Meeting Notes from SSCA Strategic Planning Retreat
January 31--February 2, 2003
Kate Hawkins, SSCA President
January 31--February 2, 2003
Kate Hawkins, SSCA President
Background and Rationale
SSCA has been truly fortunate over the years to have had outstanding leadership and responsible fiscal management. However, the events of the recent past and their aftermath may threaten to undermine SSCA's current strong financial position. The decline in the nation's economy has resulted in drastically lowered interest rates, leading to an erosion in the returns earned by the association's reserve funds and endowment accounts. In addition, cutbacks in higher education budgets across the country have led to a decline in funds available to schools and departments whose faculty participate in the activities of SSCA. These trends, neither of which show any sign of abating anytime soon, oblige the leadership of SSCA to examine the long-term financial health of SSCA. In addition, the leadership is obliged to regularly examine the functioning of the association and to make structural and operational changes to improve the association's performance.
SSCA has been truly fortunate over the years to have had outstanding leadership and responsible fiscal management. However, the events of the recent past and their aftermath may threaten to undermine SSCA's current strong financial position. The decline in the nation's economy has resulted in drastically lowered interest rates, leading to an erosion in the returns earned by the association's reserve funds and endowment accounts. In addition, cutbacks in higher education budgets across the country have led to a decline in funds available to schools and departments whose faculty participate in the activities of SSCA. These trends, neither of which show any sign of abating anytime soon, oblige the leadership of SSCA to examine the long-term financial health of SSCA. In addition, the leadership is obliged to regularly examine the functioning of the association and to make structural and operational changes to improve the association's performance.
SSCA Officers' Strategic Planning Retreat
From January 31 through February 2, 2003, a group of SSCA officers met in Memphis at my request to begin to engage in a strategic planning process for SSCA. Present were: Hal Fulmer, SSCA Executive Director; Marilyn Young, SSCA Vice President and Convention Program Planner; Terry Thibodeaux, SSCA Vice President-Elect and Undergraduate Honors Conference Program Planner; Trudy Hanson, Immediate Past President; Michelle Violanti, Chair of the SSCA Finance Committee; Joy Hart, Editor of SCJ; Pam Bourland-Davis, Advertising Manager of SSCA; Kenneth Cissna, Past Editor of SCJ and candidate for SSCA Vice President-Elect; and Dick Ranta, Past Executive Director of SSCA and the retreat host. Terry Cole, Chair of the SSCA Constitution Committee and candidate for SSCA Vice President-Elect, was invited to attend, but was unable to do so, given a family medical emergency. I served as facilitator for the meeting.
In advance of the retreat, I had asked participants to consider answers to three questions:
1. Identify the critical functions of the association for its members. In other words, what services do we provide/functions we perform for the membership that we absolutely must in order for us to be successful as an association?
2. Keeping the critical functions you just identified in mind, describe an educational association (i.e., of SSCA's type) that would best provide these services/fulfill these functions. In other words, what would be an ideal SSCA?
3. What changes does SSCA have to make in the next 10 years to become the kind of association you described in #2 above? Please organize your comments in response to this question into three categories, as follows: structural changes, financial/fiscal changes, and operational changes.
These three questions served as the organizing frame for our discussions at the retreat. You will note that throughout the process, the various functions and activities overlap somewhat. This is to be expected and demonstrates the synergy of the various association functions, which is to our advantage.
Retreat participants met for nearly 20 hours from Friday afternoon to Sunday morning to address the important issues that face our association. The following is a summary of the results of those long hours of deliberation.
Critical Functions for SSCA
In order to be successful as an association, SSCA must:
1. Provide the membership with opportunities for professional development (e.g., teaching, scholarship, service, leadership, administration).
2. Provide the membership with opportunities for relational development (e.g., networking, fellowship).
3. Provide for organizational development (e.g., preservation and perpetuation of the organization through maintenance of a strong financial foundation, as well as recruiting and retaining members).
4. Serve an identity function for its membership, both within and outside of the association's boundaries (e.g., place for members in a community of scholars, communication of organizational identity to external constituencies).
5. Provide membership services in an efficient manner (e.g., annual convention, academic journal, newsletter, website, membership directory, information regarding accomplishments of members of the association).
