Gathering virtually, the NCA Executive Committee (EC) met for the annual NCA Leadership Retreat on February 25-26. Joining the EC at the retreat were the NCA IDEA (Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, and Access) Council, the Publications Council, the Research Council, and the Teaching & Learning Council.
Much of the retreat involved individual Council meetings. The Finance Committee considered the state of NCA’s finances and contemplated the financial effects of COVID-19 on the association. The IDEA Council continued discussions about forming and drafting an IDEA Strategic Plan for NCA as well as other ways to encourage and extend the values of IDEA in all that NCA does. The Publications Council nominated new editors-elect for six of NCA’s journals, and the Research Council and Teaching & Learning Council discussed new and ongoing initiatives to support NCA’s research and pedagogical activities.
Retreat participants also met with members of the IDEA Strategic Planning Task Force and guest speaker Dr. Brenda Allen (Professor Emerita at the University of Colorado-Denver) to discuss ideas and plans for drafting and implementing an IDEA Strategic Plan.
At its February 26 meeting, the NCA Executive Committee approved a new Bylaws provision to create the Mentorship and Leadership Council; that Bylaws provision will be forwarded to the Legislative Assembly for its approval. The EC discussed an assortment of contingencies and plans for the 2021 NCA 107th Annual Convention in light of the evolving COVID-19 pandemic and committed to continued assessment and discussion regarding the convention, with a final decision concerning the convention format for release in June. As of this writing, plans call for a fully in-person convention.
The EC also reimplemented a regularized June EC meeting, to be held virtually each year. And the EC curtailed Council recommendations to the Leadership Development Committee and approved a new call for members of the Committee on International Debate and Discussion. As a follow up to last year’s creation of new IDEA Awards for NCA, the EC named the IDEA Program Award for Shawn D. Long.