Call for Host Proposals
The 2025 NCA Institute for Faculty Development
Formerly known unofficially as the “Hope Conference,” the NCA Institute for Faculty Development is an event held each summer to help undergraduate faculty stay abreast of ongoing changes and issues in Communication theory and research. This five-day conference offers participants an opportunity to network with fellow undergraduate scholar-teachers and learn from, and with, leading scholars in the field. The 2025 Institute will be virtual (subject to Legislative Assembly approval).
Originally aimed at attracting faculty from smaller colleges and universities, the Institute has been hosted by Hope College (Holland, MI), Randolph-Macon College (Ashland, VA), and Denison University (Granville, OH), University of Nevada, Reno (online), and Duquesne University (Pittsburgh).
The Institute is normally held annually at a selected host institution. Up to 60 participants are chosen through a competitive application process. All attendees must be NCA members. If held in-person, attendees must assume that they will pay for their travel to the Institute plus expenses not paid for by the host institution, about which attendees will be informed.
Proposals are being accepted for hosting upcoming iterations of the NCA Institute for Faculty Development. Proposals for one-, two-, and three-year hosts are accepted and multi-year hosts are preferred. Hosts receive $16,500 each host year to cover in-person event costs and up to $5,000 each host year to cover virtual event costs (subject to Legislative Assembly approval); hosts must return any unused funds. Please see the “Event Description and Host Expectations” section for a general description of the Institute and other expectations of hosts.
Proposal Components
Institutions interested in hosting the NCA Institute for Faculty Development should complete a proposal for review by the NCA-IFD Review Committee. Proposal deadlines can be found at the end of this document. Proposals should contain the following:
- A cover letter with the name of the college/university, name of proposal submitter, and contact information for submitter.
- A narrative of no more than 5 pages that addresses the following:
- Rationale, aligned with NCA’s strategic plan, for hosting the NCA Institute for Faculty Development.
- Resources currently available for hosting the NCA Institute for Faculty Development (e.g., virtual conference proposals should focus on technology and staff availability; in-person proposals on: campus housing, cafeteria/nearby dining options, transportation between housing, sessions, and meals if necessary, staff availability).
- Tentative list of topics (inc. learning outcomes) to be covered by session facilitators, including IDEA topics. Topics should be aligned with NCA’s strategic plan.
- Tentative list of 20 diverse possible session facilitators with affiliations and email addresses.
- Principal organizer and abbreviated CV that includes affiliation, phone number, and email address.
- List of any co-organizers and/or key staff involved in the planning, organization, or management of the event, along with their roles in the event, affiliations, phone numbers, and email addresses.
- Expected number of participants.
- Marketing plan (website, flyers, emails, targeted messaging, etc.) with deadlines, ensuring that an optimally diverse audience is reached with Institute information.
- Plan for developing a registration site and promotion of registration with deadlines.
- A detailed budget explaining how NCA funds will be used, any participant costs expected (registration fee, lodging, meals, etc.), and any matching funds available (if applicable).
Event Description and Host Expectations
The NCA Institute for Faculty Development is typically formatted as a five-day event, with sessions beginning on Monday and ending on Friday. (To accommodate attendees on either the semester system or quarter system, the Institute cannot start before Monday, June 16, 2025; must finish by Aug. 1, 2025; and cannot overlap with any other NCA event.) Some previous hosts chose to open check-in and hold an opening session on Sunday evening. Monday through Friday, participants are expected to attend sessions. Typically six sessions are held over three time periods, meaning two sessions are always held concurrently. Sessions last between 2 and 3 hours each, and usually occur during the following times: 9 am – 11 am; 1 pm – 3 pm, and 3:30 pm – 5:30 pm. Some previous hosts began each morning with a breakfast lecture from a facilitator. Participants choose to attend two offered seminars, based on their topic preferences. Traditionally, the Institute has a “Scholar-in-Residence,” a faculty member who meets with participants in a mentoring/coaching role but who does not facilitate a session. The “Scholar-in-Residence” should be accessible throughout the day while also making time for scheduled meetings if participants request meetings. Breakfast and lunch should be planned as a group and dinners and/or social events may be built into the evenings.
It is expected that hosts will be engaged with their NCA liaison throughout the planning process. Processes and expectations will be explained in further detail during a planning meeting between the host and NCA liaison. Host expectations include, but are not limited to, the following Plan and follow-up steps:
- Locating on-campus or off-campus housing for the event, if held in-person.
- Creating a meal plan for the duration of the event (to include breakfast, lunch, and snacks), if held in-person.
- Using a new or existing university account for the event's income and expenses.
- Identifying seminar topics, diverse faculty facilitators, and the Scholar in Residence, consistent with NCA’s IDEA goals and strategic plan.
- Creating an event program executing topics list and realizing learning outcomes.
- IDEA-oriented marketing/promotion, in collaboration with NCA National Office.
- Developing a registration site and check-in procedures.
- Providing the names, current addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, and W-9 forms (if applicable) to NCA for payment of facilitators and Scholar-in-Residence.
- Designing, disseminating, and analyzing a participant feedback survey.
- Providing a final report within two weeks of the event’s close that lists the names, locations, and affiliations of participants; goals, objectives, and tactics; outcomes; opportunities for improvement; feedback survey results; and final budget figures.
*The NCA National Office also will follow-up with participants over subsequent years after the Institute regarding its benefits and results.*
Proposal Deadlines
NCA will accept proposals for one-, two-, and three-year hosts. Proposals deadlines are:
- For hosting the Summer 2025 Institute for Faculty Development: October 31, 2024
- For hosting the Summer 2026 Institute for Faculty Development: September 30, 2025
- For hosting the Summer 2027 Institute for Faculty Development: September 30, 2026
*Applicants wishing to submit a multi-year funding proposal need to submit only one proposal.*
Contact Information
To submit an application to host NCA’s Institute for Faculty Development, or for questions about hosting the event, please email Dr. Dane S. Claussen, NCA Director of Research, Publications, and Professional Advancement at: dclaussen@natcom.org.