We will gather on Wednesday, March 26, for the bi-annual ECA Basic Course Conference. Our theme for the 2025 Basic Course Conference is Contemporary Issues in the Basic Communication Course. The conference will include sessions and workshops focused on contemporary issues in the basic communication courses, including student challenges, instructor and director considerations, updating assessments and rubrics, how to approach training instructors, and a G.I.F.T.S. session. Dr. Caroline Waldbuesser, Basic Course Director at the University of Missouri, will direct the 2025 ECA Basic Course Conference.
The keynote speaker for the 2025 Basic Course Conference is Dr. David McMahan. Dr. McMahan is the Interim Department Chair and a Professor of Communication at Missouri Western State University. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Iowa in 2001, with research focusing on the social aspects of media and technology, personal relationships, and rhetorical criticism. He has published over ten books, including Internet Communication, Introduction to Communication Criticism, Relational Communication, The Basics of Communication, and the bestselling Communication in Everyday Life series. His research and other works have been published in numerous academic journals and anthologies, and he was named a Centennial Scholar by the Eastern Communication Association. His extensive record of service includes President of the National Communication Association, President of the Central States Communication Association, Editor of the Iowa Journal of Communication, and Consulting Editor of the Journal of Communication Pedagogy, along with membership and activity on a vast number of academic committees, executive boards, and editorial boards. He has taught courses which span the discipline of communication and has received several awards for his work in the classroom.
Beverages and snacks will be served in the morning. Lunch will be served. Preregistration or on-site registration is required.
