Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

1:45pm EST    Zoom Code: 95510965897

• Meeting called in session by Scarlett Wesley at 1:45pm EST followed with an overview of the agenda

Approval of 2020 minutes

• Jana moved to approve the minutes as submitted. Juanjuan seconded the motion. Minutes were approved as submitted unanimously.

1. Old Business - Reports/Issues

• Station Reports – Each participant did a station report and shared news at their departments and universities.

University of Kentucky

Back to Business as usual. All classes in person.  Face masking required in building.  One faculty retirement. Hiring an AP starting January 2022. 

Moved to College of Ag, School to Department.  Online graduate program grew from 10 to 40 students.  Offering full online graduate program. A lot budget cut.  online tuition, summer tuition money taken by the university.  No TAs offered.  looking for new provost. 

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Back to business in-person, wearing facemask, a lot hiring, mainly in teaching faculty, 500 retailing majors growing, changed name from retailing to consumer and retail studies, everyone had pay cut during COVID-19, still struggling financially, chancellor will be the president of Northwestern, UWM will look for the new chancellor. 

Colorado State University

University received a 37 million donation/gift for textiles science and museum, endowed chair position, spring or fall 2022, 3 positions available, graduate enrollment is growing and better than 5 years ago, no budget cut in the university, no pay cut for faculty, new president and new provost both are female, all courses in person, facemasking mandate in door, strategic transformation and planning, Sonali got bought out by the leadership program, Working with office of extension and community.

University of Arkansas

no furlough, 2% budget reduction, currently interim chancellor and look for new chancellor, interim chancellor is doing a good job.  School has an interim director, reunifying the majors.  Back to face to face.  UAR is developing local partnership, such as Walmart.   Provided incentives for student vaccination, NCSU and UAR are in Walmart’s the made in the USA for higher ed.  Just had the first meeting. 

West Virginia University

Had Furlough and some budget cut, no faculty line cut, no vaccination mandate, mask mandate in the classrooms, enrollment in graduate program is growing, got new design studio and textile lab, undergraduate program is declining 15% and are working on getting the students back.  First time had all 7 faculty positions filled in the department in the College of Ag, The Dean is still learning about fashion. 

University of Minnesota

Increased graduate enrollment, 98%-99% students fully vacated, 77% classes held in person, online option is limited, cluster hiring is ongoing in Design Justis, CSA will have annual conference in MN, Nov. 1 is the deadline, we can jointly submit the proposal to CSA conference, the data collection for restructuring plan in the college, more streamlined, financially viable in budget, pay cut last year and back to normal this year. 

Restructuring is taking a lot attention and energy with uncertainties.  Don’t see clear direction from restructuring.  The college received a large grant for faculty and students supported financially to expand the interaction between design and community.  Marilyn DeLong is retiring.  Fashion and Symposiums is still happening, we are trying to encourage an online version.

Louisiana State University

A new president is making changes, the college is in a national search for a new Dean and VP of agriculture, fashion program in college of Ag lacks visibility, hiring a faculty in the department, no budget cut, salary increase in 2021 but budget is very tight, enrollment is flat, more merchandising majors, more minors, preparing TAPAC, she is conference chair for 2022 ACRA conference, 2020 was cancelled and 2021 was postponed to 2022, submission deadline is Nov. 30, 2021.  ACRA conference will be on March 3-6 2022 in New Orleans. 

Mississippi State University

Search for the college Dean, the program is doing well, the largest program in the school, we have 3 majors with 160 students, 8 master students, try to get another faculty position or an instructor position, to propose Ph.D. program.  IFAI conference in Nashville TN for faculty and students supported by Cotton Inc.

University of North Texas

Full in person, no mask mandate, 70% faculty/staff vaccination rate, many in-person events, Iva got a grant for community, preparing accreditation, applying Ph.D. program again, 40+ students in the graduate program.

We were signed the downtown space before COVID-19, revenue natural for the space, back to normal, co-lab/retail store, co-licensing products, use the space for events, lecture series, black films festival.

The university is very big on DEI and is pushing DEI agenda hard, Structural change, had permission to hire a faculty position and a lecturer position, Jana is incoming chair board of family and consumer sciences APLU, interested in this leadership, reach out the your dean for this opportunity.

