An issue that I have with discussing an area of the tenure review like professional service is that I don’t perform those actions for the purpose of recognition. I, like others those that perform the most service for a discipline, an association, an interest division, or even a conference, do so without any interest in fame or recognition for the work. The underlying motive for those that work in the service of these organizations or events do so because it how they feel they can provide an impact to an area that they care about. My hope in creating this narrative is not to brag or overinflate the actions I have performed in the past three years, but rather act as an honest record of my connection to the various organizations that I can about that promote the work of talented scholars in the fields of communication and media production.
It is fair to point out that the most consistent service I provide to the various organizations that I’m a member of is my work as a parliamentarian for several interest divisions at the national and international levels of my discipline. I serve as the parliamentarian for the Communication and the Future, Mass Communication, Game Studies, and Human Communication and Technology interest divisions within the National Communication Association. I have also served in the past as the parliamentarian for the International Communication Association. My rationale for serving in this role is that I can help insure the smooth running of the business meetings within each division. I also help with the crafting and revising of by-laws. I believe this service is important as it helps insure that how the divisions are run are documented for future reference.
The other aspect of my service to the discipline goes beyond the structural service that I do for the various organizations listed above. I am often asked to serve as a chair, respondent, or wandering scholar for the various interest divisions. I am the standing “Senior Scholar” for Communication and the Future. This role means that I will attend poster and “Scholar-to-Scholar” session for the purpose of engaging the junior scholars’ research to improve the quality of their work.
My service to the discipline and field that I love has been recognized by my peers. I was awarded the National Communication Association Mass Communication Interest Division Service Award in 2018. The rationale that the division gave for awarding me this honor was that I was a helpful figure in the division that could be trusted to help keep a meeting going or organize key presentations for the annual conference. The executive committee also mentioned that I was the institutional memory for the division that allowed the executive meetings to run smoothly and on time. The key takeaway for me with the praises and honors from my peers in other interest division beyond Mass Communication is that I believe I am more respected for my service to the association than my research or my pedagogical skills. It is this invisible labor that is hard to make concrete for situations like a tenure review. I believe that the evidence provided in this packet should show my professional service in a way that is worthy of being awarded tenure.
