Home     Contact

Religious Communication Association

RCA Executive Council Officer Guidelines

Official duties of RCA officers begin at the second RCA business meeting, held during the annual RCA convention, which meets concurrently with the meeting of the National Communication Association (NCA). The specific duties of RCA officers are listed below.

President (one-year term)

• Chief Presiding Officer
  
• Sits on RCA Executive Council
  
• Presides over second RCA business meeting at the annual convention, in which he/she assumes leadership of the association (convention planning for following year)
  
• Convenes and chairs RCA Executive Council meetings, beginning with the executive council breakfast held annually at the NCA Convention (ordinarily held on Saturday morning at the NCA convention)
  
• Leads association according to RCA Constitution  and guides proposed policy changes
  
• Serves as primary policy liaison to NCA and other associations within the field
  
• Works with RCA Executive Council during the year on emerging association issues
  
• Plans and promotes RCA reception and banquet for the convention concluding the presidential term (should begin planning by spring prior to the NCA convention)
  
• Oversees RCA programs, process and products (convention planning, elections, awards, newsletter, website, officer succession, etc)
  
• Provides RCA activity updates to membership (via newsletter, website, mid-year report)
  
• Convenes and chairs first RCA Executive Council meeting at NCA convention concluding presidential term
  
• Presides over 1st RCA business meeting at NCA convention which concludes presidential term (Association policy issues, awards, elections, etc.)
  
• Write articles for RCA newsletter
  
• Attends NCA legislative committee meetings as liaison for RCA
  

First Vice President (one-year term)

• Convention program planner
  
• Sits on RCA Executive Council
  
• Assists President in organizing second business meeting at convention he or she is elected at for next year's convention program planning
  
• Serves as liaison to NCA for convention planning
  
• Attends NCA Program Planning Sessions
  
• Works with division chairs to establish processes for electronic submission of papers and panels, secure reviewers, assisting in establishing rankings, and submits convention materials
  
• Promotes submissions and convention participation to RCA membership
  
• Fields questions and concerns from division chairs and membership concerning convention issues (registration, paper/panel submission, review process, etc)
  
• Evaluates submissions, ranking, and rationale from division chairs
  
• Creates convention panels for top papers in consultation with group chairs
  
• Negotiates with NCA on convention program slot allocation
  
• Assigns panels to allocated slots
  
• Proofs RCA program for convention
  

Second Vice President (one-year-term)

• Membership and recruiting officer
  
• Sits on RCA Executive Council
  
• Promotes RCA awards and solicits nominations (date TBD)
  
• Organizes award nominations (Scholar of the Year, Book of the Year, Article of the Year, Dissertation of the Year, Student Paper of the Year) and distributes material to reviewers (date TBD)
  
• Oversees award review process, including breaking ties when necessary
  
• Gets plaque made for Scholar of the Year
  
• Arranges with Executive Director to cut checks and make certificates for annual award receipients
  
• By October 15, submits "Call for Papers" for the following year's convention to NCA, RCA newsletter, and RCA website
  
• Presents awards at first RCA business meeting
  
• Attends program planning training session at NCA Convention (prior to becoming First VP)
  

• Membership representatives
  
• Sit on RCA Executive Council
  
• Review for RCA dissertation, book, and article of the year award
  
• Consult with executive council regarding RCA policy, publications, membership, etc
  
• Assist and supports officers as needed
  
• One sits on nominating committee
  

Immediate Past President (one-year term)

• Executive Council Advisor (organizational memory)
  
• Sits on RCA Executive Council ex officio
  
• Consults with Executive Council on ideas and proposed changes regarding RCA policy, publications, membership, etc
  

Executive Director (confirmed by membership, three-year renewable term)

• Chief executive officer
  
• Sits on RCA Executive Council ex officio
  
• Attends all RCA meetings and banquet at convention
  
• Produces and distributes minutes for RCA business and executive council meetings
  
• Stores RCA records and correspondence
  
• Prepares annual financial report for first business meeting at convention
  
• Provides RCA awards (certificates and checks) for distribution at first business meeting at convention
  
• Receives money for banquet and pays banquet bills
  
• Processes membership applications, renewals (quarterly notices), and dues
  
• Services annual library and institutional memberships and subscription services, sending pricing info, renewal notices, etc
  
• Maintains membership and library/institutional member databases (including providing mailing labels for newsletter, and JCR
  
• Pays for printing and mailing of JCR and RCA Newsletter
  
• Prepares items and articles for newsletter as needed
  
• Stores back issues of journals and responds to inquiries for back issues
  
• Responds to information requests about RCA from variety of sources
  
• Files appropriate IRS forms
  
• Assists and supports officers as needed
  

Journal Editor (confirmed by membership, three-year term)

• Sits on Executive Council ex officio
  
• Produces JCR
  
• Advises on indexing policies
  

Newsletter Editor (confirmed by membership, three-year renewable term)

• Sits on Executive Council.
  
• Produces three newsletters: (1) membership activities; (2) convention promotion; (3) report on RCA business conducted at the convention
  

Electronic Communication Curator (appointed by Executive Council, three-year renewable term)

• Sits on Executive Council ex officio
  
• Support a functional website for RCA
  
• Maintain reliability of access to info on site
  
• Ensure accuracy of website info
  
• Update content regularly (newsletter, announcements membership directory, convention info, etc)
  
• Create new content and/or navigation items per RCA Executive Council recommendations