National Communication Association
Mass Communication Division Newsletter
February 1999

Mass Communication Division Officers
Call for Nominations for Division Officers
Mass Communication Division Invites Nominations for Teaching and Service Awards
Submissions for October 1999 Newsletter
Convention Reminder
Mass Communication Division Annual Business Meeting


 

Immediate Past Chair Report
 

Mary Larson (Northern Illinois University)
 

We completed several initiatives begun during Bill Christ's tenure as MCD Chair in 1996-97.

 

  1. Under the leadership of Rebecca Lind, criteria for the "Teaching" and "Service" awards were developed. In 1998, we awarded the "Teaching" award. However, we had no applicants for the "Service" award.

  2. The Media Literacy Task Force, under the leadership of Bill Christ, gained approval for the Media Literacy Standards for K-12.

  3. The MCD Division approved revision of our by-laws. Anyone who has not seen the revised by-laws may read them in the October, 1998 MCD Newsletter (www.comm.vt.edu/masscomm/news10_98.html).

  4. We continued our efforts to get members actively involved in the division. We held a Members' & Newcomers' reception, and were successful in getting many members to review papers.

 

 

Division Officers
 

 

Chair: Margaret Haefner Illinois State University

Vice Chair: Rebecca Ann Lind University of Illinois at Chicago

Vice-Chair Elect: Mary Beth Oliver Penn State University

Immediate Past Chair: Mary Larson Northern Illinois University

Secretary: Don Taylor California State University, Sacramento

Secretary-Elect: Cynthia Hoffner Illinois State University

 

Research Committee:

 

 

Nominations Committee:

 

 

Publications Committee: James R. Walker Saint Xavier University

Web Wizard: Jeff Shires Campbellsville University

Graduate Student Representative: Gracie Lawson, Wayne State University

Archivist: Louise Benjamin University of Georgia

 

Call for Division Officers
 

The Mass Communication Division Nominations Committee is seeking self-nominations for division officer positions for 1999-2000. Nominations are sought for the offices of division vice-chair elect, research committee member, publications committee, secretary elect, and members of the nominations committee. If you or someone you know is interested in serving, please contact Elizabeth Perse at the following address:
 

Elizabeth M. Perse
Department of Communication
University of Delaware
Newark, DE 19716
 

302-831-8029 (phone)
302-831-1892 (fax)

 


 

Mass Communication Division Invites Nominations for Teaching and Service Awards
 

The MCD Teaching Award is designed to recognize excellence in teaching, using the term "teacher" in a broad sense. In order to be considered, the nominee must be a member of NCA and MCD, have taught for over ten years, and have been recognized for their teaching excellence by their department, unit, college/university, or other group or association. This includes, but is not limited to, awards, merit evaluations, and student recognition. In addition to nominations by others, self-nomination is encouraged. The nomination packet may not exceed 25 pages and should include:
 

 

  1. a detailed letter of nomination addressing the qualifications of the nominee;

  2. the teacher's curriculum vitae;

  3. three letters of recommendation; and

  4. representative publications or presentations dealing with teaching and/or curriculum, course outlines/syllabuses, innovative teaching ideas or tools, teaching evaluations and citations, evidence of mentoring and/or advising, or other forms of recognition pertaining to the nominee.

 

The MCD Service Award is designed to recognize exemplary service in the field. In order to be considered, the nominee must be a member of NCA and MCD, have served the NCA and MCD in a number of capacities, and have evidence of exemplary service to several of the following: NCA, MCD, the profession, the community, the department, and the college/university. The nomination packet may not exceed 25 pages and should include:

 

  1. a detailed letter of nomination addressing the qualifications of the nominee;

  2. a curriculum vitae;

  3. three letters of recommendation; and

  4. evidence of service.

 

Send five copies of the teacher and/or service award packets to
 

Mary Beth Oliver
Penn State University
College of Communications
210 Carnegie Building
University Park, PA, 16802

Phone: (814) 863-5552
 

Faxed or electronic submissions will not be accepted.

 

Deadline for nominations is May 15, 1999. Over the summer, an award committee will discuss the nominations. The award committee will consist of the immediate past chair, chair, vice-chair, vice-chair elect and secretary of the MCD. The final decision will be made by August 15. The award recipient will be contacted and asked to attend the fall meeting of the NCA MCD business meeting to receive the award. The MCD reserves the right to not give any awards.

