Communication is evolving. There are now more channels in communication than ever before, with multiple options to connect with friends, loved ones, acquaintances, and strangers. This year’s Sooner Conference theme addresses this evolution in Communication Connections: Traditional and Contemporary. The conference theme also emphasizes the scholarship of our keynote speaker. The keynote speaker this year will be Professor Joseph Walther, a renowned scholar whose teaching and research focus on the dynamics of computer-mediated communication and the Internet in interpersonal relationships, work groups, social support, and educational systems. He has previously held appointments in Information Technology, Psychology, and Education and Social Policy at universities in the US and England. He was chair of the Organizational Communication and Information Systems division of the Academy of Management, and the Communication and Technology division of the International Communication Association*.

The Communication Graduate Student Association (CGSA) at the University of Oklahoma invites graduate and undergraduate submissions for its annual conference to be held March 2-3, 2012 on the Norman Campus. The Sooner Communication Conference is an OU CGSA organized event joining faculty and students from schools throughout the region and the nation. The Conference presents an opportunity for students and faculty to discuss developments in theory and research across the communication discipline and for students to fine-tune research papers for other conferences and possible publications. Gatherings like the Sooner Communication Conference constitute the heart and soul of what we are about as academics. Students who have been involved in past Sooner Conferences have found the experience to be invaluable and the relationships that were formed to be lasting.

Submission Guidelines
Submissions may include competitive research papers (including theory and position papers), case studies, panel proposals, round table proposals, or abstracts for works in progress. Scholarship on any topic relevant to human communication within various areas of the discipline is welcome. Top paper awards will be presented in the graduate and undergraduate divisions. Only completed competitive papers will be considered for awards. Submissions of completed competitive research papers and case studies should include: A title page with the author's or authors' institutional affiliation, complete with contact information, and student status (graduate or undergraduate); a 200-word abstract on the second page; and the completed manuscript. Submissions of panel and round table proposals should include: A thematic title for the program; names, institutional affiliations, complete contact information, and student status (graduate or undergraduate) of all participants; names of chair and respondent (if any); and titles and 200-word abstracts for each presentation. Submissions for works currently in progress should include: The authors’ institutional affiliation, complete contact information, and student status (graduate or undergraduate), and a two-page proposal. All work must meet the specifications of the APA manual (6th ed.).

All submissions should be received by December 15, 2011. For abstracts that are accepted, full manuscripts must be submitted by February 1, 2012. Please send all submissions and direct all correspondence to Bobby Rozzell or Cindy Vincent at: soonercomconf@ou.edu

Please Note: Submissions should be in the form of a Microsoft Word doc, Rich text format, or PDF attachment (scholarship submitted within the body of an email will not be considered.)

*Information retrieved from the University of Michigan website