Western Canadian Studies Group

The Western Canadian Studies Group, which has been in existence for over twenty years, has been reconstituted, by unanimous vote of Canadianists from the states the new organization will primarily serve—Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming—present at the Association for Canadian Studies in the United States (ACSUS) Conference in November 2005 in St. Louis, as the Western Canadian Studies Association (WCSA). Those present approved an amended version of the Draft Proposal presented by Carol Beran of Saint Mary’s College of California. Officers and councilors were elected at the meeting.

The new organization will take on many functions of its predecessor but be guided by a more formal structure that includes elected officers, membership dues, and ongoing outreach to Canadianists in the western United States who live in areas not served by existing Canadian Studies associations.

MISSION

The mission of the Western Canadian Studies Association is to provide opportunities for scholars at colleges and universities in Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming who study Canada to come together to share their scholarship in multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary discussions. Because many scholars in the West study western Canada or do comparative studies of western topics regarding the U.S. and Canada, the WCSG has long provided a forum for scholars from all over North America to learn about the West as well as about topics relating to all parts of Canada. The new WCSA will continue to provide this forum for all Canadianists while reaching out for new members in Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.

Recognizing the need for continuance in Western Canadian Studies, outreach to graduate students at universities in these states will be central to the mission of the association. WCSA will also promote ACSUS, seeking to insure that its members also belong to the larger organization. It should be noted that many Canadianists who have participated at ACSUS Biennial Conferences first participated in a Canadian Studies conference at the Western Social Science Association Canadian Studies section, sponsored by the WCSG. The WCSA will continue the tradition of sponsoring a Canadian Studies section at WSSA in cooperation with the Pacific Northwest Canadian Studies Consortium (PNWCSC), while also seeking other forms of scholarly interaction among its members.

GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES

The WCSG, a loosely federated association of scholars led by a rotating Chair, was formed specifically to serve scholars in eleven states in the western half of the United States: Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, New Mexico, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, and Alaska. The new WCSA will primarily serve the eight western states not included in the Pacific Northwest Canadian Studies Consortium. However, recognizing the close links with the western states to the north, Canadianists from the entire western region will be eligible for membership in WCSA and those who join will be accorded full privileges of membership.

Because of the vast size of the primary area served, most of the members of WCSA are likely to be members of more localized associations for the study of Canada such as the U.C. Berkeley Canadian Studies Group. WCSA will attempt to unite scholars in its region for purposes of sharing ideas and outreach. Beyond the eight states in its area, the WCSA will also serve scholars in the whole of Canada and the U.S. by joining together with many scholars in differing disciplines at its annual meeting in conjunction with the larger conference held by the Western Social Science Association and at the biennial meetings of ACSUS. Although the WCSA will focus primarily on the western American states, it will also reach out to Canadianists around the world in order to continue the diversity of perspectives that have always characterized presentations at the WSSA conference and the ACSUS conference.

For more information about becoming a member, please see our Membership Form.

OFFICERS AND GOVERNING COUNCIL

President/Program Chair: This elected officer shall serve a 3-year term. Duties shall include (1) convening the Governing Council for email and/or phone consultations and for an annual meeting during the WSSA conference and biannual meetings at the ACSUS conference, (2) receiving proposals for presentations at forthcoming WSSA conferences, (3) organizing the section program for the WSSA conference, and (4) notifying conference participants of their roles.

Membership Chair/Treasurer: This elected officer shall serve a 3-year term. Duties shall include (1) keeping the WCSA website current, (2) advertising forthcoming conferences and issuing calls for papers, (3) maintaining membership lists, and (4) keeping accurate records of dues paid and other monies in the WCSA account. (5) In addition, this officer shall serve as a liaison between WCSA, WSSA, and ACSUS.

Council Members: In addition to the President and Membership Chair, two to five councilors shall be elected for 3-year terms. Their duties shall include (1) consulting with and advising the WCSA officers on matters concerning the organization and its activities, (2) insuring accountability with respect to any monies in the WCSA account, (3) assisting the WCSA officers in performing their duties, and (4) recruiting new members for WCSA.

At the organizational meeting in November 2005, the following officers and council members were elected:
Carol Beran of Saint Mary’s College of California, President for a three-year term;
Alan Artibise of Arizona State University, Membership Chair/Treasurer for a two-year term;
and Patrick Coleman of UCLA and Yitan Li of the University of Southern California as Councilors for two-year terms.
Terms were varied so that there will be continuity in the governing body.

THE ACTIVITIES OF WESTERN CANADIAN STUDIES ASSOCIATION ARE UNDERTAKEN WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA/AVEC L’AIDE DU GOUVERNEMENT DU CANADA