 

 

Submissions for October 1999 Newsletter
 

If you have any submissions for the October 1999, Mass Communication Division Newsletter, please send them to
 

Jim Walker
Saint Xavier University
3700 W. 103rd Street
Chicago, IL 60655
 

The deadline is September 15, 1999.

 

 

Convention Reminder
 

Mass Communication Division members are encouraged to attend the National Communication Association Convention at the Chicago Hilton & Towers from November 4 to 7, 1999. We anticipate an outstanding Mass Communication Division program.

 

 

Mass Communication Division Annual Business Meeting

 

Trianon Rendezvous, New York Hilton
Sunday, November 22, 1998
5:00-6:10 p.m.
 

Mary Larson (Chair) Presiding
 

 

I. Call to Order and Distribution of Agenda - Mary Larson called the meeting to order promptly at 5:00 p.m.

 

II. Introduction of Mass Communication Division Officers - Larson introduced Mass Communication Division (MCD) officers and thanked them and other members of the division for attending the newcomer's reception that was held on Saturday, November 21, 1998 at 5:00 p.m.

 

III. Minutes of 1997 Business Meeting - Rob Gobetz, MCD Secretary distributed minutes of the 1997 meeting. The minutes were approved as distributed.

 

IV. Reports and Announcements from Committee Officers

 

A. The first report was from Nancy Signorielli, Chair of the Nominating Committee. She presented the meeting with a slate of officers as nominated by the committee and thanked members for their participation in the process. She invited division members to add nominations from the floor as deemed necessary for any of the officers to be elected. Election of new officers commenced. (Note: Elections were staggered throughout the remainder of the meeting but the report is condensed here.) the following persons were elected:

 

  1. Vice-Chair Elect - Mary Beth Oliver (Penn State University)

  2. Research Committee member - Norbert Mundorf (University of Rhode Island)

  3. Secretary Elect - Cynthia Hoffner, (Illinois State University)

  4. Publications Committee - Jim Walker (St. Xavier University)

  5. Nominations Committee - Elizabeth Perse (University of Delaware) was elected chair. Alison Alexander (University of Georgia), Dennis Davis (Penn State University), Barbara Kaye (Valdosta State University), and Robbin Crabtree (New Mexico State University) were elected members.

 

B. The second report was on the 1998 convention program. It was presented by MCD Vice Chair Margaret Haefner (Illinois State University). She reported that the 1998 program featured 10 panels. 8 were on competitive papers of which 2 were poster sessions. There was a 60% acceptance rate for all papers submitted. She commended the rich diversity in the papers submitted. She also explained that the newcomers' reception was not scheduled back-to-back with the business meeting due to scheduling problems. Robbin Crabtree (New Mexico State University), Research Committee Chair, and Robert Gobetz (University of Indianapolis) were appointed to select the top 2 poster sessions for 1998. Rebecca Lind (University of Illinois, Chicago) announced that for the 1999 convention competitive papers should be sent to Mary Beth Oliver and panels should be sent to Rebecca Lind. Mary Beth Oliver also requested sign-ups for reviewers for the division.

 

C. William Christ (Trinity University) reported on the Media Literacy Task Force. He thanked members of the Task Force for helping to develop the new standards. He referred the membership to the Media Literary Task Force report posted in The Gatekeeper, October 1998.

 

D. William Christ (immediate Past Chair) delivered a report on NCA's Nominating Committee. He reported that he was elected to serve on the Committee on Committees and urged members of the division to e-mail him to express interest to serve on NCA committees.

 

E. Mary Larson (Chair) delivered a report from NCA's Legislative Council. She announced that NCA has put in a bid to buy a townhouse next to Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C. The location looks good and the property also has a carriage house and courtyard for which NCA may be able to rent with up to $50,000.00 estimated on rental revenues. NCA also hopes to sell off the Annandale property and "get something good" for it. Larson also reported on several other actions taken by the Legislative Council. They included:

 

  1. giving students a break by establishing a sliding scale for fees;

  2. establishing a membership assistance Fund for catastrophic cases;

  3. a motion to establish a Legal Defense Fund that failed to pass council;

  4. approving two new divisions: Human Communication Technology and Ethnography.

