"The Assembly of the Delegates"    by Jerry Ross

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Afternoon Session Description

A Chorus of Voices: Creating a Larger Memory of Life at Lane  

In the spirit of Professor Takaki’s keynote and the panel discussion from this morning’s session, this afternoon we will be creating a “larger memory of Lane” through fishbowl activities. Fishbowls offer the chance for people with common experiences to speak to one another and be heard.

STEPS TO SUCCESSFUL FISHBOWL PARTICIPATION  

• When you register for the Spring Conference, you will receive a folder of information and a name badge. Notice the color-coded dot on the front of your folder. You were randomly assigned a room associated with this color.
• Rooms and colors are as follows:
• CML102 = Green
• CML103 = Blue
• CML104 = Yellow
• CML214 = Grey
• CML220 = Lilac
• CML225 = Tan
• Please do not vary from your “assigned” room unless absolutely necessary. It’s important to have a mix of staff in each different room.

• As you enter your assigned room, you will see a circle of 10 chairs in the center, and concentric circles around them. Leave the chairs in the center empty initially, but fill in as close to them as possible.

• The format, discussion questions, and group definitions will be the same in each room; using many locations allows for more people to be heard.

• A facilitator and scribe will be available in each room. Your facilitator will guide you through the fishbowl activity. The scribe will be electronically recording what is said in the discussions.

• There are 6 groups identified for today’s fishbowl discussions. Facilitators will invite participants to the center chairs in the following order:
• Women
• Non-contracted (Part-Time) Faculty and Time Sheet Classified Staff
• Managers
• Marginalized Communities
• Classified Contracted Staff
• Contracted Faculty

• Each group will respond to the same two questions, from the experiences of their common “voice”. Each group will have 20 minutes total. The facilitator will be keeping strict time, so that all groups can be heard.

• While each fishbowl group is speaking, use active listening to remain engaged in the discussion.

• We want to hear all voices. While there are only 10 seats available for each fishbowl in each room, we encourage you to write down your thoughts in response to the questions, from any or all of the “voices” that you resonate with today. Colored note paper is provided in your folder. Circle the “voice” your thoughts come from (e.g., women).

• Submit your written comments to the scribe or facilitator before the end of the session.

• At the closing gallery session (3:45-4:30pm), all participants will come back to the combined CML102-104 space to see the individual discussions come together. The collected voices as recorded by the scribes will be projected on screens, and all the hand-written notes will be posted around the room for everyone to read.

• In the week following the assemblies, the stories and choices before us at Lane will be compiled and presented out to the college community. This way of carrying out a discussion at Lane honors, in practice, the contributions that we all make and are capable of making.