Cooperation between NeFCA members is organized in a number of divisions.
As a rule of thumb, NeFCA divisions need to represent research executed in at least two institutions in The Netherlands and two in Flanders:
Currently, there are ten NeFCA Divisions:
- Health Communication
- Intercultural Communication and Diversity
- Journalism
- Media Industries and Policies
- Media Psychology
- Organizational Communication
- Persuasive Communication
- Political Communication
- Popular Communication
- Science Communication
We also have two Temporary Work Groups:
We also have two special committees for young scholars and education:
Each division has the same set-up:
• Each division has a Steering Committee, consisting of at least 3 members.
• Division membership is only open to NeFCA members.
• Divisions are encouraged to organize activities such as colloquia, symposia, and workshops.
Steering committee members who wish to organize a NeFCA event and wish to request budget are invited to fill in the following form.
You will be contacted by email on the status of your application as soon as possible after you have submitted the form. In case of questions about this form, please contact our treasurer Jonathan Hendrickx by email.
Members wishing to contribute to a division or to be nominated as chair or member of the Steering Committee of a division, are warmly invited to send an e-mail expressing interest to info@nefca.eu.
Creating New Divisions
Communication Sciences in Flanders and The Netherlands are in permanent flux, with existing traditions becoming more or less prominent and new areas of research developing. To accommodate these changes, NeFCA allows for new divisions to be introduced. At the same time, NeFCA wants to guard certain traditions and avoid fragmentation. As a small community, fragmentation could result in divisions that are too small which heightens the possibility of inactivity.
The requirements to start a new division are therefore:
- It must represent research executed in at least two institutions in The Netherlands and two in Flanders.
- It should have a substantial number of members (approximately 30) to guarantee a critical mass of researchers.
- It should have operational capacity and it should demonstrate a commitment to organize events outside of Etmaal that attract a substantial, cross-institutional audience.
- It must focus on research that cannot be subsumed under one of the established divisions.
A new division is first established as a Temporary Working Group (TWG). A TWG will be active for two years after which its viability as a division is assessed. If approved, the Board proposes NeFCA’s General Meeting to establish a new division. The General Meeting decides by majority of votes.
Applications for a TWG must be send to the NeFCA board and must include:
- The rationale: Why is this new TWG necessary, and why can the research not be subsumed under one of the established divisions?
- A short description of the TWG’s domain and aims that can be published on NeFCA’s website.
- The names of the NefCA members at two Flemish and two Dutch Universities who endorse the Proposal.
- A description of the critical mass of the division.
- A proposal for candidates for chair and vice chair.