Vice-Chairperson Duties for the Basic Course Commission

NATIONAL COMMUNICATION ASSOCIATION

VICE-CHAIRPERSON DUTIES FOR THE BASIC COURSE COMMISSION

The Vice-Chairperson shall, in cooperation and consultation with appropriate officers of the Commission and NCA, plan the program of the Basic Course Commission for the annual NCA convention. The Vice-Chairperson will chair the Program Planning Committee and will be responsible for compiling the ratings and rankings by the Program Planning Committee of papers and proposals submitted for competitive evaluation. The Vice-Chairperson shall, based on the ratings and rankings of the evaluators, select three distinguished papers from those competitively submitted for awards: Top Paper in Research, Top Paper in Pedagogy, and Top Poster Session. The ViceChairperson has the prerogative to deem no paper worthy of one or more awards that year. Awards will be given to the author(s) by the Vice-Chairperson at the annual business meeting. The ViceChairperson shall serve a one-year term and succeed to the office of Chairperson in the next successive year.

The Nominating Committee shall consist of three members appointed by the Vice-Chairperson.

[By the time the Nominating Committee members assume their responsibilities, the Vice-Chairperson will have become the Chairperson of the Basic Course Commission; this committee will work with that person.] The Chairperson shall serve as Chairperson of this committee without vote. The duty of the committee shall be to nominate at least one individual to fill each vacancy among the officers, program evaluators, and committee members of the Commission. The Nominating Committee members will be announced by the Vice-Chairperson at the annual business meeting.

The Nominating Committee shall nominate at least one person for each vacancy to be filled.

The nominations for officers, program evaluators, and committee members will be presented to the general membership by the Nominating Committee at the annual business meeting. Additional nominations for each vacancy may be made by any member at the annual business meeting. A nominee must receive a majority vote of the Commission members present and voting at the annual' meeting. In the event that more than two people are nominated and no one initially receives a majority vote, a run-off election between the two individuals receiving the most votes shall be held immediately. A tie vote will be decided by the Chairperson of the Commission immediately. All elections will be conducted by a show of hands, with the nominees absenting themselves, unless a majority of those present at the business meeting vote in favor of a secret ballot.

Program Evaluators shall be elected by the Commission membership to serve as members of the Program Planning Committee. The Program Evaluators, in addition to the Vice-Chairperson-Elect, shall be responsible for rating and ranking competitive papers and proposals submitted in response to the yearly call for papers. The number of Program Evaluators will be determined by the Vice-Chair and the Nominating Committee. The Program Evaluators shall be elected at the annual business meeting to serve a one-year term. (Typically, eight Program Evaluators are elected (in addition to the Vice-Chairperson-Elect). Groups of three evaluators typically are given the following: research papers, pedagogy papers, panels and poster sessions. This process may be amended based on the number of submissions in a particular category that year, etc.)

Individuals may submit panel proposals, poster session proposals, and competitive papers or comprehensive abstracts to the Vice-Chairperson. Competitive papers and abstracts shall be selected through a blind review process. The Vice-Chairperson-Elect and the Program Evaluators shall read the papers/abstracts, panels, and poster sessions and assign a rating and ranking to each one. The Vice-Chairperson shall decide on the system for distributing the papers/proposals and shall compile the summary ratings and rankings to determine the top-ranked papers/proposals. The ViceChairperson shall inform individuals of the acceptance or rejection of their papers in a timely manner. (Be sure participants understand the media rules of NCA, the need to submit completed papers to the National Office by a due ,date, the need to provide finished papers to a respondent well before the convention, the expectations of a poster session, the advisability of contacting the NCA Office if there is a name or affiliation change, and so on.)

Competitive papers, panel proposals, and poster sessions shall be rated separately. The following criteria shall guide the evaluation: (1) originality, (2) interest to commission members, and (3) overall quality. All competitive paper submissions shall include full papers with abstracts.

Panel and poster session proposals shall include a statement of the purpose of the panel or poster session, a rationale for presenting the panel or poster session, a list of the names and titles of participants, a brief summary of each participant's paper or poster idea, and a statement indicating that each participant is willing to attend the convention. '

Packets sent to Program Evaluators typically contain sheets for ratings and rankings. Also, it can be useful to identify criteria for each category. Develop a way for evaluators to indicate their opinions about possible awardees, too. Sample sheets should be able to be provided by your predecessor.

It is imperative that you pay attention to all of the due dates stated by NCA. Paperwork you forget to turn in could affect the officers the next year as well as the reputation of the Commission.

The Vice-Chairperson shall work with the First Vice-President of the Association to schedule programs. The Vice-Chairperson, in conjunction with the members of the Program Planning Committee, shall decide on the number of competitive paper programs and the number of panel and poster session proposals, in accordance with the directives of NCA. Be sure to attend the Planners Meeting at the start of the convention after the one in which you were elected! A second meeting usually is scheduled sometime during that conference, too, but it seldom is used. Attend the first one;

it is not a choice as to which to attend unless you are told otherwise by the NCA National Office. Be prepared to report on this meeting at the Business Meeting that year.

