Council of Communication Associations
September 15, 2008
Minutes
Members Present
Heather Birks, Broadcast Education Association
Tammi Baldwin, American Journalism Historians Association
Roger Conaway, Association for Business Communication
Betty Johnson, Association for Business Communication
Charles Self, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication
Barbara Hines, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication
Sam Luna, International Communication Association
Patrice Buzzanell, International Communication Association
Roger Smitter, National Communication Association
Nancy Kidd, National Communication Association
Dawn Braithwaite, National Communication Association
Linda Putnam, Guest
Chair Patrice Buzzanell called the meeting to order at 9:30 am.
Each member of the group introduced him or herself and their association. The group thanked Heather Birks for arranging for the breakfast, lunch and meeting room.
Buzzanell called for approval of the working agenda. It was approved by unanimous consent.
Buzzanell called for approval of the Minutes of the March 3, 2008 meeting minutes. One typo was corrected.
It was moved and seconded to approve the minutes. The motion passed unanimously.
Update on National Research Council Doctoral Program Study
Buzzanell asked Linda Putnam to update the group on the first agenda item, the National Research Council survey of doctoral programs.
Putnam noted that the results of the survey will not appear until November or December. The delay is caused by the need to complete institutional research review processes on many campuses. NRC has promised that a methodology report will be issued at the end of October, 2008. Research directors on campuses will receive this. Ed Fink of the University of Maryland will monitor the report for the CCA.
The NRC final report will be made by program. This will create some difficulties for communication, which is being analyzed under several different program headings.
The NRC will rank schools by quartile. NRC continues to plan for a symposium on the results. CCA will need to have a representative at the symposium.
Putnam briefly described the two CCA task forces that are preparing for the release of the NRC data. The task forces, Indicators of Quality Programs and Indicators of Doctoral Programs, have not met since the late winter of 2008 because NRC has not produced material.
Buzzanell stated that Fink has recommended the hiring of a graduate student at the University of Maryland to do the analysis of the NRC data when it is released. It was agreed that the first analysis of the data should produce the indicators of quality programs (see “Developing Useful Measures…”): institutional support, doctoral program structure, student performance indicators, demographic descriptors of students and faculty performance indicators. It was agreed to have this report complete by the March 2009 CCA meeting and that Fink should be present at the meeting. We would decide then what else can be gleaned from the report. The material will be reported on the CCA webpage (with links from each association to the site).
It was also agreed that the two task forces could work together, including the development of talking points to be posted with the data. It is important that the discipline speak with one voice on this project. Buzzanell will ask Paul Voakes to continue to chair the second task force. Roger Smitter will send minutes of the meeting to Voakes and Fink and coordinate with Buzzanell.
The meeting recessed briefly. Buzzanell contacted Fink during the recess.
After the recess, Buzzanell reported that Fink said $2,000.00 will be sufficient to cover the cost of a student doing the work. Fink also confirmed that he will attend the March CCA meeting.
ISI
Buzzanell asked Putnam to review the CCA ISI project. Putnam provided a brief overview of the work of ISI and the CCA contacts with ISI. At the March 2008 CCA meeting, Jim Testa of ISI spoke to the group. Most recently, Putnam along with Mike Roloff of NCA and Charles Self of AEJMC had a very productive meeting with Testa and other ISI staff on Friday, September 12, 2008. She noted that the results of the meeting were “all good.”
Putnam reviewed several handouts she prepared, beginning with the listing of 53 journals currently in the ISI database. Newly added journals are marked with asterisks.
Putnam reported that ISI prefers to work with associations rather than publishers in assessing journals.
She also reported that ISI showed some reluctance to engage in cross-listing of journals. She, Roloff and Self had advocated for such cross-listing in their September 12, 2008 meeting with ISI.
She also explained that “scope” document for communication. Putnam explained that these ISI scope statements reflect the perceived content of journals in the ISI lists. The only way to change the scope is to broaden the list of communication journals in the ISI list.
The group offered comments on the journals currently listed under communication. The discussion produced several words that could be incorporated into the scope statement: context, influence, strategic communication, discourse, messages, and technology. It was also suggested that writing be taken out of the scope statement.
She also reviewed the sub-disciplinary categories of communication journals. She noted that some categories readily accepted in communication studies have no journals listed.
ISI does not provide impact statements for humanities journals. CCA needs to involve authorities in rhetorical studies to provide indicators of quality in humanities journals.
It was moved and seconded that CCA appoint a committee of rhetoric scholars to prepare a document defining the quality factors in the humanities.
In response to Putnam’s request for other topics not included in the list, the group noted the there were no journals devoted to gender studies, communication law or Latin America. Putnam asked for needs nominations of additional no later than October 1, 2008. BEA and AEJMC are to focus on naming journals in communication law. ABC will handle the nominations in business communication. Putnam also requested that the members review international journals for submissions to ISI.
Association Updates
Buzzanell asked the associations present to provide updates on their recent activities:
NCA has several new staff members, including two associate directors who have responsibility for research and educational initiatives; a new deputy executive director and a new IT person. NCA is also launching a new website and beginning the process of strategic planning.
ICA has begun a fund raising effort, has produced an on-line annual report, held several regional meetings and expanded its number of Fellows.
AEJMC has completed a strategic planning initiative, hired a PR staffer, revised its website and engaged in more extensive email contact with members. It is also upgrading the status of scholar-to-scholar programs at its convention.
ABC described its initiative to increase international membership, expand its award program and its task force and its strategic planning process.
AJHA has expanded its award program and has appointed a task force on the history of the discipline.
BEA has brought its website in-house, upgraded its Festival of Media Arts and established a new group on sports media.
New Business
Roger Smitter presented a draft of a survey of master’s programs being developed by the MA Education interest group of NCA. The group made several suggested changes.
There being no further business, Buzzanell asked for a motion to adjourn. The motion was passed unanimously.
The next meeting of the Council of Communication Associations will be March 2, 2009, in Washington, DC.
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