Free Member Benefit – Virtual Learning Opportunities
Maximize your NCA membership by participating in our new Virtual Learning Opportunities (VLO). VLOs are complimentary and registration is exclusive to NCA members. To access this content, you’ll need to log in to your NCA member account.
Not an NCA member yet? Become a member now to start taking advantage of VLOs and other great benefits.
About NCA Virtual Learning Opportunities
Are you looking for a convenient and affordable way to participate in the Annual Convention? Join an upcoming VLO!
VLOs were created to encourage a vibrant, year-long conversation around the 2024 convention theme, “Communication for Greater Regard.” VLOs are added-value opportunities for members to learn, interact, and connect. They are designed to showcase member expertise and enhance member learning among focal groups and/or focal topics. VLO types include:
- Masterclass (less than one hour)
- Intensive (two to three hours)
- Consortium (four hours)
For more information about NCA’s VLOs, please contact convention@natcom.org.
VLO Schedule & Registration
Planning is underway to schedule several VLOs leading up to the 2024 convention with the opportunity for in-person meet ups in New Orleans during the convention.
All VLOs are complimentary and exclusively available to members. Not a member yet? Explore the value of NCA membership and join now!
All VLOs will be facilitated by Dr. Jeanetta Sims, NCA First Vice President.
Greater Regard for a Fulfilling Career
Tuesday October 8, 2024 | 2:00 – 3:00 PM EDT (Time Zone Converter)
VLO Description:
This Virtual Learning Opportunity (VLO) offers you an inside look at the career journeys of scholars who have translated their communication degrees to thrive within and outside of faculty roles. If you are considering expanding your contributions or shifting your work outside of the Academy, join us to learn insights, strategies, and suggestions as you pursue a meaningful career.
VLO Learning Outcomes:
In this VLO, you will learn:
- ways a communication degree positions you well for relevant career opportunities
- what to ask and how to prepare for opportunities in advance
- frameworks and techniques for pursuing a meaningful, rewarding career
- strategies for assessing the timing and preparing for your next career opportunity
Presented by
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Felicia Harris, Ph.D. Felicia L. Harris, PhD, is an author, consultant, and associate professor at the University of Houston-Downtown, where she teaches courses in communication and previously served as the Associate Director of the Center for Critical Race Studies. Her scholarship explores race, representation, culture, and community in mass media and higher education, and has been published in academic journals including The Black Scholar, The Review of Communication, and FIRE!!! The Multimedia Journal of Black Studies. |
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Sarah Geegan, Ph.D. From 2012-2022, Dr. Sarah Geegan served as a speechwriter, PR professional, and executive communication strategist at the University of Kentucky, an $8.4 billion education and health enterprise. In that capacity, she oversaw internal and external communication (speechwriting, social media, media relations, community relations, etc.) for the university president and senior administration. In addition, she served as the lead public information official, under the university’s chief communication officer, during the COVID-19 crisis.
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Greater Regard for Enhancing Our Mental Health and Well-Being
Friday, May 31, 2024 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM EDT / 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM CT / 9:00 – 10:00 AM PT
In the month of May, which is Mental Health Awareness Month, our first Virtual Learning Opportunity (VLO) offers members a refreshing chance to stimulate their own mind-body health through meditation and a wholeness framework in greater regard for ourselves and our work. Learn strategies to rejuvenate and transform your well-being and the well-being of your students so you can thrive and grow.
In this VLO, you will learn:
- techniques and frameworks to enhance your mindset for greater whole-person health
- strategies to recharge and refresh as you head into the summer months
- mindfulness practice to immediately implement for yourself and your students
Presented by
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Vinita Agarwal, Ph.D. Vinita Agarwal, Ph.D., is professor at Salisbury University, author of Health Communication for Social Justice: A Whole-Person Activist Approach and Medical Humanism, Chronic Illness, and the Body in Pain: An Ecology of Wholeness, and a health and well-being coach. Her research appears in venues like Health Communication and Qualitative Health Research. Her courses include health engagement and advocacy, and she is currently working on a mental health communication edited book. |
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Megan Pope, M.A. Megan Pope, M.A., is a senior communication lecturer at Texas A&M University and mindfulness meditation professor. Her own mental health journey, from outpatient therapy to mindfulness mastery, is filled with profound self-discovery. Now a certified mindfulness meditation teacher, Megan’s mission is to sow seeds of compassion within herself, her students, and everyone she encounters. She can be found online at https://meditationprofessor.com/. |
Greater Regard for Strengthening Communication Program Reviews and Assessment
Friday, June 14, 2024 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM EDT / 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM CT / 9:00 – 10:00 AM PT
Learn important details and historical issues related to Program Review and Assessment so you can be supported, prepared, and ready to navigate these processes for a more meaningful experience.