There is a budget for the Commission; check with the Chairperson and/or the National Office for rules regarding this money. Do not spend money without checking with the other officers about their plans. Typically, only the Vice-Chairperson and Secretary use the allotted money.

It is suggested that you keep a notebook for your position. Start off with a list of the officers, committee members, etc. who were just elected. Keep a copy of all correspondence, announcements, newsletters, rating and ranking sheets, directions to evaluators, and so on to be passed on to the new officer.

All officers, program evaluators, and committee members shall take office/begin duties at the conclusion of the annual conference. '

NOTE: When you first get elected, be sure to get a copy of the Basic Course Commission's By-Laws from the Chairperson or the NCA National Office.

NATIONAL COMMUNICATION ASSOCIATION

CHAIRPERSON DUTIES FOR THE BASIC COURSE COMMISSION

The Chairperson shall preside at meetings of the Commission, and shall work with the ViceChair elect in membership recruitment for the Commission. The Chairperson shall work with the secretary to keep a current list of Commission membership. The Chairperson also will serve as chairperson of the Nominating Committee and will be a non-voting member of that committee. The Chairperson shall serve a one-year term.

The Nominating Committee shall consist of three members appointed by the Vice-Chairperson. The Chairperson shall serve as Chairperson of this committee without vote. The duty of the committee shall be to nominate at least one individual to fill each vacancy among the officers, program evaluators, and committee members of the Commission. The Nominating Committee members will be announced at the annual business meeting. The Nominating Committee shall nominate at least one person for each vacancy to be filled. The nominations for officers, program evaluators, and committee members will be presented to the general membership by the Nominating Committee at the annual business meeting. Additional nominations for each vacancy may be made by any member at the annual business meeting. A nominee must receive a majority vote of the Commission members present and voting at the annual meeting. In the event that more than two people are nominated and no one initially receives a majority vote, a run-off election between the two individuals receiving the most votes shall be held immediately. A tie vote will be decided by the Chairperson of the Commission immediately. All elections will be conducted by a show of hands, with the nominees absenting themselves, unless a majority of those present at the business meeting vote in favor of a secret ballot.

Special committees with tenure ordinarily limited to one year and with specific duties appropriate to the needs of the Commission shall be appointed by the Chairperson, with the advice and consent of the Executive Committee, or shall be elected by a majority vote of individuals in attendance at the annual business meeting and will serve a one-year term.

It is imperative that you pay attention to all of the due dates stated by NCA. Paperwork you forget to turn in could affect the officers the next year as well as the reputation of the Commission.

All officers, program evaluators, and committee members shall take office/begin duties at the conclusion of the annual conference.

NOTE: When you first get elected, be sure to get a copy of the Basic Course Commission's By-Laws from the Chairperson or the NCA National Office.

NATIONAL COMMUNICATION ASSOCIATION

VICE-CHAIRPERSON-ELECT DUTIES FOR THE BASIC COURSE COMMISSION

The Vice-Chairperson-Elect shall serve as a Program Evaluator and member of the Program Planning Committee. The Vice-Chairperson-Elect shall assist the Vice-Chairperson in program planning and shall be responsible for membership recruitment for the Commission. The ViceChairperson-Elect shall serve a one-year term and succeed to the office of Vice-Chairperson in the next successive year.

The Vice-Chairperson shall appoint three persons to serve on the Nominating Committee. [By the time the Nominating Committee members assume their responsibilities, the Vice-Chairperson will have become the Chairperson of the Basic Course Commission; this committee will work with that person.] The Chairperson shall serve as Chairperson and non-voting member of that committee. The appointees will be announced by the Vice-Chairperson at the annual business meeting.

AU officers, program evaluators, and committee members shall take office/begin duties at the conclusion of the annual conference.

NOTE: When you first get elected, be sure to get a copy of the Basic Course Commission's By-Laws from the Chairperson or the NCA National Office.

NATIONAL COMMUNICATION ASSOCIATION

SECRETARY DUTIES FOR THE BASIC COURSE COMMISSION

The Secretary shall perform the customary duties of that office and shall be responsible for internal communications among the members. The Secretary shall prepare minutes for the business meetings and, as needed, shall send announcements, memorandums, and newsletter information to members of the Commission and shall channel appropriate information to Spectra. The secretary should keep a current list of Commission membership and submit this list to the NCA National Office. The secretary shall serve a two-year term.

Typically, the Secretary types up, copies and distributes the minutes of the previous meeting to all members at the following business meeting. The first year the Secretary takes office, he/she should get the minutes taken by the outgoing Secretary immediately following the current business meeting so these minutes do not get lost in the transition. In addition, at least one Newsletter should be sent out each year. Correspondence should be done with the other officers for their input, especially the Vice-Chairperson who should have program titles and names as well as award winners. The NCA National Office can help provide address labels for the Newsletter. Also, there is a budget for the Commission; check with the Chairperson and/or the National Office for rules regarding this money.

Do not spend money without checking with the other officers about their plans. Typically, only the Vice-Chairperson and Secretary use the allotted money.

All officers, program evaluators, and committee members shall take office/begin duties at the conclusion of the annual conference.

NOTE: When you first get elected, be sure to get a copy of the Basic Course Commission's By-Laws from the Chairperson or the NCA National Office.