03/04/2010

CSCA - Convention - Early Registration Deadline - March 8

Colleagues: I am writing today to encourage all of you to register for our annual CSCA convention! This plea is particularly urgent given our pre-registration deadline of March 8, 2010. 

We have numerous events planned for the convention that you will want to make sure you attend. For example, on Thursday, April 15, please plan to attend our welcome reception from 6 to 8 p.m., featuring a live performance by R&B recording artist, Dr. J. W. Smith. Following the welcome reception join the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Caucus as they gather to socialize and network at the Below Zero Lounge, one of Cincinnati's poshest martini bars. Meet in the hotel lobby at 9:30 p.m. for an evening of fun! 

On Friday (April 16) and Saturday (April 17) mornings we invite you to join us for a continental breakfast and discussion about the conference theme. The breakfast on Friday features Felice Nudleman, the National Education Director of The New York Times. Felice is a driving force behind recent efforts to integrate civic engagement into higher education through her work with the American Democracy and Political Engagement Projects. Felice will discuss strategies to bolster education for democracy, including collegiate readership programs. 

On Friday morning you will also have the opportunity to tour the Creation Museum (the tour departs at 9:30 a.m. and returns at noon).  Attendees taking this tour will receive discounted transportation and discounted museum tickets and you can reserve your place on this trip at the CSCA registration desk for $15 (which will go towards your ticket and transportation).  Kristen Hoerl, Kristen Theye, Gini Jones, and Evan Center will facilitate a roundtable discussion of the visual and discursive rhetoric of the Creation Museum on Saturday at 2 p.m. 

I hope you will also plan to join us for the Hall of Fame Awards Luncheon and Business Meeting on Friday. This year's keynote speaker is George Mehaffy. George serves as the Vice President for Academic Leadership and Change at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) in Washington, D.C., which represents 430 public colleges and universities and their 3.6 million students.  His division is responsible for developing and managing programs for member institutions in areas such as leadership development, undergraduate education, technology, international education and teacher education.  George is also one of the founders of AASCU's American Democracy Project, a national civic engagement initiative.

Following the Luncheon, join George and Felice Nudleman for a conversation about civic engagement and the American Democracy Project. This panel offers a rare opportunity to discuss civic engagement in higher education with two of the nation's leading experts. 

On Friday (April 16) night we will celebrate the presidency of Christina S. Beck with a party from 6:30 to 9 p.m., complete with complementary food and a great DJ. For a different form of civic engagement and fun following the President's Party, plan on participating in the Fourth Annual CSCA Pub Crawl. Like last year, you can pre-order a commemorative t-shirt to wear during the festivities. 

The exceptional programming continues through Saturday with a slate of excellent panels that extend through the afternoon. In fact, your convention program is so strong from start to finish that I strongly encourage you to plan on staying through Saturday night. In fact, we even have a socio-political film festival planned for you on Saturday evening and we will be providing free popcorn! 

The 2010 conference will be exciting, energizing, and educational. So, please register for the conference today (make sure to mark sessions that require pre-registration such as the pre-conference session, the pub crawl, the luncheon, the president's party, and the short courses). 

Thank you all for your time and I look forward to seeing you in Cincinnati! Did I mention that you should register for the conference right now??? 

Sincerely, 

Steve Hunt, First Vice-President and 2010 Primary Program Planner
Central States Communication Association