In this VLO, you will learn:
- insights for navigating, preparing for, and enhancing your next Program Review
- strategies for approaching and designing assessment plans
- viewpoints for a greater appreciation of the “why” of communication assessment and Program Reviews
Presented by
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David Rhea Dr. David Rhea is the Interim Dean of the Crawford Honors College and a Full Professor of Communication at Governors State University. David is Chair of the Communication Assessment Division of NCA. He is also the President of the Honors Council of the Illinois Region and the 2024 Chair of the Assessment and Evaluation Committee of the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC). He is a peer reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission, a program reviewer for NCHC, and one of three facilitators of NCHC's Institute for Strategic Planning, Assessment and Reviewer Knowledge (iSPARK) for 2024. |
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Sakile Camara Dr. Sakile K. Camara is a Professor of Communication Studies at California State University Northridge. With a rich background in assessment consulting for nonprofit agencies spanning over two decades, Sakile brings invaluable expertise to her current role as Director of Academic Assessment and Program Review. Over the last three years, she has revolutionized assessment practices at CSUN through her innovative shared responsibility model, iROCA (Instructors Reporting on Classroom Assessment). |
Greater Regard for Engaging and Nurturing Community
Wednesday, July 17, 2024 | 4 to 5 p.m. EDT (Click here to see this event's scheduled time in your time zone.)
Learn insights for approaching community-building with greater care and consideration so you can renew your research, improve your advocacy, or enhance your community engagement efforts.
In this VLO, you will learn:
- insights for being inspired in action, advocacy, and activism
- strategies for fostering community and community-building activities
- frameworks to emulate or adapt in your own community engagement efforts
Presented by
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Theon Hill Dr. Theon Hill serves as Associate Professor of Communication at Wheaton College. His research and teaching explore the intersections of rhetoric, race, and social change. His research appears in a variety of journal outlets, including Rhetoric & Public Affairs, Public Relations Review, Journal of Communication Management, Communication Quarterly, and the Journal of Communication and Religion. Dr. Hill maintains a commitment to finding ways to translate his scholarly research into opportunities to engage historically marginalized communities. |
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Bryan Crable Dr. Bryan Crable serves as Founding Dean of the College of Human Development, Culture, and Media at Seton Hall University. Previously, at Villanova University, Dr. Crable was Professor of Rhetoric and Founding Director of the Waterhouse Family Institute. Dr. Crable is the author of numerous essays on rhetorical theory and rhetorics of race, as well as the books Ralph Ellison and Kenneth Burke: At the Roots of the Racial Divide and the forthcoming White Sacraments. |
Greater Regard for Early Career Scholars
Friday, Aug 30, 2024 | 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM EDT (Time Zone Converter)
VLO Description: This Consortium-style Virtual Learning Opportunity (VLO) is your time away to recharge, reflect, and refocus as you gain perspective on contributing your uniqueness, your teaching, and your research to academia. The VLO embeds time for you to share and connect with other attendees as you develop a teaching philosophy, learn how to protect your research well-being, discover strategies for research collaborations, and navigate time management. The virtual event is structured similar to a productive workshop for learning, for work, and for interactions. Filled with insights from leading communication scholars, this VLO is designed for graduate students and early career scholars in the beginning stages of their academic careers, and it's open to all scholars who seek insights.
VLO Learning Outcomes:
In this VLO, you will learn:
- perspectives for contributing your uniqueness to the academic community
- techniques and insights to enhance your teaching and mentorship
- strategies for cultivating your research and scholarship
Presented by
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Stephan Rahko Stephen E.Rahko, PhD, is an assistant professor in the School of Communication at Illinois State University. His work has appeared in journals such as Cultural Studies Critical Methodologies, Review of Communication, Communication and the Public ,and the Howard Journal of Communications.He is co-editor (along with Byron B Craig and Patricia G. Davis) of Rupturing Rhetoric: The Politics of Race and Popular Culture since Ferguson (Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2024).
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Sharnine Herbert Sharnine Herbert, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor at Shippensburg University where she serves as the Interim Associate Dean of the College of Education and Human Services, Director of the H.O.P.E. Scholarship, and Frederick Douglass Liaison. Sharnine’s life’s work is rooted in the scholarship of teaching and service; her commitment to student engagement and advocacy are her most important contributions to the Academy and the community. Her personal motto is Aspire to Inspire.
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Amy Janan Johnson Amy Janan Johnson, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Oklahoma. Her specialties include interpersonal communication, family communication, and conflict management. She is the most recent outgoing editor of Western Journal of Communication. She has published her personal research in such venues as Communication Monographs,Journal of Communication, Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, Journal of Applied Communication Research, Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, Journal of Family Communication, and others.
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Ryan D'Souza Ryan D’Souza, Ph.D, is an assistant professor of communication at Chatham University. He teaches courses in communication theory, intercultural communication, and media studies. He publishes about South Asian media in critical/cultural studies and critical media studies.Ryan was a scholar at NCA’s Institute for Faculty Development in July 2024. He was also a Visiting Scholar at the Center for Feminist Studies at York University, Canada, between 2022 and 2023. |
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Elizabeth Parks Elizabeth S. Parks (PhD, University of Washington) is a communication and collaboration coach and consultant and communication faculty currently affiliated with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Colorado School of Public Health and Colorado State University. Her scholarship blends mixed method social scientific approaches and inquiry grounded in the humanities to better understand how we can improve listening and dialogue across difference in the pursuit of individual and community well-being. |
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Meredith Pruden Meredith L. Pruden, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the School of Communication and Media at Kennesaw State University. Her award-winning, interdisciplinary, methodologically agnostic research liesat the nexus of feminist media studies and political communication, exploring harmful online content (e.g., hate speech, supremacism and violent extremist communication), “risky research” and research related trauma, far-right media and politics, and mis/disinformation and conspiracism— all from anintersectional perspective and in their sociotechnical contexts.
