1. Welcome by the outgoing chair, Kris Harrison
  2. Rebecca Chory, incoming chair, not in attendance
  3. Laramie Taylor, secretary
  4. Dr. Harrison thanked everyone for their attendance.
  5. 11 in attendance, including officers
  6. Minutes from 2009 business meeting were distributed
  7. Motion to approve minutes passed unanimously
  8. Report on conference planning for 2010.
  9. Dr. Harrison observed that, of the sessions she attended in the division, comments on paper panel were great, panels seemed to fit together nicely, and the top-paper panel was great. She expressed gratitude to Rebecca Chory for outstanding planning.
  10. 17 papers submitted, 13 accepted
  11. 3 panels submitted, 1 accepted
  12. It was noted that this represents a decline in submissions from previous years, even from previous years when ICA was held abroad.
  13. The question of the division’s future was raised by Dr. Harrison.
  14. Dr. Tim Sellnow asked what discussion had occurred at the last meeting (e.g. Chicago):
  15. Instructional award was done away, some people have since said they’d like it to come back
  16. It was acknowledged that the number of participants was in decline, and that this was a problem
  17. The contribution of the Children, Adolescents, and Media interest group to the division’s declining submissions was recognized. Many who previously submitted research on children now submit there. Dr. Harrison observed that CAM had 70 paper submissions and has 199 members
  18. Dr. Sellnow observed that Instruction was linked to health comm., risk & crisis comm, org comm., tech stuff, and suggested that it might be helpful to do a content analysis of paper titles, see where else the instructional papers are being put
  19. Let’s not give up!
  20. Additional ideas were put forward, such as re-naming the division to reflect its current character
  21. The idea of dropping ‘developmental’ was quickly rejected, as the division still includes folk doing lifespan work
  22. It was suggested that what is needed is a survey of the division’s current membership: what are you doing? Where do you see your research going? How do you define yourself?
  23. The idea of a panel investigating these issues was proposed. Division members could be recruited to conduct research into where instructional research is being done, etc…, and this would be a division-sponsored panel at ICA in Boston. Have an ICA panel to discuss things. Probably not virtual.
  24. Motion to have division sponsor a panel that focuses on future directions, organization, recruitment, constitution for the division. Passed by unanimous assent.
  25. Tim Sellnow (UKY) & Aaron Boyson (UMD) agreed to organize this panel.
  26. Maybe include the virtual overlay, before the conference happens so that input from the broad membership of the division could have input, even if they won’t be in attendance.
  27. Rebecca should send an email and encourage people to sign up for the virtual conference, look at the panel, make comments. Some sense of urgency, here, so that the broad membership of the division has its ideas represented
  28. Michael Haley dropped in to talk briefly about ICA 2011
  29. Boston May 26 – 30, Boston Waterfront Hotel; First transit stop after the airport, 20 minutes from downtown
  30. Larry Gross is chair, “Communication at the Center” is the theme
  31. Nov 1 deadline for submission, by March 1 schedule will be set
  32. Papers can be considered for paper, poster, or virtual overlay conference
  33. Authors will have the opportunity when they submit to argue for a particular type of presentation/session
  34. Virtual conference:
  35. 3 weeks, before and after the conference. (1 week before, 2 after)
  36. Tried in micro in 2010, 550 people tried it out
  37. Virtual conference will be refereed, included in the printed program
  38. Good fit for those with highly AV-oriented material, folks with visa problems/issues
  39. Divisions may do stuff differently
  40. Think about alternatives to the 4-person panel. What else can be done?
  41. Division member observes that this puts a lot of pressure on organizers, especially division leaders. Setting has to be tailored to the interactive deal.
  42. Some divisions do high-density sessions now, and they seem to fit the bill. It’s a particular format, and it’s consistent across all their sessions, so their space can be set up for it.
  43. Division member observed that at another conference they tried something with papers presented twice as people moved from room to room
  44. Dr. Harrison asked about doing virtual overlay and IRL panels for same paper.
  45. OK—could do a discussion board for each session/some sessions/whatever
  46. Maybe a session that people who have virtual papers can still get together and interact IRL. Interesting.
  47. Thoughts on the virtual overlay after Michael left:
  48. The ‘future directions’ panel would be a good fit for the virtual overlay
  49. If we limit it to that, then people might be more likely to participate in that one, which is important.
  50. Otherwise, limit to those panels, papers that would benefit in particular from that format.
  51. Report from ICA Board Meeting by Kris
  52. Voted to have ICA restrict investments to socially responsible companies. No alcohol, tobacco, firearms, etc…. Passed.
  53. Conference registration surcharge increased to $5 to support more grad student travel. The division membership discussed this briefly and felt this was not an undue hardship.
  54. 2012 conference from Phoenix:
  55. They’re a controversial state, removing ethnic studies programs, etc…
  56. If we pull out now, we lose $250k. That’s a lot.
  57. Tough, because contracts have to be signed 5 years ahead of time, and someone is likely to have a problem no matter where we go. The board voted to go ahead with 2012 in Phoenix. If you object, use the virtual overlay option.
  58. Proposed limit of3 papers as conference submissions received a split vote, no change yet.
  59. Increasing dues to fund hiring of a communication director/PR director to get more resources, etc… Proposed dues hike is $20-$25 per year. Is this a problem?
  60. Estimated cost: $100k/year
  61. Does NCA have such a person? Proposed sharing a PR person with another organization?
  62. Is this too much dues increase? Seems reasonable.
  63. We’d like to recommend/assure that that person has a PhD in communication
  64. Greening ICA: Board opposed the recommendation to hold the conference every second year.
  65. Recognition of reviewers & panel chairs
  66. 22 reviewers, 2 were grad students, 8 volunteers to respond & chair
  67. Thanks to all who did so. You’re awesome.
  68. Recognizing top papers:
  69. Jim Matthews: $300 travel grant, $300 ICA grant
  70. Mimi Hodis & Flavio Adrian Hodis: each $250 for top paper
  71. Ming Cheung, $250 for top paper
  72. Reviewers called for:
  73. A list was circulated
  74. Secretary nominations called for:
  75. None made, but interest in an online call received some interest.
  76. Other business:
  77. The instructional award was brought up. It’s gone; should it be resurrected in some form?
  78. Let’s ask anew, is this worth doing? And if it is, what should it look like?
  79. Consensus emerged quickly that this would be a good idea, but it should be a competitive award, not the thing it was.
  80. Deanna Sellnow volunteered to chair the dissertation award committee and expand that committee’s purview to include proposing new guidelines for an instructional award, the details of which will be proposed and discussed at ICA 2011.
  81. May still be more than one instruction award, but needs to be a real competition
  82. The expansion of the dissertation award committee’s responsibilities and naming Deanna as chair of this committee passed by unanimous acclamation
  83. More reviewers needed, secretary nominations needed, dissertation award committee members needed, instructional committee members needed.

Reviewers who volunteered for ICA 2011

Deanna Sellnow (

Tim Sellnow ()

Georgeta (Mimi) Hodis ()

Flaviu Hodis ()

Ming Cheung ()

Kekeli Nuviadenu ()

Margot van der Goot ()