Awards Manual

1. Each year at its annual meeting, the National Communication Association (NCA) and NCA units (divisions, sections, commissions, committees, and caucuses) present awards for outstanding scholarship, teaching, professional service, and other marks of achievement. Some of these awards are endowed; others are paid from annual operating expenses. Some are NCA-wide awards and are presented at a general session of the convention; others are sponsored by divisions, commissions, committees, sections, and caucuses and are presented at meetings of the respective NCA unit.

2. While NCA strongly supports professional awards, it also has a responsibility to monitor both the amount of non-endowed money spent on such awards and the amount of time award presentations take at general sessions at the annual convention. The following awards policies have been devised in light of these responsibilities.

Non-Endowed Awards Presented by NCA Sub-Units

Any division, section, commission, committee, or caucus may request funds from the Finance Board and Administrative Committee for the purpose of presenting awards at the annual convention. The annual budget allocation may be used for existing awards providing NCA Award Policies are followed. Requests for new non-endowed funds will be considered for funding under the following circumstances:

1. The funding request includes the following:

a. A rationale for the award must be given. Typically, awards are presented to recognize outstanding scholarship, teaching, or service; to recognize and encourage student participation at the convention; to encourage a particular kind of scholarship, teaching, or service; and the like.

b. A description of evaluative procedures to include the composition of the selection committee, the method of nominating individuals for the award, and the criteria for evaluating those nominated for the award.

c. A "Call for Award Nominees" will be publicized so as to equalize the potential nominees' chances for

receiving such awards.

2. No more than $400.00 per fiscal year may be used by any division, section, commission, committee, or caucus for awards, and no single cash award of less than $50.00 may be given. In cases of multiple authors, certificates, rather than small amounts of cash, should be given.

3. The presentation of certificates, plaques, etc., in lieu of cash awards for recipients is encouraged. This not only reduces costs, but it also provides recipients something more durable and memorable than small monetary awards.

4. Officers of divisions, sections, commissions, committees, and caucuses that offer awards are encouraged to submit calls for award nominations to the National Office for inclusion in Spectra. (The National Office traditionally dedicates space in the February issue to calls for awards. The deadline for the February issue is December 10).

5. Officers of divisions, sections, commissions, committees, and caucuses that offer awards are encouraged to submit the names of award RECIPIENTS and their marks of achievement to the National Office for inclusion in Spectra. (The National Office traditionally dedicates space in the February issue for announcements of sub-group award RECIPIENTS. The deadline for the February issue is December 10.)

6. The actual presentation of the awards of the divisions, sections, commissions, committees, and caucuses at the annual convention is to take place at the business meeting of the division, section, etc., or in a similar meeting or session planned by the NCA unit and approved by the convention planner (the NCA First Vice President).

7. The only exception to the policies governing non-endowed, sub-group awards is the authorization for the Woolbert Award, presented by the NCA Research Board, to be presented at a general session at the annual convention.

Endowed Awards Presented by NCA Units

Any NCA division, section, commission, or caucus may request approval of the NCA Finance Board and NCA Administrative Committee for creation of an endowment in support of the unit's awards. NCA unit endowed awards are funded by limited fiscal campaigns, with the actual award being paid for by the interest accruing to the resulting restricted, reserve funds. NCA unit endowed awards are presented by the unit at a meeting or program of the unit at the annual meeting. NCA units are not authorized to solicit funds for or create endowed awards without prior approval of the NCA Administrative Committee.

1. To create an endowed award, an NCA officer, NCA unit leader, or NCA member must first obtain approval from the NCA Administrative Committee. The proposal for the award must be submitted to and approved by the Administrative Committee prior to any solicitation for funds or nominees and must include the following information:

a. A rationale for the award must be given. Typically, awards are presented to recognize outstanding scholarship, teaching, or service, or to encourage such activities. The rationale must also state how the award relates to other NCA awards.

b. A description of the evaluation procedures to include the composition of the selection committee, the method of nominating individuals for the award, and the criteria for evaluating those nominated for the award.

c. A description of how the call for award nominees will be publicized so as to equalize the potential nominees' chances for receiving such awards.

d. A description of the sources of funds for the endowment.

2. NCA unit award endowments must be created and managed in accordance with NCA Financial Policies. In addition:

a. Unit awards are not eligible for NCA Matching Funds.

b. Endowments in support of unit awards cannot be less than the $5,000 minimum established for all NCA funds.

c. NCA units will have a maximum of five (5) years in which to complete the fund raising campaign.

d. Individuals and organizations donating to campaigns to create unit awards must be notified at the time of their contribution that their donations will revert to the NCA General Reserve Fund should the proposed fund balance fail to reach the minimum established under NCA Financial Policies within the five-year period.

3. The Trustees and/or award committee chairs of these endowments have the following responsibilities:

a. Before the annual competition for these awards are announced (normally in the February Spectra), the Trustees and/or award committee chairs should check with the NCA National Office to determine an appropriate amount (in the case of cash awards) to be announced in a particular year. In general, the amount of the award will not exceed the interest accruing from the endowment fund minus 15 percent. The 15 percent will be returned to the principle to insure that growth in the fund matches or exceeds the rate of inflation.

b. The Trustees and/or award committee chairs are responsible for writing up and submitting an awards competition call for nominations in time for the February Spectra. (The deadline for the February issue is December 10.) That notice should:

(1) describe the purpose of the award

(2) list criteria for eval