Over the past year, as many of our newsletter columns reported, the ICA Executive Board, Division chairs, and many members of many committees (both standing and ad hoc) have met, debated, discussed, and developed new procedures, policies, and strategies for addressing the myriad changes and challenges facing ICA. The Executive Committee wants to thank all the committees, both past and present for their hard work. Many of the committee suggestions were approved at our last board meeting in London (see last newsletter) but there are three recommendations that have been approved by the board but now need to be formalized and submitted to you, our members, for approval. You will receive these proposals in a special ballot that will be sent to you via email in the near future.
Please read the proposals carefully and if you have any questions or want clarification feel free to contact me or any member of the Board of directors (including the chair of your favourite Division).
Each ballot proposal was discussed in detail by the ICA board in June. The first addresses the changing employment landscape of our membership, the second the increasing costs of association activities and the higher demand and cost for technological solutions and applications, and the third recognizes the increasing diversity in our field and our desire to honour the very best communication scholarship across methodologies, divisions, and regions.
1) We will propose to add a new membership fee category for those who are no longer students, but are also not yet fully employed as faculty. This new category would be called "employment exception" and would come with a 25% discount on the full fee. The new fee structure would include "Regular," "Employment exception" (75% of the "Regular" fee), and "Student" (50% of the "Regular" fee). Life, Emeritus, and group memberships remain unchanged. All fees, including that of this new category, will continue to be adjusted following a three-tier system where the fee depends on the country of residence (based on World Bank's indicators).
2) We will propose to raise the membership dues to 195 USD for a "Regular" member from a Tier A country. The fees for all other membership categories and country tiers would be reduced using the same proportions as currently applied. This increase would only take effect as of 2014. Fees have not been changed in over 5 years. Needless to say that all costs associated with the various activities of the association have very significantly increased in the meantime so that the proposed adjustment is really just catching up with the actual costs. In comparison with other associations, ICA remains comfortably in the midrange. Meanwhile, it is fair to say that the range and quality of the services provided to ICA members is increasing steadily.
3) We will propose a small, but significant change in the way new ICA Fellows are elected. Under the current procedure, the Fellows receive nominations for members to be awarded "ICA Fellowship". After processing the applications, the Fellows proceed to a vote. Abstentions in the voting process among Fellows are counted as "no" votes. With the increasing numbers and diversity of nominees, it is likely that some Fellows choose to abstain since the candidates may not be well known to them. This is not a "no" vote, but a true abstention. Under the proposed new procedure, a nominee must receive more "yes" votes than "no" votes. "Abstain" would remain on the ballot, but not be taken into account for the decision. This change is intended to facilitate the election of a greater number of fellows in general as well as those scholars whose works represent the increasing diversity of scholarly excellence in our field.
The Board of Directors of ICA believes these changes are necessary and will strengthen the association and ultimately benefit its membership. I hope that all members will take part to the upcoming ballot, not just for these adjustments, but also for the various elections that will decide on the yearly turnover in the leadership of ICA.
