The AJCU Communication Conference represents the academic departments of communication, communication studies, journalism, media studies, film, video and related academic areas of the institutions that make up the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. The AJCU-CC has met regularly since 1989, usually in mid-summer to take advantage of the lighter academic commitments of faculty during that time. Typically, 12 to 18 of the schools send representatives to the meeting. (Of the 28 AJCU schools, 25 have communication departments.)

Major achievements include drafting the statement, “Eloquencia perfecta,” to describe communication education at Jesuit schools; providing input and planning for program reviews; and, offering a forum to discuss issues of Jesuit and Catholic identity in our respective schools.

Members attend the meetings for continuing education, networking, and support. We adjust the agenda and plan in response to member requests. In the past, in addition to identity issues at Jesuit schools (“how does a communication program at a Jesuit school differ from programs anywhere else?”), we have considered issues dealing with internships, study abroad for communication, service- or community-based learning, facilities design, use of technologies in our programs, common research initiatives, and film and video collaboration.

The AJCU-CC organizes its meetings as a combination of academic conference, with members presenting papers on their current research, and themes chosen by the conference organizers (typically connected to the location of the host school). In addition, the conference features roundtables for school representatives to share experiences and perspectives on issues arising in their programs.