Sociology in the Workplace
by Suzanne Trask
Salem College
Get out your calendars and reserve February 19-20 for the 1998 meeting
of the NCSA on the campus of Salem College in Winston-Salem. The theme
will be "Sociology in the Workplace" and will include considerable
examination of our own workplaces as teachers, researchers and mentors
of students.
Our meetings will kick off with a reception in the Gallery of the Fine Arts Center at Salem College from 6:30 to 7:00PM on Feb. 19. There will be refreshments, along with some fun exhibits in the gallery. Artists whose work will be displayed include Marianne diNapoli Mylet, a North Carolina painter who paints juke-joint themes; K. Nelson Harper, whose installation is titled "Tacky Churches"; as well as a display of art by students in the Forsyth County schools. Meetings will continue all day Friday, Feb. 20, in the Fine Arts Center. We'll begin with Moravian sugar cake in the registration area and continue with the keynote session, concurrent sessions before and after lunch and, finally, the business meeting.
For those who plan to come to Winston-Salem for the night of Feb. 19, I have reserved a block of ten rooms at the Salem Inn (910-725-8561). This newly refurbished (but reasonably priced) motel is within walking distance of Salem and is convenient to a variety of good restaurants in the Brookstown historic area adjacent to Old Salem. All of the tours and museum exhibits, as well as the bakery and gift shops of Old Salem, will be right next to the campus. We hope that some of you will be able to stay over a day and enjoy them.
More information as to specific local arrangements will be in the next
SOCIATION, but if you have ideas or questions, please contact the program
chair, Suzanne Trask, Department of Sociology, Salem College, Winston-Salem,
NC 27108-0548 (910-721-2703; e-mail: trask@salem.edu). I'm looking forward
to seeing a big crowd at Salem on Feb. 19-20!
This year's theme, "Sociology in the Workplace," indicates
our concern for a number of current issues in sociological work. Our keynote
speaker will be Professor Robert Davis from NC A&T University. Davis
is a past president of the NCSA and has worked for many years with the
ASA on teaching and departmental evaluations. While the title of his address
has not been finalized at this time, he will be speaking about how we evaluate
our teaching.
Several session topics have been suggested. They include the following:
These sessions are in a very formative stage; I encourage you to contact
me if you would like to chair or to participate on any of the panels. Please
feel free to suggest other topics of interest. As has been our recent tradition,
we are envisioning these sessions as somewhat informal panels in which
people share their ideas and insights. Please contact me with your comments,
using any of the communication options listed for me in the invitation
to the meetings.
Catherine Harris Is Honored for
Contributions to Sociology
Catherine Harris received the NCSA's highest award for her contributions
to the discipline. At the 1997 annual meeting, Harris was presented with
the Contributions to Sociology Award by the members of the NCSA.
"I am pleased to take this opportunity to recognize the numerous contributions
of Dr. Catherine Harris to the field of sociology," said Jacquelyn
Freeman of ASU as she presented the award to Harris. "She has labored
long and hard for the discipline and is most deserving of this recognition."
Since earning a Ph.D. from the University of Georgia, Harris has served
as an assistant professor of sociology at Salem College and is presently
a professor of sociology at Wake Forest University. At Wake Forest, she
has earned numerous honors and awards, including both the Excellence in
Teaching Award and the Excellence in Advising Award. In addition to publishing
several outstanding scholarly articles, Harris also presented the keynote
address at the most recent NCSA meeting discussing the role and makeup
of state sociological associations.
Harris has a long-standing history of outstanding contributions to both
the Southern Sociological Society and the North Carolina Sociological Association.
Her SSS activities have included chairing the elections committee and program
committee as well as serving for three years on the executive board. She
has also twice served as president of the NCSA and as a member of the NCSA
Executive Council. She further served as President of the National Council
of State Associations.
"Catherine has the drive and enthusiasm to get things done," said one member of the NCSA board. "Her vision of what a state association can and should be has served as a guiding force in the business of this association. "
Candidates Needed for Council,
President
Once again the NCSA Nominating Committee is seeking candidates for president and members of the Executive Council. The president-elect will serve as program chair for next year's annual meeting. Members of the Executive Council serve three-year terms.
Please send any suggestions for possible candidates to Jacqui Freeman at
ASU (704-262-6393), Maxine Thompson at NCSU (919-515-3291) or Bob Wortham
at NCCU (919-560-6420) no later than Nov. 24, 1997.
Recognize Your Colleagues' Contributions
to Sociology
Nominations are now open for the North Carolina Sociological Association
Award for Contributions to Sociology. This award recognizes excellence
in teaching, service, research, or other activity. It is open to members
of the NCSA in academic, research, or applied positions.
Nominations may be made by an individual other than the nominee, an academic
department, government agency, or employer. The nomination should include
a summary of appropriate evidence, including information about items such
as:
The winner will be recognized at the annual meeting and receive a plaque and NCSA lifetime membership. Previous winners of this award include Joseph Himes, Isabelle Powell, Alfred Denton, Odell Uzzell, Ben Judkins, Ella Keller, Lee Dodson and Catherine Harris.