 

  •  

    Division members offered a wide range of opinions on these announcements. The discussion seemed to center around the notion that the Legislative Council seemed "to approve everything."

     

    • F. Robbin Crabtree (Research Committee Chair) announced this year's division awards. She pointed out that this year's top paper was also the top student paper. She observed that many of the 1998 conference presenters were students. She also thanked all reviewers (identified in The Gatekeeper, October 1998) for their hard work under very tight deadlines. The top papers were:

     

    1. Jennifer L. Border (Penn State University) "Portrait of a Woman Artist: the rhetorical construction of Camille Claudel as a tragic feminist heroine." (top paper)

    2. Amy B. Jordan (University of Pennsylvania) and Josephine Holz (Holz Research & Consulting) "Public Policy and Private Practice: government regulation and parental mediation of children's viewing in the home."

    3. Christian Kiewitz (University of Alabama) and James B. Weaver III (Auburn University) "The impact of high-trait aggressiveness on reactions to media violence."

     

    G. Rebecca Lind (Vice Chair Elect) announced this year's teaching award recipient as Michael Porter (University of Missouri). She thanked members for the several good applications that were submitted. She also commented on the need to develop a set of new criteria for awards on teaching and service. The membership identified several factors that should be taken into consideration. Two levels of evaluations were suggested-the first being such basic criteria as NCA memberships, division service, etc., and the second being filter criteria such as years of teaching, past recognitions and awards, who gave it, etc.

     

    V. Old Business

    A. The success of The Gatekeeper was acknowledged and Doug Ferguson was thanked for his hard work on the Electronic Newsletter.

     

    B. Mary Beth Oliver (informal Web Wizard) reported on the progress of the division's web page. She thanked members for their suggestions and requested members to send in suggestions for inclusion in the web page.

     

    VI. Margaret Haefner (Illinois State University) was installed as MCD Chair (1998-99). She congratulated Mary Larson (Northern Illinois University) for a job well done, her hard work and commitment to the programs of the division. The newly installed chair then introduced the 1998-99 officers as follows:

     

    • Rebecca Lind - Vice Chair (University of Illinois, Chicago)

    • Mary Beth Oliver - Vice Chair Elect (Penn State University)

    • Donald Taylor - Secretary (California State University, Sacramento)

    • Cynthia Hoffner - Secretary Elect (Illinois State University)

    • Mary Beth Oliver - Research committee Chair (Penn State University)

    • Elizabeth Perse - Nominating Committee Chair (University of Delaware)

    • Mary Larson - Immediate Past Chair (Northern Illinois University)

     

    VII. Mary Beth Oliver reported on plans for the 1999 convention. The convention is scheduled November 4-7, 1999 at the Chicago Hilton & Towers (Note: Blackstone Hotel is not included this time-the facilities are closed which might force some programs to be cut.). Convention theme is "Coloring Outside the Lines." She said that a major impetus behind this theme is to encourage the membership to explore things creatively especially with ideas for presentations. She also reported that NCA had made some changes with respect to poster session submissions which should now be sent to Jim McCroskey (West Virginia University). Competitive papers and panels should still be sent to the MCD, and specifically to Mary Beth Oliver. There was lengthy and extensive discussion on the poster session submission changes. Members explored a number of options/strategies in response to this development but agreed that the division will do a poster session in 1999.

     

    VIII. New Business

    A. The revised bylaws were approved with a floor amendment to include "structures" in the purpose statement. The new purpose statement Article II shall now read: "It shall be the purpose of the MCD to advance the study and teaching of communication as it applies to media, their languages, codes, uses, roles, functions, structures, impacts, and audiences."

     

    B. Two new positions were filled as a result of adoption of the new bylaws.

     

    1. Gracie Lawson (Wayne State University) was elected Graduate Student Representative.

    2. Jeff Shires (Campbellsville University) was elected by acclamation to be Web Wizard.

     

    C. Several announcements were made regarding open faculty positions, media literacy starting a list server, and efforts to develop a web-based teaching tool.

     

    IX. Adjournment

     

    The meeting was adjourned at 6:15 p.m.