those connections
- Assessment
of learning those course concepts
- Other
assessments (e.g., effects on the agency; effects on the faculty
member,
etc.]
If
your course abstract is chosen, in whole or in part, you will be credited,
along with you institutional affiliation, in the Toolkit. Send submissions to
Alysson Satterlund, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
Department of Communication Studies, 106 Bingham Hall, CB #3285, Chapel Hill,
NC 27599-3285.
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