An Ideal SSCA
We used the five critical functions we identified to organize our descriptors of an "ideal" SSCA.
Professional Development:
1. There would be opportunities to present research in its various evolutionary stages.
2. There would be opportunities to participate in workshops on teaching, scholarship and service, as well as opportunities for leadership development, both within and outside of the association (e.g., training, internships, preconference programs, conference programs, summer programs, web-based instruction).
3. There would be recognition for the professional accomplishments of members.
4. There would be mentoring opportunities for interested members.
5. There would be development grants available to members.
Relational Development:
1. There would be an up-to-date membership directory available to members.
2. There would be both informal and formal opportunities for networking among members.
3. There would be association-wide and divisional activities to welcome newcomers, both at the convention and otherwise.
4. There would be interactive sessions at the convention.
5. There would be "special draw" sessions to encourage newer members and more established members to meet and interact.
6. There would be multiple opportunities for informal fellowship ("Southern hospitality") at the convention and otherwise, as possible and appropriate, including receptions, special events, coffee breaks and so on.
Organizational Development:
1. There would be a strong financial foundation to support the regular and special functions of the association.
2. There would be regularity and consistency across the leadership offices of the association and accountability for leadership functions at both the divisional and association levels.
3. There would be up-dated by-laws for all divisions and for the association as a whole.
4. There would be a close relationship between SSCA and the state communication associations and other related organizations in the Southern region and where appropriate, nationally.
5. There would be an up-to-date and information-rich association website.
6. There would be both formal and informal means to identify and develop leadership potential within the association.
7. There would be both formal and informal means to reach out to under-represented groups in the Southern region.
Identity Function:
1. We would articulate and confront issues that relate to the Southern region.
2. We would associate ourselves with other like-minded teacher/scholars within and outside the Southern region.
3. There would be ongoing public relations activities on behalf of the association.
4. SSCA would be a highly visible and credible association in the Southern region and where appropriate, nationally.
5. There would be a widely recognizable logo for SSCA.
6. There would be opportunities to demonstrate members' association with SSCA (e.g., logo apparel, gifts for members with SSCA logo).
Member Services:
1. The Executive Director's office and staff would be adequately funded to enable the office to provide member services in an efficient manner.
2. Members would benefit from the following services: information about the history of the association, how the association functions, and about the membership of the association; academic convention services, including local arrangements; access to SSCA's scholarly journal, as well as other related journals; use of an association website for multiple purposes; receipt of a timely and information-rich newsletter; information regarding placement opportunities; provision of awards and member recognition; access to special programs (both in conjunction with and in addition to the annual convention).
From January 31 through February 2, 2003, a group of SSCA officers met in Memphis at my request to begin to engage in a strategic planning process for SSCA. Present were: Hal Fulmer, SSCA Executive Director; Marilyn Young, SSCA Vice President and Convention Program Planner; Terry Thibodeaux, SSCA Vice President-Elect and Undergraduate Honors Conference Program Planner; Trudy Hanson, Immediate Past President; Michelle Violanti, Chair of the SSCA Finance Committee; Joy Hart, Editor of SCJ; Pam Bourland-Davis, Advertising Manager of SSCA; Kenneth Cissna, Past Editor of SCJ and candidate for SSCA Vice President-Elect; and Dick Ranta, Past Executive Director of SSCA and the retreat host. Terry Cole, Chair of the SSCA Constitution Committee and candidate for SSCA Vice President-Elect, was invited to attend, but was unable to do so, given a family medical emergency. I served as facilitator for the meeting.
In advance of the retreat, I had asked participants to consider answers to three questions:
1. Identify the critical functions of the association for its members. In other words, what services do we provide/functions we perform for the membership that we absolutely must in order for us to be successful as an association?
2. Keeping the critical functions you just identified in mind, describe an educational association (i.e., of SSCA's type) that would best provide these services/fulfill these functions. In other words, what would be an ideal SSCA?
3. What changes does SSCA have to make in the next 10 years to become the kind of association you described in #2 above? Please organize your comments in response to this question into three categories, as follows: structural changes, financial/fiscal changes, and operational changes.
