History of NCA’s Hope Conference

 For 20 years, communication teacher-scholars have been meeting to focus on undergraduate education.  The conference originated at Hope College in Holland Michigan, and after 15 years moved to Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.  (The conference is moving to Virginia starting in 2007, and is expected to be hosted there through summer 2011.)

Approximately 25 to 40 faculty spend a week in seminars conducted by distinguished scholars in communication to study, discuss, exchange, and plan.  In 2000, the participants outlined curricular goals for undergraduate communication education. The description of the Undergraduate Curriculum in Communication crafted at the 2000 Hope Conference can be found here.

The “Hope Conference” has become for many a network of resources for research, inquiry, teaching, and curricular development.  It is a source of HOPE, a place to connect with colleagues, a forum to discuss ideas of teaching and research, and a host of intellectual revitalization.