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Sean Upshaw Sean J. Upshaw, Ph.D., an Edward Alexander Bouchet Scholar, completed his education at Howard University in 2018 and is now an Assistant Professor at the Stan Richards School of Advertising and Public Relations at the University of Texas-Austin. His research focuses on health disparities, culturally tailored health message design, visual persuasion in health communication, cultural health literacy, and BIPOC representation in media. He has contributed to journals like Health Communication, Applied Communication Research, and Howard Journal of Communications.
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Greater Regard for Navigating Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Friday, Sep 27, 2024 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM EDT (Time Zone Converter)
VLO Description: In the month of September, our Virtual Learning Opportunity (VLO) offers members a chance to learn strategies and recommendations for integrating AI into their assignments, teaching, lectures, and activities. Gain perspective on AI use so you can enhance your approach to integrating AI in your classroom and other activities. This VLO is co-sponsored with NCA’s Teaching and Learning Council.
Presented by
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Mohammad Tajvarpour, Ph.D., MBA Mohammad Tajvarpour is an Assistant Professor at SUNY Oswego, with a teaching history in the U.S. and Canada for MBA and undergraduate programs. He introduced a pioneering course, "ChatGPT for Business," to bridge AI technology with industry application. His publications in journals and books like Decision Support Systems and Journal of Business Research explore open innovation and modern business strategies, enhancing understanding of product development's relationship with innovation. |
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Stefan Bauschard, M.Ed. Stefan Bauschard is an expert on AI's educational impact and co-edited "ChatGPT: Navigating the Impact of Generative AI Technologies on Educational Theory and Practice." He teaches and runs webinars on generative AI, including an introductory course focused on its applications. Bauschard’s papers explore the integration of AI with academic debate and deep learning to innovate education. He is a co-founder of the Global Academic Commons. |
Greater Regard for Palestinian Ways of Knowing
Wednesday, October 2, 2024 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM EDT (Time Zone Converter)
VLO Description:
This Virtual Learning Opportunity (VLO) is an invitation to reflect and deepen your understanding of Palestinian ways of knowing, while exploring how these perspectives can reshape your teaching, research, and advocacy. Designed as a space for meaningful connection, this VLO offers opportunities to explore the richness of Palestinian epistemologies and the critical role they play in global struggles for justice.
The event is structured to facilitate a balanced experience of learning, discussion, and collaborative work. You'll have the chance to learn strategies for incorporating Palestinian perspectives into your research, and the importance of intersectional solidarity in academic and activist contexts. Whether you are a graduate student, early career scholar, or seasoned academic, this VLO is open to all who seek to learn about the Palestinian liberation struggle and its implications in our work as communication scholars.
VLO Learning Objectives:
In this VLO, you will:
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Gain insights into Palestinian ways of knowing and their significance in global contexts
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Learn some of the ways in which Palestinian liberation efforts are part of a community of shared struggle with other liberatory movements.
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Learn about the unprecedented efforts to suppress Palestine advocacy in educational settings and what role you can play to push back against the restriction of free speech and academic freedom, especially as it relates to Palestine.
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Connect with a community of scholars and activists dedicated to justice and solidarity with Palestine
Presented by
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Walid Adel Afifi, Ph.D. Walid A. Afifi is Professor in the Department of Communication, and Associate Dean in the Division of Social Sciences at UC-Santa Barbara. He was elected as a Fellow of ICA in 2021 and served as President of NCA in 2023. His program of research led to the development of the Theory of Motivated Information Management, often tested within health contexts. In addition to that work, he has recently co-authored several manuscripts advocating for an indigenous liberatory approach to understanding mental health among Palestinians. |
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Noor Ghazal Aswad, Ph.D. Noor Ghazal Aswad is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Communication Studies, University of Alabama. Her research and scholarly activities span several interdisciplinary areas, including political rhetoric, immigration, post-colonialism, and environmental communication. Her work examines transnational grassroots social movements in the middle east and meaning-making mechanisms for solidarity with those in liberatory struggle. She has published in several well-regarded journals, such as Quarterly Journal of Speech, Environmental Communication, Presidential Studies Quarterly, Critical Studies in Media Communication, among others. |
Zoom Webinar Platform
NCA partners with Zoom to bring all VLOs to your home or office. Please ensure you can connect via Zoom to attend. Google Chrome is recommended, but you can also use Firefox, Safari, Edge, or Internet Explorer.
For More Information
Contact convention@natcom.org