Call to Order and Welcome

The meeting was called to order by President Terry M. Thibodeaux at 3:30 p.m. in Salon 2 of the Palmer House Hotel. Members present were Marilyn Young (Immediate Past President), Chuck Grant (Time and Place), Joy Hart (SCJ Editor), John Meyer (SCJ Editor-Elect), David Sutton (SSCA Rep to NCA LC), Ken Cissna (VP, Consortium Publications),  Charles Tardy (VP-Elect, 2005 Local Arrangements, Dick Ranta (Resource Development), Dan Grano (ASHR), Pam Bourland-Davis (Advertising Manager), Jean DeHart (Advertising Manager-Elect), Norm Clark (Publications), Christina Moss (Member), Cole Franklin (NCA Nominating Committee), and J. Emmett Winn (Executive Director-Elect).

 

Minutes

The minutes of the Tampa Executive Council meeting and Business Breakfast meeting were approved.  

 

Agenda

The  agenda* was approved.  

 

Officer Reports

President Thibodeaux presented a report on his activities since assuming office at the close of the Tampa conference. His report included the results of his strategic planning retreat*.  He reported that substantial progress had been made on several issues including the publication of the association's newsletter.  The most pressing issue before the executive council was the matter of commercial and electronic publishing of the Southern Communication Journal which he reported would be brought before the E.C. during the Unfinished Business agenda item.   

 

Vice President Ken Cissna made his report focusing on his role as primary planner for the upcoming Baton Rouge convention. (  click here to read his report*)

 

Immediate Past President Marilyn Young reported that she and the nominating committee are continuing their work.

 

VP-Elect Charles Tardy asked EC members to encourage their students to submit to the Undergraduate Honors Conference and reminded everyone that the call is available on the SSCA website.  He also asked for individuals who haven't responded to his request for UHC paper readers, to do so.  (  click here to read his report*)

 

Executive Director Hall Fulmer was unable to attend the meeting but sent his report stating that he was concluding work on the budget and that information should be available in about a month.

 

Advertising Manager Pam Bourland-Davis reported that almost all of the ads for the entire upcoming volume of SCJ had been sold and that she would soon be sending out information on purchasing ads in the convention program and the graduate school exhibits.  

 

Editor Joy Hart presented a handout documenting the activities of the Southern Communication Journal. (  click here to read her report*)

 

David Sutton represented the Representatives to the NCA Legislative Council and offered their report, noting that NCA is in good financial health and that income exceeds expenditures.  He further reported that NCA 1st Vice President Martha Watson is spearheading an initiative to compile certification standards for Communication programs.

 

Standing Committee Reports

Committee on Committees: President Thibodeaux noted all interested parties should refer to the http://www.ssca.net website for committee appointments. 

 

Constitution: No report

 

Finance: No report. The committee will work with the Executive Director in the preparation of the budget to be presented at the Baton Rouge conference.

 

Local Arrangements: Proceeding on schedule for the Baton Rouge conference.

 

Minority Recruitment/Retention: No Report

 

Nominating Committee:  Immediate Past President Young reported that the process of developing a slate of nominations is continuing and that the committee has plans to issue a call for nominations to the membership immediately following the NCA conference.  She also reported that there is some question about which Legislative Assembly position is open.  She also reported that she is establishing a procedures manual for the chair since this is the first time that the Immediate Past President has chaired the committee.

 

Publications: Norm Clark stated that the role of the Publications Committee needed to be clarified.  He also reported that he had serious reservations about the possibility of SSCA entering into an agreement with Taylor and Francis and EBSCO but delayed his full response until the Unfinished Business section of the agenda.

 

Resolutions: No report

 

Time and Place: Chuck Grant reported that the 2006 conference to be held in Addison (North Dallas), Texas will occur April 5-9.  The 2007 conference in Louisville, KY will be held March 29-April 1.  There are no dates available for the 2008 conference in Savannah yet.  Dr. Grant further reported that the top two cities for consideration for the 2009 convention are San Antonio and New Orleans.  He and the Executive Director will make site visits to these two locations in the spring and will bring forward a formal report on these two locations at the Baton Rouge conference.

 

Resource Development: President Thibodeaux suggested that bringing back a convention fundraiser such as the Caring Connections fundraiser might be a good way to raise monies for funding the various SSCA awards.  Dr. Ranta pointed out that if such a fundraiser was resurrected that SSCA would have to put up all funds required to pay for all of the materials that would be used in the fundraiser.  These materials would have to be directly purchased by SSCA "upfront" and given to the chosen chair of the fundraiser so that the chair would have no "out of pocket" expenses.  The EC was supportive of this requirement.