OS in University Settings

Wed Jun 28 15:37:19 PDT 2006

Hi Lisa (and everybody)<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

 <o:p></o:p>

I have another story about open space in an University context for you. Not long ago I have been a student myself, thatŽs why I enjoy those occasions so much, where I can introduce (a bit of) open space there.<o:p></o:p>

 <o:p></o:p>

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.<o:p></o:p>

 <o:p></o:p>

Their main idea was to have some space outside the regular clases 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 dissapointed that not more people from “outside” had come. (there were about 20 particpants 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.<o:p></o:p>

 <o:p></o:p>

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 didnŽt 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.<o:p></o:p>

 <o:p></o:p>

If I was worried about the sustainability of the open space 
..as IŽm 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. <o:p></o:p>

 <o:p></o:p>

Greetings from Berlin,<o:p></o:p>

 <o:p></o:p>Juliane

*Von:* lisaheft at openingspace.net
*Gesendet:* 28.06.06 18:45:38
*An:* OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
*Betreff:* Re: OS in University Settings [long]

It is great to hear from you, Romy, andthank you for sharing about your opening space at Cranfield University.

And brother Chris, thanks for your examplesof using OS at the University of British Columbia, with the First Nations Houseof Learning and the Dalai Lama Centre.

I forgot to add in my own experiences withusing Open Space in university settings:

<spanstyle='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS?'>I have used OS withColumbia University School of International Relations and Conflict Resolution (NewYork) for exploring what their impact is on the international communities theyserve with their conflict resolution services. A number of studentscoming through that program have taken my Open Space workshops to learn moreabout and use the method in their work, and I have consulted with theirconflict resolution program on Open Space events in Northern Iraq and EastTimor.

<spanstyle='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS?'> 

<spanstyle='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS?'>I have facilitated OS forSan Francisco State University’s Institute for Holistic Healing Studies, tohelp them explore opportunities and issues and areas of learning they wish toinclude in their programs.

<spanstyle='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS?'> 

<spanstyle='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS?'>I have facilitated OS andgiven OS learning workshops for the 21st Century Leadership Centerat St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas, which builds capacity ofcommunity leaders to facilitate transformation in local underservedcommunities.

<spanstyle='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS?'> 

<spanstyle='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS?'>I have also facilitated differentOpen Space events for university and university-aged folks meeting off-campusfor such things as a leadership series on healing from and dealing with racismand a conference on issues and opportunities for young lesbian, gay, bisexualand transgender leaders.

<spanstyle='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS?'> 

<spanstyle='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS?'>And I have shared learning withand mentored folks building their own capacity for facilitating Open Space at suchplaces as University of Michigan, San Francisco State University, PortlandState University and University of Florida.

And I totally agree – so many of ourprospective clients at first say, “well that Open Space sounds great, butit would never work with my people” (with engineers, or with corporatefolks, or with policepersons, or whomever). 

And collectively, we have found that as longas it has been chosen as the right tool for the right reasons, Open Space worksin (as far as we have found in our 20+ years collectively of using it) anyculture, country or setting.

But I agree with you, Chris – it seemsas if the hardest people to convince (before they experience it and find howwell it works) are academics. Indeed we of OSLIST have had similarconversations about this in the past. Is it because so many academicslive in a world of needing to describe what is already known? I can’ttell – obviously scientists and doctors live in this world, too, andreally wonderful scientists and doctors have invited Open Space into theirworlds full of proving, describing and knowing. Similarly, all academicsare not alike – certainly there are those we work with who invite OpenSpace – who believe in the power of not-knowing partnered withdeep-knowing. So who can say

But I do find that facilitation requires theclient to trust in the possibility, in the unknown potential, without beingable to first see something concrete and tangible. An architect can showplans or a model to describe similar successful projects; a chef can make arecipe for a tasting. But in our case it is often the sharing of thestories of “yes, here are some situations like yours and some people likeyour community who have found this to be successful for tasks like yours”that provides some support for clients who try to imagine the success of somethingthey have not yet experienced.

One of the projects I have ‘on theback burner’ * (Life,she is so full of things to do) is a collection I am making of all the storieswe share on the OSLIST when any one of us asks ‘who can share stories ofusing OS with
’ for different kinds of clients, situations andorganizations. I will one day give this back to you all as a database ofexamples you can dip into whenever you have this sort of question. Inthis lifetime, I will launch that service to you all
(whenever it startsand all that
)

Lisa

<spanstyle='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS?;color:red'>*<FONTSIZE=2 face="Trebuchet MS">“on the back burner” is a saying in the States, for those of youwho do not speak English as your home language – like a pot bubbling awayon the back burner of a stove to create a nice hours-long-cooked stew or soup

<spanstyle='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS?;color:black'>___________________________

*<spanstyle='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS?;color:blue;font-weight:bold'>Li s a H e f t*

<spanstyle='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS?;color:blue'>Consultant,Facilitator, Educator

<SPANLANG=ES-MX MS?;color:blue'>O p en i n g S p a c e

<FONTCOLOR=BLACK>lisaheft at openingspace.net [mailto:lisaheft at openingspace.net]

<FONTCOLOR=BLACK>www.openingspace.net [http://www.openingspace.net/]<FONTSIZE=2 face="Trebuchet MS">

</spanstyle='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet></spanstyle='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet></spanstyle='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet></spanstyle='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet></spanstyle='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet></spanstyle='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet></spanstyle='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet></spanstyle='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet></spanstyle='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet></spanstyle='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet></spanstyle='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet></spanstyle='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet></spanstyle='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet>

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