Washington State University

All courses back in person, facemasking mandate indoor, very high vaccination rate 97% students,  all university employees mandated for vaccination by Oct. 18^th with few exemption for medical or religious reasons, 10% budget cut continues, likely to be permanent cut, no pay cut for faculty and staff,  the undergraduate program enrollment is slightly dropped with about 200 students and graduate program enrollment is flat with about 15 students.  We are searching for one faculty position.  We are currently searching for a new college dean.  Former Dean Andre Wright joined University of Oklahoma as the SVP and Provost.  The university is greatly promoting DEI at all levels. We had AD for DEI in the college and formed DEI committees or reps at each department.    

• Update address/contact information
  • No updates for any of the members

• Updates on NCCC065 sponsored initiatives October 2020 – October 2021

ITAA workshop on Nov. 17^th 2020

Visible Thinking for a Data-Driven Experiential Ecosystem in a Disruptive Marketplace, 1:00-2:45 pm

Presenter: Tinsley Merrill, Co-Founder/CRO of PAIRR

Moderators: Ting Chi, Washington State University; Sonali Diddi, Colorado State University; Elena Karpova, University of North Carolina at Greensboro; Scarlett Wesley, University of Kentucky; and Juanjuan Wu, University of Minnesota

Juanjuan Wu presented an update on outcome of workshop

• Overall, the workshop went very well. Topic was interesting and engaging resulting in meaningful discussion among attendees. Approx. 25-30 people attended. The feedback received from the attendees was very positive. 

1. New Business – Reports/Issues/Plans

• Report: NCRA Administrator – Missy Bye

NIFA has been dealing with the pandemic and move to Kansas City. Missy advocated for more visibility for Textiles and Apparel in conversations with NIFA. NIMSS membership renewal.  You need to contact your AES for membership renewal. 

• Recruitment for new members:
  • 18-20 members in NCCC65 is reasonable,
  • some land grant institutions may be considered, e.g., UM, KSU MSU etc.
  • programs in social sciences related areas (textiles, apparel),
  • someone can contribute to the objectives
  • increase the awareness of NCCC65 (recruiting part should be part of our workshops in ITAA; sending announcement to textile/apparel program/department heads in all land grant institutions)

• Annual Report Due for NCCC65 28^th 2021.

•  

  Ob1. Address existing and emerging issues related to social change in the marketplace by: connecting those with mutual research interests, building research partnerships, and sharing and critiquing research ideas pertaining to the three areas of technology, demographic changes, and sustainable consumption & production.

   

  Ob2. Develop and foster academic and industry relationships by engaging in research dissemination, idea exchange, and trend identification to help find grant funding, encourage new areas of scholarship, and develop cross-disciplinary collaborations pertaining to the three areas of technology, demographic changes, and sustainable consumption & production.  

   

  Ob3. Develop infrastructure (e.g., research groups, workshops, professional development opportunities) that can serve as a connector of scholars to varied projects (e.g., multi-state research projects, cross-disciplinary collaborations, and alternative information platforms), which facilitates the promotion of new collaborations, new methodologies, increased rigor, and impactful research pertaining to the three areas of technology, demographic changes, and sustainable consumption & production.

   

  • Topic 1: TECHNOLOGY
    • Propose a workshop for CSA. The application of virtual reality in fashion and retailing.  Reaching out to SketchUp to demonstrate the use in classes e.g., visual merchandising class, fashion collection etc. 
    • ACRA is another venue for this type of workshop as well.
    • The workshop can be a combination of pedagogy presentation and industry demon. We can collect the user data for paper.

   

  • Topic 2: DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGES
    • Bring our experience to a big group of audiences. Local production to benefit local communities. 
    • Develop a workshop for how to bring production to the local communities and how to affect students. More students are moving to skilled based. 
    • Propose a workshop in ITAA focusing on production.

   

  • Topic 3: SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION & PRODUCTION
    • Special topic session to get a panel for recruiting and how to work in a multi-state, cross-disciplinary project. Talk about how to join and collaborate in the multi-state projects. To gain a big picture, a big idea in the multi-state setting.
    • Invite the industry to talk about the trends. Since our next meeting is Denver, it is doable. 
    • Bring the industry for the needs for research projects.
    • Nation-wide zoom meeting to create conversation between academics and the industry
    • How to be ready for the next move in the faculty career. Administrative leadership training, multiple state project experience. 

