07/21/2026

2027 ECA Convention Rhetoric & Public Address Interest Group Call for Submissions

Call for Submissions

Rhetoric & Public Address Interest Group

118th Eastern Communication Association Annual Convention

Conference Theme: Full Circle

Hyatt Regency Reston, Reston, VA 20190

March 30 – April 4, 2027

Submission Deadline: October 9, 2026, 11:59 PM PST

The Rhetoric & Public Address Interest Group invites submissions in preparation for the annual ECA Convention to be held from March 30 to April 4, 2027. We are seeking proposals in any of the following formats: individual paper, roundtable discussion, paper panel, workshop session, and work in progress. The convention theme, "Full Circle," is uniquely suited to reflect on different aspects of the rhetorical tradition both historically and contemporary. Papers can employ different methodologies and be quantitative or qualitative in nature. I hope the convention theme will stimulate not only the examination of reoccurring discourses (mediated and/or printed), but also it will give you an opportunity to analyze how rhetorics of race, gender, politics, or memory, to name but a few, can ultimately affect practical knowledge and communicative interaction.

Focusing on "Full Circle," I encourage you to reflect on any variations of the following questions:

• How do predominant discourses of race, gender, or sexuality have historically recycled textual and experiential knowledge? Have the transgender women and sports cases brought us back to mid-20th century gender ideology in the U.S.?
• In what ways have AI platforms transformed communication yet continued to bring us closer to 20th century poststructuralist notions of identity and subjectivity?
• To what extent do political dominant narratives (re)position and influence individuals, communities, or events? Are U.S. presidential elections "business as usual"?
• Can geopolitical conflicts (wars, invasions, or migrations) be better understood through original Frankfurt School criticism of capitalism and authoritarianism?
• Does fake news in social media take us back to fundamental arguments about the relationship between medium and message? Is this a McLuhan full circle moment?
• Are social media influencers what Michel McGee called "agents of political consciousness? Have we travelled full circle to the "ideograph"?
• Does environmental rhetoric need to come back to "systemic inequity" to critically analyze contamination, sustainability, or renewable energy? Do we need to revisit grassroot organizing and civil disobedience?
• To what degree has the discourse of immigration in the U.S. brought us back to Aristotelian argumentation and persuasion?
• Are 21st century decolonial studies (e.g., indigenous displacement, reeducation camps, or Zapatistas in Mexico) better served by (re)examining and (re)implementing Stuart Hall’s "hybridity" and Partha Chatterjee’s "subalternity"?

Note: This year, we are seeking submissions in the following categories: competitive papers, program/panel proposals (including roundtable discussions, workshop sessions, and works in progress). Please follow the instructions below for each type of submission:

Competitive Papers

Submissions of completed papers should be no more than 20 pages, excluding title page, abstract, references, and appendices. Completed papers should be written in accordance with standards set by the Chicago Manual of Style, the American Psychological Association (APA) or the Modern Language Association (MLA). All submissions of completed papers should be uploaded to Attendee Interactive and include the following:

• Title. To appear on the title page of the paper as well as entered separately into Attendee Interactive.
• Designations. “Debut Paper” should be added (upper right corner) on all papers written by authors who have not presented previously at a regional or national convention. Please also note if the submitter is a student.
• Brief Abstract (150–200 words). This will be entered into Attendee Interactive separate from the manuscript. You may also want to include it immediately following the title page in your paper.
• Paper/Manuscript (no more than 20 pages). This is a completed paper that includes: argument and/or research question, methodology, analysis, and conclusions. It should not have any personal information codes.
• Statement of Professional Responsibility. Please include the following on the title page for your paper to be considered: "In submitting the attached paper or proposal, I/we recognize that this submission is considered a professional responsibility. I/we agree to present this paper or program/panel if it is accepted and programmed. I/we further recognize that all who attend and present at ECA’s annual meeting must register and pay the required fees."
• Multiple Authors. If the paper has multiple authors, the submitter should indicate who will be presenting at the convention.
• Special Requests/Requests for AV. Please enter this information into Attendee Interactive rather than note any special requests on your manuscript.
• AV Note: A projector, screen, and adaptor cables for PC/Mac will be provided. Presentations should be downloaded to laptops in advance, as Internet Access is limited in breakout rooms. Google Slides and PowerPoint templates featuring the convention theme and logo will be available on the convention tab of the website. Requests for Internet Access and speakers for sound must be included in submissions.
• Blind Review Check: Final papers should have all identifying information removed for blind review. (Microsoft provides instructions for removing personal information from Word documents at https://bit.ly/39HxAZI)

