Good news from the CSCA conference in St. Paul!  Below is the text for an
article to be included in the upcoming CSCA newsletter.
 
Thanks to you all for your support.
 
Paul
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The CSCA Executive Committee voted unanimously at the St. Paul
conference to create an Interpersonal and Small Group Communication Interest
Group.  The goal of the new Interest Group is to be the primary outlet for
scholars interested in Interpersonal and Small Group Communication.  The
creation of the interest group should provide a more appropriate  home  for
scholars working in these areas.  This represents an important decision
because the Central region has been, and remains, the traditional  heart  of
Interpersonal and Small Group Communication studies.
 
The first-ever Interpersonal and Small Group Communication Interest
Group business meeting was held early on Saturday morning.  The meeting s
highlight came as Carolyn Calloway-Thomas opened the festivities by announcing
the Executive Committee s decision to the hearty and sleepy attendees.  At the
meeting, Mike Allen (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, e-mail:
[log in to unmask]) was elected chair and will serve as interest group
program planner for the 1997 St. Louis conference.  April Chatham-Carpenter
(University of Northern Iowa, e-mail: [log in to unmask]) was
elected vice-chair and will serve as program planner for the 1998 Chicago
conference.  Kathleen Propp (Northern Illinois University, e-mail:
[log in to unmask]) was elected as interest group secretary.  Finally, Nancy
Burrell (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee), Sandra Metts (Illinois State
University), Donna Pawlowski (Creighton University), Jim Query (Loyola
University, Chicago), and Carl Thameling (Miami University-Hamilton) were
selected as paper readers for the St. Louis conference.
 
Many members communicated support for the new interest group both before
and during the St. Paul conference.  Since interpersonal and small group
scholars had previously used the Communication Theory Interest Group as their
CSCA  outlet,  considerable discussion centered on the topic of how both
interest groups can thrive.  A call for papers for both interest groups is
enclosed with this newsletter.  Submitters should carefully consider where
their work should be submitted within CSCA s structure.
 
Those CSCA members interested in joining the Interpersonal and Small Group
Communication Interest Group can do so by checking the appropriate box in
their membership renewal information.  Members can also join the interest
group by contacting Arlie Daniel.
 
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