Open Space at Antioch and in other college/universityenvironments?

[Kelvie C. Comer]

Greetings . . .this coming weekend in New Orleans, David Cox from Pawnee
State, and I, will be presenting at the American Association of Higher
Education meeting on Faculty Rewards and Responsibilities.  We will
speak about using OS in graduate classrooms during this past year.

At the beginning of my Principles of Ed. Admin. class last year, I
expressed frustration in the way we were required to teach -- think I
said something about being caught in a paradigm shift of teaching to
learning, passive to active participation, low tech. to high tech.
Anyway, the results were quite extraordinary; students were passionate
about their own learning.

Our plan is to discuss Harrison's principles and law, show the US West
Video, each present our own stories of what happened on our campuses, Q
& A, and some type of closing.  I will bring a talking stick, should
anyone be moved to speak.  We agree with your conversations of the past
week and will only be providing an overview of the process, rather than
any type of modified version.

Steve Brigham of Kaludis Associates has written an article on open space
and its use for strategic planning, teaching, and development of
institutional planning at colleges and universities.   He has given
David and I permission to use it at our session Saturday.

Steve and I were notified last week that another proposal was accepted,
again at AAHE; this time at their Assessment Conference in Charlotte in
June.  We asked for 6 hours, spread out over an afternoon, and the
morning of the following day.  We feel participants can engage more in
the process.

As a result, I believe that the OS message will begin to move slowly
into colleges and universities as a process for planning and as a way to
look at our own curriculum, along with the teaching and learning
processes.

Kelvie C. Comer, Prof., Higher Education
Central Michigan University
Mt. Pleasant, MI

and

Interim Provost
Alma College
Alma, MI
(517) 463-7176