This is the final part of this 3-part message.
________________OS in University Settings___________part 3 of 3______________ Juliane Neumann ([email protected] ) An art university in East Germany Some students at one of the Art Universities in East Germany organized a conference about 'Sustainability and Design' in May 2006. The event lasted 4 days. For the first day they had invited different 'experts' to talk about the issue and than they asked me to facilitate an 2,5 day open space for them. Their main idea was to have some space outside the regular clasdes to meet and discuss with students from different departments and universities. They ended up being most of them industrial design students and some coming from other studies like ecology. At first they were a bit disappointed that not more people from 'outside' had come. (there were about 20 participants in the open space) From what was said in the closing circle it made a big difference for them to meet each other outside regular clases around an issue that is important for them in their lives and studies. Even though most of them knew each other before, it was a different getting to know each other. One of the things that were quite interesting about that open space: they had prepared a lot of 'creative material' for the students and were really afraid that the art students were a bunch of non- social people that would run and hide in their work- shops to work on the issues individually. They never touched all those materials (and didn't run away either), but were just sitting their and talking and came to the conclusion for themselves, that they had such a need to discuss, because the practical part was the every day thing and there was not enough room for the exchange of ideas. If I was worried about the sustainability of the open space ?..as I'm still on their mailing list- I can see that there are a lot of activities, regular meetings and projects going on that came out of the action planning and I am quite impressed. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Zelle Nelson ([email protected] ) Maureen and I just finished a 1 1/2 day OS with the North Carolina arm of Campus Compact - a national service/learning program development organization with administration and student participation on campuses across the US. Maureen and I also hosted a short 3 hour OS at the University of Chicago MBA Women in Business conference back in, I think 1999 or 2000. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Sebastian Umlauft ([email protected] ) Technical University of Dresden, Germany I'm a German Student at the Technical University of Dresden, Germany. I study Business and Engineering in my 5th year and I am writing my thesis at the moment. The topic is about "Increasing Intangibles though OST and AI at the University." I am aware of some "issues" related to the university * students should learn and use more participatory processes * students should discover in a direct accessible way what kind of diversity and richness is around them (e.g. activities, thoughts, networks ....) to network and explore them * but not only students of course (all stakeholders) Hence, as the university is such a complex, huge and diverse organisation it is the perfect place to have an Open Space. There is an initiative for entrepreneurs at university. I will work with them and their network to have an Open Space in March 2007 with 500 students to explore exactly that diversity. Out of this event it might create a new organization that will support the students to network and create their own projects and initiatives. I imagine a kind of an office complex designed through the principles of OS ready to create and support any breakout group. Of course in this sense it must become somewhat of the preferred place for students with a cafeteria, copy shop, offices, Biergarden :) and so on. And as graduated students they are welcome to return to consult issues of participation in their world as parents, teachers, university professors, consultants, normal workers, community members... What a great field of research it could open... as well as practice for the students. (= Learning Organization??) Ok .... that's what I am working and dreaming on. Cheers, Lisa ___________________________ L i s a H e f t Consultant, Facilitator, Educator O p e n i n g S p a c e <mailto:[email protected]> [email protected] <http://www.openingspace.net> www.openingspace.net * * ========================================================== [email protected] ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of [email protected]: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