   

  Each group will synthesize their ideas and create a plan for things to do in the next year and send it to Chair.  Chair can share with the group.  Those who are interested in specific activities may participate. 

   

   

  1. Selection of next meeting?

  Our next meeting will be in Denver, Colorado before the 2022 ITAA conference. ITAA conference in Denver is October 26-29, 2022.  Ting will work with Sonali on scheduling the meeting and connecting with local industries.

   

  1. Leadership updates and elections

   

  2019-2020

              Chair: Scarlett Wesley (took over from Jana Hawley)
              Vice Chair: Elena Karpova (has now left the group)

              Secretary: Juanjuan Wu

             

  2020-2021

              Chair: Scarlett Wesley

              Vice Chair: Juanjuan Wu

              Secretary: Ting Chi

   

  2021-2022

              Chair: Scarlett Wesley

              Vice Chair: Juanjuan Wu

              Secretary: Ting Chi

   

  2022-2023 [each term changed from two years to one year]

              Chair: Juanjuan Wu

              Vice Chair: Ting Chi

              Secretary: Sonali Diddi

              Counselor: Scarlett Wesley

3.1 ITAA Special Topics Session – November 2020 via Zoom 

Title: Visible Thinking for a Data-Driven Experientail Ecosystem in a Disruptive Marketplace 
 

Presenter: Tinsley Merrill, Co-Founder/CRO of PAIRR 

Moderators: Ting Chi, Washington State University, USA; Sonali Diddi, Colorado State University, USA; Elena Karpova, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, USA; Scarlett Wesley, University of Kentucky, USA; and Juanjuan Wu, University of Minnesota, USA 

Description: Using a “visible thinking” structure, this workshop, organized by the NCCC65, dove deep into data-driven business approaches (push vs. pull). The workshop started with a presentation from Tinsley Merrill, the Co-Founder and CRO of PAIRR, a successful innovative marketing business. Using PAIRR as an inspirational source, participants of the workshop engaged in practicing visible thinking strategy at their virtual "tables" to further investigate examples of data-driven businesses and compare their approaches to PAIRR’s “pull” marketing approach. The workshop moderators lead participants through a semi-structured visible thinking exercise mainly focusing on the pull vs. push data-driven approaches. 

Participants: This workshop had 40 registered participants. 

Publications:

Chen Y, & Chi T. (2021). How does channel integration affect consumers’ selection of omni-channel shopping methods? an empirical study of U.S. consumers. Sustainability, 13(16), 8983-9012

Creighton, R., Jestratijevic, I., Lee, D. (2021). Sustainability Supplier Scorecard Assessment Tools: A Comparison Between Apparel Retailers. Journal of Global Fashion Marketing. Doi. 10.1080/20932685.2021.1987289 2.

Corovic E, Jestratijevic I. (2021). Assessing the Competitiveness of Serbian Textiles and Apparel Industry Exports Using RCA Index and TPI Indicators. Fibers & Textiles in Eastern Europe; 29, 4(148): 15-23. Doi: 10.5604/01.3001.0014.8226 

Hawley, J.M. (2021) Right-Sized Consumption: Should Doughnut Economics Inform the Textile and Apparel Industry?  Journal of Textile Science Fashion and Technology. Open Access:  https://irispublishers.com/jtsft/pdf/JTSFT.MS.ID.000707.pdf. [ISSN: 2641-192X] (Impact Factor: 0.549) DOI: 10.33552/JTSFT.2021.09.000707

Hawley, J. M. and Frater, J. (2021).  Honoring Artisanship over Skilled Labor: The Secret to Sustaining Indian Handloom. In Sustainability, Culture and Handloom. Gardetti, M.A. and Muthu, S. S. (Eds.)

Joo, B. R. & Wu, J. (2021). The impact of plus-size models in fashion advertisements: The mediation effect of brand warmth. Journal of Global Fashion Marketing, https://doi.org/10.1080/20932685.2021.1905021

Maldini, I., Iran, S., Laitala, K., Vittersø, G., Jestratijevic, I., Amaral, M., Vladimirova, K. (2021). Dress and the city: a comparative study of clothing and textiles environmental policy in six European cities. European Roundtable for Sustainable Consumption and Production, Conference 2021 Proceedings. https://doi.org/10.3217/978-3-85125-842-4-19 

McCoy L, Wang Y. T. & Chi T. (2021). Why is collaborative apparel consumption gaining popularity? an empirical study of US gen z consumers. Sustainability, 13(15), 8360-8378.