These three questions served as the organizing frame for our discussions at the retreat. You will note that throughout the process, the various functions and activities overlap somewhat. This is to be expected and demonstrates the synergy of the various association functions, which is to our advantage.
Retreat participants met for nearly 20 hours from Friday afternoon to Sunday morning to address the important issues that face our association. The following is a summary of the results of those long hours of deliberation.
Critical Functions for SSCA
In order to be successful as an association, SSCA must:
1. Provide the membership with opportunities for professional development (e.g., teaching, scholarship, service, leadership, administration).
2. Provide the membership with opportunities for relational development (e.g., networking, fellowship).
3. Provide for organizational development (e.g., preservation and perpetuation of the organization through maintenance of a strong financial foundation, as well as recruiting and retaining members).
4. Serve an identity function for its membership, both within and outside of the association's boundaries (e.g., place for members in a community of scholars, communication of organizational identity to external constituencies).
5. Provide membership services in an efficient manner (e.g., annual convention, academic journal, newsletter, website, membership directory, information regarding accomplishments of members of the association).
An Ideal SSCA
We used the five critical functions we identified to organize our descriptors of an "ideal" SSCA.
Professional Development:
1. There would be opportunities to present research in its various evolutionary stages.
2. There would be opportunities to participate in workshops on teaching, scholarship and service, as well as opportunities for leadership development, both within and outside of the association (e.g., training, internships, preconference programs, conference programs, summer programs, web-based instruction).
3. There would be recognition for the professional accomplishments of members.
4. There would be mentoring opportunities for interested members.
5. There would be development grants available to members.
Relational Development:
1. There would be an up-to-date membership directory available to members.
2. There would be both informal and formal opportunities for networking among members.
3. There would be association-wide and divisional activities to welcome newcomers, both at the convention and otherwise.
4. There would be interactive sessions at the convention.
5. There would be "special draw" sessions to encourage newer members and more established members to meet and interact.
6. There would be multiple opportunities for informal fellowship ("Southern hospitality") at the convention and otherwise, as possible and appropriate, including receptions, special events, coffee breaks and so on.
Organizational Development:
1. There would be a strong financial foundation to support the regular and special functions of the association.
2. There would be regularity and consistency across the leadership offices of the association and accountability for leadership functions at both the divisional and association levels.
3. There would be up-dated by-laws for all divisions and for the association as a whole.
4. There would be a close relationship between SSCA and the state communication associations and other related organizations in the Southern region and where appropriate, nationally.
5. There would be an up-to-date and information-rich association website.
6. There would be both formal and informal means to identify and develop leadership potential within the association.
7. There would be both formal and informal means to reach out to under-represented groups in the Southern region.
Identity Function:
1. We would articulate and confront issues that relate to the Southern region.
2. We would associate ourselves with other like-minded teacher/scholars within and outside the Southern region.
3. There would be ongoing public relations activities on behalf of the association.
4. SSCA would be a highly visible and credible association in the Southern region and where appropriate, nationally.
5. There would be a widely recognizable logo for SSCA.
6. There would be opportunities to demonstrate members' association with SSCA (e.g., logo apparel, gifts for members with SSCA logo).
Member Services:
1. The Executive Director's office and staff would be adequately funded to enable the office to provide member services in an efficient manner.
2. Members would benefit from the following services: information about the history of the association, how the association functions, and about the membership of the association; academic convention services, including local arrangements; access to SSCA's scholarly journal, as well as other related journals; use of an association website for multiple purposes; receipt of a timely and information-rich newsletter; information regarding placement opportunities; provision of awards and member recognition; access to special programs (both in conjunction with and in addition to the annual convention).
Changes Proposed for SSCA
Having identified characteristics and functions of an "ideal" SSCA, we next turned our attention to immediate, short-term and long-term changes that would have to take place in order for SSCA to reach its ideal state. We organized our deliberations into three categories of change: structural, financial and operational. Note that most of these proposed changes are immediate and short-term in nature. One realization we came to during the retreat is that further short-term and long-term changes would have to be deliberated at future leadership retreats. The strategic planning function is one that must be regularized within the association's leadership structure.
