OS in University Settings - Part 3 (long)

Sun Jul 2 20:35:40 PDT 2006

This is the final part of this 3-part message.

________________OS in University Settings___________part 3 of
3______________ 

Juliane Neumann (lialio at web.de )

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 (zelle at knowplacelikehome.com )

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 (s.ummi at web.de )

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:lisaheft at openingspace.net> lisaheft at openingspace.net

 <http://www.openingspace.net> www.openingspace.net 

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