Wu, J., Song, S. & Whang, C. H. (2021). Personalize 3D virtual fashion stores: Exploring modularity with a typology of atmospherics based on user input. Information & Management, 58(4), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2021.103461

Wu, J., Joo, B.R., Sina, A.S., Song, S., & Whang, C. H. (2021). Personalizing 3D virtual fashion stores: An action research approach to modularity development. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, https://doi.org/10.1108/IJRDM-08-2020-0298

Wu, J. (2021). Designing Fashion Relations? Looking Through the S-O-R Lens, in Delong, M., A. Asojo, S. Chu, T. Fisher, B. Hokanson, and C. Strohecker (eds.) Design: Thinking and Making at a Community-Engaged University (The College of Design Anniversary Compendium). Minneapolis and St. Paul, College of Design, UMN, MN. 117-125.

Wu, J. & Song, S.* (2020). Older adults’ online shopping continuance intentions: Applying the Technology Acceptance Model and the Theory of Planned Behavior. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2020.1861419

Wu, J. & Delong, M. (2021). Fashion and Aging special issue (ed.) of Fashion Practice: The Journal of Design, Creative Process & the Fashion Industry, 13(1).

Activities:  

Jestratijevic, I. (2021). Sustainability in Fashion Industry- Open source book development grant. $10,000$ (Awarded Sept. 1)  

Gam Hae Jin (PI), Jestratijevic, I. Mean Green Fix & Wear. (2021). Internal grant. Two workshops were organized during 2021.  

Wu, J., CFDA and Columbus Fashion Council: Invited Panel Speaker.: Topic Sustainable Fashion. Columbus, Ohio.  

Karpova, E., Jestratijevic, I., Lee, J., Wu, J. (2021, Nov.). An ethnographic study of collaborative consumption: Examining clothing swapping. 2021 International Textile and Apparel Association annual conference (virtual). 

Wu, J., Wesley, S., Karpova, E., Chi, T., Diddi, S., & Bye, E. (2020, Nov.). Visible thinking for a data-driven experiential ecosystem in a disruptive marketplace. The 2020 International Textile and Apparel Association annual conference.

Wu, J. & Sina, A. (2021). Retail Design Experience Using Virtual Reality: New London Grocery Store Designs by Students in the Visual Merchandising Class. RM Rep. of the College of Design 15^th Anniversary Open House Celebration, UMN, Minneaplis, MN.

Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station Projects (Supports partial salary and graduate research assistant each year)

Wu, J., Retail Virtual Reality Technology Adoption by and Applications for Aging Consumers in Minnesota, Oct. 2019 – Sept. 2022.

Wu, J., Designing and Building a Cooperative Food Model during an Extended Crisis, Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships, University of Minnesota Extension, MN, 2020-2021: $32,560 (including approx. $30,000 in-kind support from an outside funding institution; $1,850 directly allocated for our students and my travel), PI: Lacktorin, J. Partners: Wu, J., Dybsetter, A., Pesch, R., Linscheid, N., Ray, S.S., Olive, R.

Invited Lectures & Talks (presenters underlined)

Wu, J. (2021, Nov.). Designing fashion relations in retail. 15^th Anniversary Compendium Discussion Series: Design Process, College of Design, UMN, St. Paul, MN.

Wu, J. (2021, Jun. as a co-dialogist). KDI June 4 Exchange: Design Toolkits and Democratization, College of Design, MN.

Wu, J. (2021, Jan.). New Lond Food Coop store design, New London Food Coop membership, New London, MN.

Frattali, A., Ling, M.* & Chi, T. (2021). Live streaming ecommerce is transforming apparel shopping: a study of U.S. consumers. 2021 International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) annual meeting, Virtual Conference, November 3-6, 2021. 

Chen, Y., McCracken V. & Chi, T. (2021). The impact of COVID-19 on apparel consumers' channel selections and omni-channel shopping behaviors. 2021 International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) annual meeting, Virtual Conference, November 3-6, 2021.