Greetings FCA Members and Friends,
In past years we have sought to provide a timely Call for Submissions and details for the year's convention so that papers can be written, panels arranged, and travel plans decided. The enormous difficulty in proceeding with "business as usual" in the face of the current health crisis is often remarked upon and needs no explanation here. In light of this, the FCA Executive Board will be meeting on Friday, May 29th to finalize how we will be proceeding for the remainder of the year. We have a duty to our membership, and to the organization as a whole, to follow a path that effectively balances the needs of safety and scholarship while also acknowledging the general disruption this pandemic has had.
To that end, we are issuing a Call for Comments regarding the 2020 Convention. What are your thoughts on the matter? Should we proceed as usual, with later submission dates? Should we alter the way the conference is scheduled or manage attendance in order to prioritize social distancing? Should we shift totally, or in part, to a virtual conference format? Are you more likely to submit and/or attend a virtual or traditional format this year?
These are just some of the questions to be considered. Please feel free to answer as many as you'd like, or comment on some other aspect of the convention. Comments should be sent to Kristen Foltz, President (kafoltz@ut.edu) and Chris Gurrie, 1st Vice President (cgurrie@ut.edu). As a reminder, we will be discussing these during a board meeting on May 29th - the more feedback we have by then, the better. We will also be utilizing a poll here or on our Facebook page in the coming days to get some basic responses.
Thank you for your time, and your patience. Be well.
Regards,
The Executive Board of the Florida Communication Association