Legislative Assembly Meeting Date: April 19, 2024
Purpose: To provide important Association updates regarding ongoing initiatives towards Strategic Plan and IDEA Strategic Plan goals and to conduct necessary business.
Official roll of voting delegates at the start of the meeting: 92
Prepared Remarks from the Virtual Meeting
- Presidential Address Update
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Prepared remarks from President Marnel Niles Goins
On December 1, the Executive Committee, on behalf of the Legislative Assembly, established an Ad-Hoc Presidential Address Inquiry Committee to investigate, review, and report on the events that took place before, during and after the cancellation of the Presidential Address.
On March 7, the EC, with guidance from NCA’s legal counsel, released a summary of the ad-hoc committee’s findings and recommendations. The EC has a legal responsibility to uphold the duty of care for NCA. Because of this, the EC spent countless hours with multiple lawyers reviewing the full report and writing the March 7 statement.
The EC has read and discussed the full report. I commend the Ad-Hoc committee, especially the chair, Martha Watson, for the countless hours of service work the group put into conducting interviews, discussing what happened and writing the report.
The Ad-Hoc committee provided a thorough evaluation of what happened that evening in its report. However, as mentioned in the EC statement, releasing the full report violates the duty of care responsibility and possibly puts NCA at risk both legally and financially.
At this time, I ask this body to review the findings and recommendations in the March 7 EC statement.
The EC’s December 1 statement, which you can see also see on the LA materials webpage, included several next steps. I would like to provide an update on the progress of these steps:
1. Charge an ad-hoc committee of NCA LA to ensure a full review of events and related processes and roles that can be shared with the membership.
The Presidential Address Inquiry Committee completed its work earlier this year. The EC will use future meetings to continue discussions and carefully consider recommendations. Any proposals or decisions will be shared with this body.
2. Issue apologies to Dr. Muhtaseb for the silencing to which she was subjected, and to all others who did not perform at the 2023 Presidential Address.
The EC issued an apology to the performers of the cancelled 2023 Presidential Address publicly in the EC’s November 21 statement. The EC continues to extend its deepest apologies to the performers who invested time, energy, and effort in preparing their visions of the future of NCA and the field of Communication.
3. Refund conference registration fees to all of the participants whose performances were cancelled.
The EC worked with that National Office to ensure convention registration was refunded to all performers. All refunds were finalized by early January.
4. Extend offers to all the affected scholars to platform their performances at next year’s convention and/or through virtual performances hosted on the NCA website.
Members of the EC have reached out to affected scholars to find a path forward. Discussions are ongoing.
5. Commit one of the NCA’s 2024 “Virtual Learning Opportunities” to the centering of Palestinian voices and the Palestinian experience.
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6. Feature a second VLO that examines themes around genocide, its rhetorical construction, and discursive battles over the term in Communication and related disciplines.
All VLO’s are currently in the planning and in some cases final stages. The National Office will provide a member update about VLO scheduling later this year.
7. Add Palestine related resources to NCA’s anti-discrimination resource bank.
The National Office is currently working with EC members and the IDEA Council on adding resources to the anti-discrimination resource bank. The National Office will provide an update to the membership once items have been added later this year.
8. Examine the use, roles, and responsibilities of security personnel at future NCA conventions.
Discussions have already taken place in the National Office between the Interim Executive Director and Convention team. The EC will dedicate time at an upcoming meeting to discuss the use, roles, and responsibilities at the convention. The EC will keep this body up to date on further discussions.
- Update on the Ad-Hoc Ethics Committee Report
- Prepared remarks from President Marnel Niles Goins
At the November 15 LA meeting, then President Walid Afifi announced the formation of an Ad-Hoc Ethics committee established by the EC on behalf of the LA to investigate a member of the LA who was mentioned in an ongoing lawsuit. The committee’s charge ... is to offer a recommendation as to whether allegations made in the lawsuit warrant the removal of the elected member and to offer any disciplinary action related to the elected member’s position.
The report includes recommendations that the EC will review at an upcoming meeting. Any proposals for EC consideration will be brought forward by the end of the year and reported to this body.
I would like to thank Kent Ono and Isa Engleberg, who served as co-chairs as well as the rest of the committee for their service and commitment to NCA. This volunteer work is invaluable to the Association as we strive to become more transparent and uphold the goals established in our Strategic Plan and IDEA Strategic Plan.
Journal Editor Approval
The Legislative Assembly approved the editorships of six NCA journals.The nominees were recommended by the Publications Council to the Executive Committee. The nominees are forwarded to the LA with the endorsement of the EC.
The following were approved by the LA:
- Communication Monographs - Stephen Croucher, Massey University
- Critical Studies in Media Communication - Leland Spencer, Miami University
- Quarterly Journal of Speech - Casey Kelly, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- Review of Communication - Stephanie Kelly of North Carolina A&T State University
- Communication and Democracy - Ryan Neville-Shephard, University of Arkansas
- Communication Teacher - Leda Cooks, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Nominations are scheduled to serve during the period of January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025 as editor-elect and January 1, 2026 – December 31, 2028 as editor. Congratulations to all those appointed!
Upcoming Leadership Meetings
June 7: Executive Committee Meeting (virtual)
July 10: Executive Committee Meeting (virtual)
July 31 - August 1: Finance Committee Meeting, Washington, DC (in person)
August 2-3: Executive Committee Meeting, Washington, DC (in person)
September 11: Executive Committee Meeting (virtual)
October 9: Executive Committee Meeting (virtual)
October Finance Committee Meeting: TBD
November 20: Executive Committee Meeting, New Orleans, LA (in person)
November 20 and 23: Legislative Assembly Meeting, New Orleans, LA (in person)
November 21-24: 110th NCA Annual Convention, New Orleans, LA (in person)
December 11: Executive Committee Meeting (virtual)
Per NCA Bylaws:
Article III, Section 3: The Legislative Assembly shall exercise fiduciary responsibility over the affairs of NCA and is responsible for the overall strategic direction and policymaking of the Association.
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Business conducted at Legislative Assembly meetings follows Robert's Rules of Order and is legally governed by NCA's bylaws and its decisions are guided by NCA's Strategic Plan and IDEA Strategic Plan.