Structural:
1. Numerous "clean up" changes in the SSCA Constitution to reflect the current operation of the association.
2. To insure that divisional leadership responsibilities are fulfilled, the SSCA president's duties will be expanded to include oversight of divisional leadership activities (e.g., submission of divisional minutes in a timely way, election of division officers, and so on).
3. Give the immediate past president the responsibility to chair the SSCA Nominating Committee.
4. Recognize an Executive Committee to function as the Committee on Committees and to support the leadership function of the association. This group will include the SSCA president, vice president, vice president-elect, immediate past president, the executive director, the journal editor and the advertising manager.
5. Enforce voting membership on the Executive Council according to the SSCA Constitution. Voting membership includes the SSCA president, vice president, vice president-elect, and immediate past president, the executive director, the journal editor, the advertising manager, the retiring journal editor, the retiring executive director, division and standing committee chairs, and three members elected at large from the association who also represent SSCA on the NCA Legislative Council.
6. Make local arrangements a function to be assigned to one person from the convention area who would work directly with the executive director.
7. Require the president to call a strategic planning meeting no less often than once every five years.
8. Stipulate that the executive director and the advertising manager shall consult to set fees for SCJ, the convention program and other fees not regulated by the Executive Council and SSCA membership.
9. Enforce constitutional guidelines for divisional membership and activity.
10. Add vice chair-elect as a required division office. This person is to assist the vice chair in program planning duties and will ascend to the office of vice chair in the year following the year of service as vice chair-elect.
Financial:
The following are immediate changes recommended to current SSCA dues and fees. The proposed dues and fees are contrasted with the published "SSCA Fees and Rates for 2002-2003":
1. Membership fees:
Regular: up $5 to $45
Student: up $5 to $25
Patron: up $45 to $185
Sustaining: up $10 to $75
Regional journals: up $35 to $80
International membership surcharge: up $10 to $30
Emeritus memberships now require 20 years association membership to be eligible.
2. Library subscriptions:
U.S. library through agency: first year up $5 to $45, next year up $5 to $50
U.S. library retail: first year up $8 to $50, next year up $5 to $55
International library through agency: first year up $20 to $75, next year up $5 to $80
International library retail: first year up $20 to $80, next year up $5 to $85
Back issues: up $4 to $12 each
3. Reprint and label fees:
Article: up $50 to $100
4. Convention registration fees (no meals included):
Regular: preregistration up $5 to $45, on-site up $10 to $55
Student: preregistration up $5 to $25, on-site up $10 to $35
Non-member: preregistration up $5 to $65, on-site up $5 to $75
5. Undergraduate Honors Conference attendees will no longer be added to the membership data base of the association as a consequence of their participation in the conference. They will receive as part of their conference registration fee a copy of the most recent newsletter, a sample copy of SCJ from among its more recent issues, admission to all Undergraduate Honors Conference and SSCA convention programs and exhibits, as well as admission to the SSCA convention awards luncheon and all other SSCA convention receptions.
6. Library subscriptions will no longer include copies of the association newsletters.
7. The SSCA Finance Committee will consider additional changes in services and dues for both life and department memberships.
Operational:
1. Prepare a membership directory for sale at the annual association convention.
2. Recruit and supervise students to assist in the production of the newsletter and in developing the association's public relations function.
3. Reduce production run of the newsletter to accommodate no longer sending newsletters to Undergraduate Honors Conference participants and to subscribing libraries.
4. Reduce production run of the journal to accommodate lower actual demand.
5. Regularize association website maintenance.
6. Contract with appropriate individuals to design a logo for SSCA.
7. Sometime in the next 2-5 years, develop a plan to produce and distribute SSCA logo gifts and apparel.
8. Plan to add a half-time funded staff member in the next 2-5 years and work toward upgrading that position to full-time within the next 10 years.
Personal Action Plans
Each participant in the retreat developed and shared with other participants their own personal action plans relevant to their specific roles in the association. These action plans, taken together, will help SSCA to achieve the changes noted above.
Each participant in the retreat developed and shared with other participants their own personal action plans relevant to their specific roles in the association. These action plans, taken together, will help SSCA to achieve the changes noted above.