This is a good opportunity to recognize a colleague who has labored long
and hard for the discipline. The deadline for nominations is 5 PM on Jan
12, 1998. Nominations should be sent to Johnny Underwood, Carteret Community
College, 3505 Arendell Street, Morehead City, NC 28557 (919-247-6000, ext.
235, or you may use e-mail:
Johnny Underwood, Committee Chair jbu@carteret.cc.nc.us
or
Ken Land at Duke University kland@soc.uke.edu,
or
Catherine Zimmer at NCSU. cathy_zimmer@ncsu.edu
Himes Award Deadline Set
Each year the NCSA gives the Joseph S. Himes Award to the outstanding undergraduate paper of the year. Now is the time to encourage your talented undergraduates to rework that exceptional term paper, independent study project, or senior thesis into a research paper and submit it for consideration. Papers should be submitted in triplicate to Wayne Adams, Sandhills Community College, 2200 Airport Road, Pinehurst, NC 28374 (910-695-3861). Deadline for submission is Jan. 12, 1998. Regina George-Bowden of Shaw University and Crista Reiser of East Carolina University also serve on this committee. Please help us recognize the work of outstanding student sociologists by encouraging them to submit their papers for consideration.
Curriculum Improvement Project
Will Target Sociology Courses
Wayne Adams of Sandhills Community College is heading a curriculum improvement project in psychology and sociology.
Targeted sociology courses include introduction to sociology, sociology of the family, social problems, and social diversity.
The major goals for the project are to strengthen the relationships between academic and technical education in the teaching of these courses, to provide faculty opportunities for professional development activities to develop technologies to enhance their curriculum programs, to provide opportunities for students to develop workforce skills and workplace applications, to improve the standards and academic quality of sociology and psychology transfer course through the development of course and curriculum materials, to develop curriculum manity college, and high school faculty, and to provide faculty with opportunities for interacting and networking in a collegial model which includes professional affiliations.
Help Update Membership Directory
It is time once again to pay annual dues to the North Carolina Sociological
Association. The NCSA has over 400 institutional and individual members.
NCSA President Mike Wise and members of the NCSA Executive Council encourage
all sociologists, whether professionals or students, to join the state association.
"We need every sociologist to be a part of this organization,"
said Wise, "no matter where that person may work, at large university,
at a community college, or in an applied setting. Our discipline and its
practitioners will all benefit from a strong state sociological association.
We expecially encourage participation by student sociologists at all levels
of study."
"We would like for current members to pay their dues and to recruit
their colleagues and students for membership in our association as well,"
said Pat Rector, Secretary-Treasurer of the NCSA. "Dues are for the
calendar year beginning Jan. 1. We are now soliciting for the 1998 annual
dues."
Dues are now $11 per year for regular members and $3 per year for student
members. There is no charge for institutions of higher learning. Payment
may be sent to Pat Rector, Sociology Department, Catawba College, Salisbury,
NC 28144.
How can you know when you last paid your dues? Look in the upper right
hand corner of the mailing label on this issue of SOCIATION. The two digits
there indicate the last calendar year in which your dues were paid.
Two years ago, the NCSA published its first directory of members. Although there were some errors, most members responded favorably to the directory which included all the colleges, universities, and community colleges in the entire state as well as listings for more than three hundred sociologists. Publishing a revised and updated directory is currently planned. Every member should verify the basic information in the first directory and add any new information (such as e-mail addresses) which should be included in the second edition of the NCSA directory. They are then asked to fill out the membership form included in this edition of SOCIATION to reflect their most current information.
1998 NCSA Membership Application/Renewal Form
The North Carolina Sociological Association is open to any person engaged
in teaching or research in sociology, or in a field of applied sociology,
as well as to any student whose major interest is sociology. Members receive
SOCIATION, the Bulletin of the NCSA, three times per year and are
invited to attend the annual meeting of the association in the spring.
Dues are for one calendar year.
Please take a moment to update your information. The NCSA is revising its membership list and preparing to publish a new directory. Be sure to include your most current information for this project.
Name: ____________________________________________
Institutional Affiliation:______________________________
Institutional Address:__________________________
Office telephone:____________________
Office FAX: _________________________
Office e-mail address:_______________
Permanent Home Address:______________________________
_______________________________________________________
Home phone:_______________________
Home FAX: ________________________
Home e-mail address: _____________
Type of membership:
____student (dues $3 per year)
____professional (dues $11 per year)
Total amount enclosed:__________
Please enclose a check for your 1998 dues in the amount indicated above. Make all checks payable to the North Carolina Sociological Association. Mail this form and your check to:
Dr. Pat Wyatt
Secretary-Treasurer, NCSA
Department of Sociology
Catawba College
Salisbury, NC 28144
Questions about membership and dues should be directed to Dr. Wyatt.
If you have any difficulties concerning the receipt of SOCIATION (incomplete address, misspelled name, new apartment number, etc.), please contact its editor, Lee Dodson, Rockingham Community College, P.O. Box 38, Wentworth, NC 27375-0038 (910-342-4261, ext. 155;
You may e-mail me as follows:
nldodson@nr.infi.ne, or dodsonl@rcc.cc.nc.us.
Last updated December 4, 1997