04/27/2010

ECA - Baltimore Highlights

Ladies and gentlemen,

Here are some highlights from our 101st annual conference in Baltimore: 

• We broke all attendance records, with 932 people having attended the conference.
• The projected budget will call for no dues increases for the next three years at any level.
• A new interest group was created, Communication Administration (to add this group as a fourth group to your list, simply e-mail me). Special thanks to Don Stacks for leading this effort.
• Ted Avtgis from West Virginia University was named the next editor of Communication Research Reports.
• Communication Quarterly was increased from four issues per year to five, to go into effect in 2011.
• The Undergraduate Student Conference that Cindy Lont is featuring in 2011 was named for James McCroskey and Virginia Richmond.
• A new award was approved by the Executive Council to recognize the top article published in ECA journals in a given calendar year. This item will need approval by the membership on the Fall ballot before going into effect.
• The Association has added over $100,000 to its assets over the last three years, despite the recession.
• A pilot program was begun to provide journal editors with editorial support from monies received from Taylor & Francis to help offset expenses related to student assistants and other publicly reported costs of publishing the association's journals.
• P. M. Forni of Johns Hopkins University, this year's keynote speaker, addressed a crowd of 140 attendees at the first ECA awards luncheon.
• Next year's conference will be held in Arlington, VA, April 13-17, at the Key Bridge Marriott ($139/night), while 2012's conference will be held in Cambridge, MA, April 25-29, at the Royal Sonesta ($149/night).
• Carl Hyden and Danette Ifert Johnson were nominated as candidates for First Vice President Elect-Select, to plan the 2013 conference in Pittsburgh. The Fall ballot will determine the outcome.
• Election participation has increased from 10% of the association in 2007 to 19.3% in 2009. We would like to see 2010's rate surpass 25%, so please vote in October 2010. Your voices and your votes make this association what it is. 

Here are some things to watch out for in the next year: 

• A task force was formed to include all interest groups on Executive Council at the same time, eliminating the staggering of groups.
• Another task force was created to draft a policy for the emergency replacement of an association journal editor or the executive director.
• ECA's Code of Ethics was sent back to committee for further revision. Thanks to all of the interest groups for their input on this important document.
• A policy and procedures manual is being created, thanks to the efforts of a task force led by Sara Weintraub. 

These are just a few of the many exciting things that happened in Baltimore and but a taste of what lies ahead. Many thanks to all of you who helped make ECA's 101st conference the success that it was. And here's looking forward to setting a new attendance record in 2011! 

Sincerely,

Alfred G. Mueller II, Ph.D.
Executive Director, ECA