Program (Roundtable Discussion or Workshop Session) and Panel Proposals

All program/panel submissions should be uploaded to Attendee Interactive and include the following:

• Title. Please include a thematic title for the program/panel.
• Chair/Respondent. Please include the names of the chair and the respondent (if any). Please do not have chairs act as respondents. The program/panel can be offered without a respondent.
• Contact Information. Please include names, mailing addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, and institutional affiliations of all participants.
• Brief Abstract (150–200 words). It should be included as it will appear in the final program.
• Rationale (250–300 words). The submitter must offer a detailed rationale for the program/panel.
• Special Requests/Requests for AV. Please enter this information into Attendee Interactive rather than note any special requests on your description or rationale.
• AV Note: A projector, screen, and adaptor cables for PC/Mac may be requested. Presentations should be downloaded to laptops in advance, as Internet Access is limited in breakout rooms. Google Slides and PowerPoint templates featuring the convention theme and logo will be available on the convention tab of the website. Requests for Internet Access and speakers for sound must be included in submissions.
• Statement of Professional Responsibility. Please include the following text with the program rationale: "In submitting the attached paper or proposal, I/we recognize that this submission is considered a professional responsibility. I/we agree to present this paper or program/panel if it is accepted and programmed. I/we further recognize that all who attend and present at ECA’s annual meeting must register and pay the required fees."

Works in Progress

For a fourth year in a row, the Rhetoric and Public Address Interest Group is accepting submissions for a special "works in progress" panel. Submitters who are in the process of completing a research project but do not yet have a completed paper are encouraged to submit their work as a "work in progress." A paper (no less than 2,000 words double-spaced) with a thesis or main argument and an initial research analysis. References are not included in the word count. Please submit works in progress as an individual paper on Attendee Interactive. Please add a parenthesis to the title with "Work in Progress" and, if first conference, add "Debut Paper" also. If "work in progress" or "debut paper" is not added in a parenthesis to the title, it will be reviewed as a competitive paper and not as a work in progress. This type of submission should be written in accordance with standards set by the Chicago Manual of Style, the American Psychological Association (APA) or the Modern Language Association (MLA). All submissions of Works in Progress should be uploaded to Attendee Interactive and include the following:

• Title. To appear on the title page of the paper as well as entered separately into Attendee Interactive. Add a parenthesis with "Work in Progress," and if needed "Debut Paper."
• Designations. “Debut Paper” can be used by those authors who have not presented previously at a regional or national conference.
• Brief Abstract (150–200 words). It should be entered into Attendee Interactive separate from the manuscript and will appear in the program if the work in progress is accepted and programmed.
• Paper/Manuscript (no less than 2,000 words). This paper is understood as work in progress, but it explains the argument, research methodology, and the initial analysis. It should not have any personal information.
• Statement of Professional Responsibility. Please include the following text on the title page for your paper to be considered: "In submitting the attached paper or proposal, I/we recognize that this submission is considered a professional responsibility. I/we agree to present this paper or program/panel if it is accepted and programmed. I/we further recognize that all who attend and present at ECA’s annual meeting must register and pay the required fees."
• Multiple Authors. If the paper has multiple authors, the submitter should indicate who will be presenting at the convention.
• Special Requests/Requests for AV. Please enter this information into Attendee Interactive rather than note any special requests in your manuscript.
• AV Note: The 2027 Convention will be equipped with technology capabilities. A projector, screen, sound, wireless mouse and slide advancer, and Wi-Fi will be available in most breakout rooms. Submitters will be asked to request technology, if needed, as part of the submission. Presenters must supply their own laptop. Google Slides and PowerPoint templates featuring the convention theme and logo are available on the convention tab of the website. We encourage all attendees to take full advantage of these resources to create engaging presentations!

All submissions (title, abstract, and manuscript) should not have any personal information (name, email, affiliation, etc.) once entered in Attendee Interactive.

All papers, program, panels, and works in progress submissions should be uploaded to and processed through Attendee Interactive (https://ww4.aievolution.com/eca2701/). Please remember that your ECA password is not the same for Attendee Interactive.

Please contact the Rhetoric & Public Address Interest Group Program Planner, via e-mail, for further information: Dr. Guillermo G. Caliendo, Carnegie Mellon University, gcaliend@andrew.cmu.edu