06/26/2025

CSCA 2026 Convention - Graduate Student Caucus Call for Submissions

GRADUATE STUDENT CAUCUS
Call for Papers and Panels

Central States Communication Association (CSCA) Annual Convention-Minneapolis, MN
April 14th -19th, 2026

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The Graduate Student Caucus (GSC) invites all graduate student members of CSCA to submit competitive papers, roundtable discussions, and panels to be considered for programming at the 2026 CSCA conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The GSC focuses on research and programming focusing on relevant issues related to the unique situations of being a graduate student, graduate teaching or research assistant.

We encourage submissions that address issues related to the convention theme “Translate”. As early scholars with a burning desire to foster change through our scholarly activities, we face challenges about how to disseminate our findings beyond the academic walls. At this conference, we will deliberate on how our research and teaching can make a meaningful difference outside of the academy to entities such as private sector, health institutions, community members, policy makers amongst others. Important questions along this theme includes: How can we foster interdisciplinary collaborations? What are the most effective avenues to translate our groundbreaking and theory driven findings to the public? What are the ethical considerations that must be considered during such collaborations? At the last business meeting, we generated interesting ideas such as a panel on understanding the journal publication process, a panel on navigating AI in research and teaching, and a panel on best practices for disseminating our findings with relevant institutions and many more.

GSC accepts completed competitive papers, extended abstracts, and discussion panels. Programming (papers and panels) will only be accepted from students who are currently enrolled in a graduate program at the time of submission; submissions co-authored with faculty mentors/advisors will not be accepted. Please take note of the following information:

Completed Competitive Papers

• Must include a title and a brief abstract (required).
• Author name(s) and identifying information should be removed.
• Papers should be a maximum of 25 pages double-spaced with 12 pt. font. This excludes the title page, abstract, references, figures, and tables.
• If the paper will be a graduate student debut, please type “DEBUT STUDENT” in the upper right-hand corner of the title page. To be considered a graduate student debut paper, (1) the author must be a graduate student, (2) the paper must have single authorship, and (3) the paper must be the author’s first paper to be presented at CSCA.

Extended Abstracts

We encourage members to submit extended abstracts with the expectation that extended abstracts will be completed by the time of presentation. These completed projects should be sent to the caucus Chair no later than one month before the conference. Extended abstracts are not eligible for the Paul D. Skalski Top Paper Award.

All extended abstracts

• Must include a title and a brief abstract (required).
• Author name(s) and identifying information should be removed.
• Extended abstracts should be between 5 and 12 pages double-spaced with 12 pt. font. This excludes the title page, abstract, references, figures, and tables.

Panels

A panel engages a group of panelists in a formal interactive discussion about a topic related to the GSC. Panel session submissions do not undergo anonymous review. These sessions are reviewed based on overall quality, interest to the caucus, diversity of the panelist, relevance of the topic to the theme, innovativeness, and overall contribution. Preference will be given to those with panelists representing multiple institutions rather than representing a single institution. Panel submissions must include the following:

• Title
• Description/rationale (no more than 1 page)
• Complete list of participants along with their institutional affiliations, contact information (address, email, and telephone), and if they are CSCA members.

Graduate Student Caucus Award Information

The Graduate Student Caucus presents certificates to the top competitive graduate student papers and the top graduate student panel at the annual Business Meeting. Cash awards are given to the Paul D. Skalski Top Paper and top graduate student panel.

Inclusive Scholarship Award

The Inclusive Scholarship Award is sponsored by the CSCA Equity & Inclusion Committee (EIC). Its purpose is to highlight the most promising work by scholars in the areas of equity and inclusion. The papers will be delivered both during the programming of the respective interest groups/caucuses to which they were submitted and during the EIC-sponsored paper panel. 

If you would like your paper to be considered for the Inclusive Scholarship Award, type “INCLUSIVE SCHOLARSHIP” in the upper right-hand corner of the title page. To be considered as an exemplar of inclusive scholarship, the paper must demonstrate academic rigor in the examination of communication and historically marginalized communities/populations. Additionally, make sure to select the “Inclusive Scholarship” option when submitting said paper.

Final Notes

All technology requests must be made at the time of submission. Submissions must be received by 11:59 PM, CDT, October 10, 2025. Send submissions electronically through our CSCA online submission system site.

See you in Minneapolis!

Abigail (Olajire) Adediran,
aoolajire@missouri.edu
Interest Group Planner & Chair