From the Executive Board

WACRA '98, the Fifteenth International Conference on Case Method Research & Application will be hosted by Groupe ESC Marseille-Provence. The conference is scheduled to take place from July 9-13, 1998. Delegates from around the world, including representatives from affiliated Case Method oriented organizations BACRA, CZACRA and NACRA, will present their ideas and proposals on interactive, interdisciplinary, intercultural and international teaching and learning.

They will report on case method research (on-going and completed), case writing, simulations and new innovative uses of multi media and interactive teaching methods and applications. The conference is designed to present itself as an interactive, interdisciplinary, intercultural and international opportunity for sharing, teaching, learning, experimenting, exploring and network building. WACRA® has again (on request by participants ) increased the number of demonstration and interactive, hands-on sessions conducted by experienced, renowned speakers and presenters.

Pre-conference WACRA® Interactive Case Sessions (WICS) on Thursday, July 9, will continue and will expand efforts to offer exiting demonstration session by experts for interested colleagues (refer to details on the following pages). Dr. James Camerius, N. Michigan University, Marquette, U.S.A. will again direct the Case Writers' Colloquium.

'Early arrivals' will have the opportunity to "meet the hosts" at a spectacular tour, dinner and more, to Cassis, one of the most beautiful fishing villages on the coast. One of the social-educational highlights of the conference will be the Conference Gala Dinner Evening at Carlton Beach featuring live entertainment. On Saturday afternoon the conference will 'follow the footsteps of Cezanne' "in and around Aix en Provence" and then meet for the conference banquet with folkloric entertainment at Sextius, the ancient (Roman) Thermes in Aix en Provence. For an exceptional evening, the optional dinner on Sunday will take participants to a 'XIX century three-mast schooner,' the Marseillois which was brought back from Ibiza in July 1977. To continue another stimulating experience, the traditional post-conference "factory tour" (Monday, July 13, 1998) will take participants Châteauneuf du Pape, visit o f the wine cellar and museum, to Domaine Brotte, dégustation of several wines, lunch in Avignon and a guided tour of the 'Palais des Papes' in Avignon.

WACRA® conferences strive to promote the development of new teaching-learning methodologies in an international, intercultural, interdisciplinary environment. Meeting the hosts of each year's international conference and learning about the culture and national heritage of the host country are important ingredients of the success of WACRA® conferences. A three day post-conference tour - Discovering La Côte d'Azur - will provide such an opportunity.

The double blind review process is expected to be substantially completed by the time you will receive this NEWSletter. Final, revised copies of the papers accepted (both for presentation and publication) are due at WACRA® on/or before March 25, 1998 accompanied by conference registration and payment. For manuscript preparation guidelines refer to the end of any WACRA® book or contact WACRA®.

Most international airlines and many hotels nowadays follow a model of reassessing their 'inventory of unsold space' continuously. As bookings increase, the inventory declines and... the prices increase. In simple terms: to avoid paying the procrastinator's premium, don't wait making your airline and hotel arrangements. Availability of space and price move in inverse directions: the price moves up, while the availability of seats decreases. WACRA® has reserved blocks of rooms at several hotels. July and August are high season on the Côte d'Azur and in Marseille. Hotel rooms sell out early. Many hotels are already fully booked. This coming summer, France is hosting the World Championship of Soccer. Marseille is one of the principal tournament sites. The day before WACRA '98 will start - July 8, 1998 - one of the semi-final games will be played in Marseille. This makes a tight hotel room situation even tighter. Rooms are available to WACRA® conference delegates at special rates at these hotels (refer to details on the following pages). The Hotels will hold the blocks of reserved rooms only until March 15, 1998 - if the supply lasts that long. Transportation from the conference hotels to the conference site and back is provided for conference delegates in the morning and evening. Make your reservations now directly with the Hotel and ask for the WACRA® conference rate: Alert!!!!! Act Now!!!

Swissair has again been appointed the official conference airline and is offering a discount on their published fares to conference attenders (details on p. 9). As the conference date approaches visit WACRA® at its web site to learn about late breaking news: http://www.agecon.uga.edu/wacra/wacra.htm.

From January 3-6, 1999 WACRA® and A C T - the Academy for Creative Teaching are hosting the second "Creative Teaching" conference in Lucerne, Switzerland. The inaugural conference in January of 1998 was a great success in an extraordinary setting. The emphases at this conference are on "Teaching and Learning" through interactive workshops and by sharing of research and teaching/training application. Refer to details on the following pages.

The organizing committee, the WACRA® Boards and Group ESC Marseille-Provence, the host of WACRA '98 are looking forward to meeting you in Marseille for another expérience stimulante et enrichissante.

Hans E. Klein