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[tee_bee]

Wise forumites, I received a call for participation for the "National Social Science Association" meeting "seeking proposals for our national technology and social science conference that will feature presentations dealing with research, teaching, and technology related to all the social sciences." The meeting is in April in Las Vegas.

This seems fishy to me. I've been a social scientist for over 20 years, and have never heard of this organization or their conference.  I'd normally round-file this thing, but since the science and technology theme meshes well with my college's and university's STEM/social science strategies, and because I am an adminicritter who shares these opportunities with faculty, I'd like to know more about this outfit in case it's (1) a bit too much like the ORT, or (2) a legit conference that would benefit our faculty.

Their web site is http://www.nssa.us/index.htm. Their HQ is in a private residence in El Cajon, California. Their email is an AOL address (noobs!).

In fact, the more I read, the more suspicious I am. A Go Daddy domain registration would have sealed the deal, but the whois lookup on their website comes up clean.

Anyone with direct experience with this group? Thanks for your help.

[oldfullprof]

Sometimes "National" is coding for African-American.  E.g. National Medical Association.

[tee_bee]

Sometimes "National" is coding for African-American.  E.g. National Medical Association.

Good call, but not in this case. I did at least ascertain that. But thanks for that--I hadn't thought of it.

[iroll]

I ran across a paper submitted to NSSA Journal during my research into the evolution of
union membership in the labor force.

Like you, I had no idea who these people were and wanted to understand who had written
the paper, as a datum was not referenced in a bibliography and the subject is so prone
to politicization.

Your posting to The Chronicle was one of the google hits I found.

All I have to add is from their recent newsletter on their website:

http://www.nssa.us/newsletter.htm

Note that the web page link above says "Spring, 2010", so it isn't
really "news", is it?

Anyway, it begins:

-------------------------

 From the Director

      More than thirty years ago a group of social scientists decided to form a national association for two year college social scientists and this organization was known as the Community College Social Science Association. This association began to host conferences across the country with the first conference in San Francisco. Additionally, the organization began publishing a journal.
      More and more social scientists from four year colleges began to attend this conference because it had an informal, sharing atmosphere. This association eventually evolved into the National Social Science Association which brought together two and four year college social scientists into a new association that continues the same open, informal, and sharing atmosphere.

------------------------

So, I googled "Community College Social Science Association" and came up with many hits for eccssa.org
whose homepage says:

+++++++++++++
 Eastern Community College Social Science Association

Welcome to the ECCSSA Web Site!
Forthcoming New Name: East Coast Colleges Social Science Association
++++++++++++_

But, eventually I found some remnants of the original CCSSA when I
found a paper whose "related" link googled:

inauthor:"Community College Social Science Association"

which shows some old 1975, 1977 and 1981 publications hosted by books.google.com

All of which simply says that academics can form associations that don't get
much attention.  Nevertheless, the paper I found isn't the worst piece of work
I've ever seen and certainly seems conscientiously produced.  Personally, I'm
just an old computer engineer who once attended MIT and happened to spend
some professional time installing machines at some second tier colleges in
my later years.  I always felt the faculty I worked with then were smarter than me
and a lot more interested in actually teaching than the tenure hunters I had
the misfortune of paying tuition.  I don't regret the education I received by
"trying to drink from a firehose".  But, my adult experience taught me to
envy students whose faculty actually cared if they learned something!

So, I've decided that the data in the paper that prompted me to look into
the NSSA is good enough for my casual interest and the organization is
most probably full of decent sincere people whose expertise, while perhaps
not Ivy League, is still valid.

BTW, I checked out the profiles of tee_bee and oldfullprof just for fun,
following your "recent posts".  Amazing (to me) topics you talk about
on this forum.  No wonder you try to keep your identities private!

P.S.

I don't actually often read the emailbox I registered on this forum,
so if you want to reach me there, put ALL CAPS IN THE SUBJECT LINE
and my name (TONY) and perhaps I'll actually notice, eventually!