Please join us for the 11th annual Cassola Conference on Teaching Communication. Our theme this year is “Encounters.” Communication is always an encounter with others of different backgrounds, cultures, expectations, values, and beliefs. We encounter and communicate not only individuals but also cultural objects, such as texts, buildings, environments, tools, as well as institutions, social systems, and even our own imaginations. Encounters challenge us to get outside of our comfort zone and see the world from new perspectives. How do we negotiate these encounters? How do we help our students negotiate them? We are pleased to have Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas, the elected leader of the Narrangansett tribe, deliver our keynote address this year.