Free Member Benefit – Virtual Learning Opportunities
Maximize your NCA membership by participating in our new Virtual Learning Opportunities (VLO). VLOs are complimentary and registration is exclusive to NCA members. To access this content, you’ll need to log in to your NCA member account.
Not an NCA member yet? Become a member now to start taking advantage of VLOs and other great benefits.
About NCA Virtual Learning Opportunities
Are you looking for a convenient and affordable way to participate in the Annual Convention? Join an upcoming VLO!
VLOs were created to encourage a vibrant, year-long conversation around the 2024 convention theme, “Communication for Greater Regard.” VLOs are added-value opportunities for members to learn, interact, and connect. They are designed to showcase member expertise and enhance member learning among focal groups and/or focal topics. VLO types include:
- Masterclass (less than one hour)
- Intensive (two to three hours)
- Consortium (four hours)
For more information about NCA’s VLOs, please contact convention@natcom.org.
VLO Schedule & Registration
Planning is underway to schedule several VLOs leading up to the 2024 convention with the opportunity for in-person meet ups in New Orleans during the convention.
All VLOs are complimentary and open to members only. Not a member yet? Explore the value of NCA membership and join now!
Greater Regard for Enhancing Our Mental Health and Well-Being
Friday, May 31, 2024 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM EDT / 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM CT / 9:00 – 10:00 AM PT
In the month of May, which is Mental Health Awareness Month, our first Virtual Learning Opportunity (VLO) offers members a refreshing chance to stimulate their own mind-body health through meditation and a wholeness framework in greater regard for ourselves and our work. Learn strategies to rejuvenate and transform your well-being and the well-being of your students so you can thrive and grow.
In this VLO, you will learn:
- techniques and frameworks to enhance your mindset for greater whole-person health
- strategies to recharge and refresh as you head into the summer months
- mindfulness practice to immediately implement for yourself and your students
Presented by
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Vinita Agarwal, Ph.D. Vinita Agarwal, Ph.D., is professor at Salisbury University, author of Health Communication for Social Justice: A Whole-Person Activist Approach and Medical Humanism, Chronic Illness, and the Body in Pain: An Ecology of Wholeness, and a health and well-being coach. Her research appears in venues like Health Communication and Qualitative Health Research. Her courses include health engagement and advocacy, and she is currently working on a mental health communication edited book. |
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Megan Pope, M.A. Megan Pope, M.A., is a senior communication lecturer at Texas A&M University and mindfulness meditation professor. Her own mental health journey, from outpatient therapy to mindfulness mastery, is filled with profound self-discovery. Now a certified mindfulness meditation teacher, Megan’s mission is to sow seeds of compassion within herself, her students, and everyone she encounters. She can be found online at https://meditationprofessor.com/. |
Greater Regard for Strengthening Communication Program Reviews and Assessment
Friday, June 14, 2024 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM EDT / 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM CT / 9:00 – 10:00 AM PT
Learn important details and historical issues related to Program Review and Assessment so you can be supported, prepared, and ready to navigate these processes for a more meaningful experience.
In this VLO, you will learn:
- insights for navigating, preparing for, and enhancing your next Program Review
- strategies for approaching and designing assessment plans
- viewpoints for a greater appreciation of the “why” of communication assessment and Program Reviews
Presented by
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David Rhea Dr. David Rhea is the Interim Dean of the Crawford Honors College and a Full Professor of Communication at Governors State University. David is Chair of the Communication Assessment Division of NCA. He is also the President of the Honors Council of the Illinois Region and the 2024 Chair of the Assessment and Evaluation Committee of the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC). He is a peer reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission, a program reviewer for NCHC, and one of three facilitators of NCHC's Institute for Strategic Planning, Assessment and Reviewer Knowledge (iSPARK) for 2024. |
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Sakile Camara Dr. Sakile K. Camara is a Professor of Communication Studies at California State University Northridge. With a rich background in assessment consulting for nonprofit agencies spanning over two decades, Sakile brings invaluable expertise to her current role as Director of Academic Assessment and Program Review. Over the last three years, she has revolutionized assessment practices at CSUN through her innovative shared responsibility model, iROCA (Instructors Reporting on Classroom Assessment). |
Greater Regard for Engaging and Nurturing Community
Wednesday, July 17, 2024 | 4 to 5 p.m. EDT (Click here to see this event's scheduled time in your time zone.)
Learn insights for approaching community-building with greater care and consideration so you can renew your research, improve your advocacy, or enhance your community engagement efforts.
In this VLO, you will learn:
- insights for being inspired in action, advocacy, and activism
- strategies for fostering community and community-building activities
- frameworks to emulate or adapt in your own community engagement efforts
Presented by
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Theon Hill Dr. Theon Hill serves as Associate Professor of Communication at Wheaton College. His research and teaching explore the intersections of rhetoric, race, and social change. His research appears in a variety of journal outlets, including Rhetoric & Public Affairs, Public Relations Review, Journal of Communication Management, Communication Quarterly, and the Journal of Communication and Religion. Dr. Hill maintains a commitment to finding ways to translate his scholarly research into opportunities to engage historically marginalized communities. |
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Bryan Crable Dr. Bryan Crable serves as Founding Dean of the College of Human Development, Culture, and Media at Seton Hall University. Previously, at Villanova University, Dr. Crable was Professor of Rhetoric and Founding Director of the Waterhouse Family Institute. Dr. Crable is the author of numerous essays on rhetorical theory and rhetorics of race, as well as the books Ralph Ellison and Kenneth Burke: At the Roots of the Racial Divide and the forthcoming White Sacraments. |
Zoom Webinar Platform
NCA partners with Zoom to bring all VLOs to your home or office. Please ensure you can connect via Zoom to attend. Google Chrome is recommended, but you can also use Firefox, Safari, Edge, or Internet Explorer.
For More Information
Contact convention@natcom.org