The smooth running of any association depends on a matrix of behind-the-scenes activity that ensures the flow of its many projects, and ICA is no exception. One such activity is the mid-year online board meeting, where members of the Executive Committee, representatives of all divisions and interest groups, and representatives of the various ICA task forces and committees meet in virtual space for two weeks to address the association's ongoing business.

Last month, the Board met online for 14 days and addressed the following issues:

New Editor for JoC
Confirming Malcolm Parks of the U of Washington as the incoming editor of the Journal of Communication. An active member of ICA for 35 years, former head of the Interpersonal Communication Division, and active member of CAT, Parks promises to bring to the journal a "discernment for important issues," to further internationalize its editorial board, and to address innovative ways of offsetting a backlog of accepted articles. Parks will begin his tenure in January 2011, together with an approved increase in the number of issues of JoC to six per year.

Discussions About New Procedures for ICA Journals
Considering new procedures for ICA journals, including establishing a differential stipend for ICA journal editors, dependent on workload, and establishing criteria for a more widespread internationalization of the journals' editorial boards. These procedures were referred back to the publications committee for further clarification.

Task Force on New ICA Logo Design
Supporting the task force recommendation that Rashee Rohagi develop a design for a new ICA logo, to be presented to the EC and the board later this year.

New Task Force on Limiting Conference Submissions per Member
Supporting the appointment of a task force to consider a possible cap on the number of papers an ICA member may submit during any one conference submission cycle. Though no limit now exists, ICA has grown in size and diversity, increasing the possibility that one ICA member can appear on the program repeatedly while others are denied a spot on the conference schedule altogether. A task force has been appointed and will report to the board on this issue at the conference in Singapore.

Task Force on Establishing an ICA Press Officer
Authorizing the appointment of a smaller committee from the original task force to continue addressing the establishment of an ICA Press Officer, so as to strengthen the public visibility of the organization and its members' scholarship. A committee has been appointed to address the nature of the role, its international scope and its cost, and it will report to the board in Singapore.

Task Force on Greening ICA
Ratifying a draft of the task force's deliberations on greening ICA. The task force will now move its document into final form, for presentation to the board in June.

Ad Hoc Committee on Fair Use and Academic Freedom
Ratifying a draft of the ad hoc committee on fair use and academic freedom. The committee will now draft the report into a best practices statement that can be made into ICA policy. It will be presented in Singapore.

Motion to Implement Yearly Conference Panels on Methods/Statistics
Referring this issue back to the divisional and interest group level, for decision by each unit as to whether or not it wanted to program initiatives on this topic rather than doing so on an association-wide level.

Other Business Approved by Board

• 2009-1010 finance committee report by Finance Chair Ron Rice, which put ICA in overall very good financial condition.
• 2010 conference update and President-Elect Francois Cooren's report, which had the conference at 2,212 submissions and a 54% acceptance rate.
• 2011 conference update from President-Elect-Select Larry Gross, whose theme "Communication @ the Center" will drive the conference in Boston, 22-26 May 2011.
• 2014-2015 conference site selection report from Executive Director Michael Haley. The board approved Seattle, Washington for ICA 2014 and either Puerto Rico or Washington, DC for 2015, both of which will be further investigated before a choice is made in time for the board meeting in Singapore.
• 2009 theme session book update, which is currently in press and will be released in Singapore.

As this list demonstrates, ICA board meetings provide opportunities to conduct extensive business. But they also provide the chance for members to be involved in the affairs of the association. Our next board meeting in Singapore is scheduled for Tuesday, 22 June 2010, 1:00-5:00, and the last hour of that meeting is open to all ICA members. Hope to see you there.