Main The ARS Conference ARS Purpose Michael Leff: In order to provide some structure for the conference, the committee attempted to locate a few key issues for consideration, and after much deliberation, it agreed upon the following questions: 1. How ought we to understand the concept of rhetorical agency? 2. Do we have a “rhetorical tradition”? Are we better advised to think of traditions rather than a single tradition? If we do recognize a tradition or several traditions, how do we identify and characterize it (or them)? 3. What should be the institutional and social goals for academic rhetoric in the twenty-first century? How can rhetoric best contribute to the social, political, and cultural environment that extends beyond the University? 4. What does it mean to teach rhetoric? What does it mean to teach composition and performance seriously? What is the relationship between rhetoric and composition? Should they be distinguished? The group believed that these questions identified issues of pressing importance both in respect to the intellectual and practical interests of contemporary rhetorician. ARS Conference Attendees Michael Leff: Approximately 150 people attended the conference in Evanston from September 11-14. Most of them contributed position papers on one of the four issues, and these papers are available at http://www.comm.umn.edu/ARS/. Affiliated organizations Michael Leff: Seven organizations are now officially affiliated with ARS, and each has appointed two members to serve on the Executive Board of ARS. These are the organizations and their representatives: • American Society for the History of Rhetoric (ASHR) represented by o Sara Newman, Kent State University o Art Walzer, University of Minnesota • Coalition of Women Scholars in the History of Rhetoric (CWSHR) o Joyce Middleton, St. John Fisher College o Jacqueline Royster, Ohio State University • College Conference on Composition and Communication (CCCC) o Jeanne Fahnestock, University of Maryland o Shirley Wilson Logan, University of Maryland • International Society for the History of Rhetoric (ISHR) o Craig Kallendorf, Texas A&M o Jameela Lares, Southern Mississippi University • International Society for the Study of Argument (ISSA) o Frans H. van Eemeren, University of Amsterdam o Scott Jacobs, University of Arizona • National Communication Association (NCA) o Michael Leff, University of Memphis o Susan Zaeske, University of Wisconsin • Rhetoric Society of America (RSA) o Patricia Bizzell, College of the Holy Cross o Gerard Hauser, University of Colorado Jerry Hauser served as the first Chair of the Board and will serve in that capacity until the end of the current year, and I have been elected to succeed him. The Board now seeks to add other associations to this list, and it also voted to permit Departments to join the Alliance. Top Main