Minutes of the Executive Council

Southern States Communication Association

Annual Meeting

Holiday Inn Select Hotel

Baton Rouge, LA

March 30-31, 2005

 

President Terry Thibodeaux called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. and welcomed all members.  Present were: Hal Fulmer (Executive Director), J. Emmett Winn (Executive Director-Elect), Pam Bourland-Davis (Advertising Manager & Public Relations Division), Ken Cissna (Vice President), Sally B. Bell (Gender Studies Division), Lynn Reynolds, (Intercultural Division), Eugenia Almeida (Language & Social Interaction),  Daniel Schabot (Southern Forensics), Dennis Robertson (Mass Communication Division), Bill Edwards (Communication Theory Division), Jason Munsell (American Society for the History of Rhetoric Interest Group), Chuck Grant (Time & Place Committee Chair), Joy Hart (SCJ Editor), Patricia Amason (Applied Communication), Patricia Rockwell (Interpersonal Division), Bob Frank (Political Communication Division), David Sutton (SSCA Representative to the NCA Legislative Assembly), Renee Edwards (Local Arrangements), Jean DeHart (Advertising Manager-Elect), Carl Cates (Finance Committee Chair), Marilyn Young (Past President), Richard Ranta (Past Executive Director), Norman Clark (Publications Committee Chair), Mary Evelyn Collins (Award Committee), Derek Lane (Instructional Development Division), Roseann Mandziuk (Publications Committee & Rhetoric and Public Address Division), Marcy Chvasta (Performance Studies Division), John Meyer (SCJ Editor-Elect), Chuck Tardy (Vice President-Elect), and Don Love (Intercultural Division).

 

The minutes of the Executive Council meeting at NCA in Chicago in November 2004 were approved.

 

The agenda was approved with minor revisions.  (  Click here to read the revised agenda*).

 

President Terry Thibodeaux presented a written report. (  Click here to read his report*). President Thibodeaux also requested that all division reports be made in writing in order to save time for discussion of items needing the EC's action.

 

Vice President Ken Cissna presented the 2005 conference program for the 75^th Southern States Communication Association's meeting in Baton Rouge as his report.  He also provided copies of the "Welcome to Baton Rouge" brochure to the EC that was prepared by Dr. Kim Golombisky and praised her work. (  Click here to view the brochure*).  VP Cissna also explained his addition of workshop panels to the program, announced the keynote speaker for the Saturday Awards luncheon, highlighted special panels featuring Southern culture, and announced the special program honoring Past President Marilyn Young.  VP Cissna closed his report by inviting all members to join him on Sunday morning at 7:15 to discuss the convention and provide him with feedback.

 

Immediate Past President Marilyn Young explained her role as chair of the Nominating Committee and reported on the nomination slate.  (Click here to review the nominations). (  Click here to read her written report*).

 

Vice President Elect Charles Tardy reported on his planning of the Undergraduate Honors Conference.  He reported that he received 120 papers.  He thanked all of his reviewers and encouraged all members to attend the UHC panels.  VP-Elect Tardy also encouraged SSCA to move to electronic submissions of all papers for the conference as he had used this in the UHC and found it to be very efficient and cost saving.  VP-Tardy also reminded all Division representatives to make sure that they had their Vice Chairs attend the Planning Meeting on Saturday morning. (  Click here to read his written report*)

 

Executive Director Hal Fulmer opened his report by announcing this was the year of the "Elects."  He further explained that occasionally SSCA Officer Positions have a year where many of the positions are transferring to their "elect" officers.  This year that includes the Executive Director, Advertising Manager, and SCJ editor.  Dr. Fulmer announced that about 300 members had pre-registered for the conference.  This number is up from past figures for pre-registrants.  Dr. Fulmer announced the results of the elections: Craig Allen Smith-Vice President Elect & Deborah Hefferin-SSCA representative from a community college to the NCA Legislative Assembly.  Executive Director Fulmer presented reports on the membership and finances of the Association.

 

Advertising Manager Pam Bourland-Davis reported that there are just over $7500 from advertising in the journal and conference exhibits.  She also encouraged all members to visit the exhibitors at the conference.

 

SCJ Editor Joy Hart presented a written report.  (  Click here to read that report*).

 

NCA Legislative Assembly Representative David Sutton referred to his official report at the NCA convention in Chicago: 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 were as follows: Committee on Committees: VP Ken Cissna announced that the Committee on Committees will meet Sunday morning and asked all EC members to encourage people to get involved in the association.  The Finance Committee Chair Carl Cates presented the budget for the next year.  The budget was amended to include monies for the publication of a newsletter and was approved as amended.  Local Arrangements Chair Renee Edwards welcomed all to Baton Rouge and requested that the EC members make her aware of any needs that they might have during the conference.  Chuck Grant, Chair of the Time & Place Committee, recommended the Virginia Beach area for the 2009 conference and his motion was approved.  Time & Place Chair Grant explained that the Central States Communication Association had contacted SSCA about a possible joint convention is 2010 in San Antonio.  Past President Young moved that the EC empower the officer team and the Time and Place Committee to explore the possibility of a joint convention with Central States Communication Association and to move in that direction if reasonable to do so, pending the approval of the membership.  The motion was seconded and passed.  In the event that the joint convention does not materialize, the EC approved Memphis, New Orleans, and San Antonio as possible alternates in 2010.

 

There were no reports from Ad-Hoc Committees.

 

The following Divisions provided written reports:

 

Gender Studies: Chair Sally Bell (  Click here to read the report*).

American Society for the History of Rhetoric Interest Group: Chair Jason Munsell (  Click here to read the report*).

 

In unfinished business the following issues were considered and acted upon.  After much discussion the EC members put forth a motion that recommended that the membership authorize the Executive Director and an officer team to negotiate a contract with EBSCO to publish the past issues of the journal with specific stipulations.  The motion passed without objection.  After much spirited discussion the EC members put forth a motion that recommends that SSCA membership authorize the Executive Director and an officer team to negotiate a contract with Taylor & Francis Publishing to publish the Association's journal.  The motion passed. 

 

There was no new business and no announcements.

 

The meeting was adjourned.