Initial Publication Date: June 19, 2015

Focus Group 1: Academic Administrators

Facilitators: David Mogk and Heather Petcovic

Agenda

Pre-Workshop Preparation

Administrators Participant Workspace
(private space)Please review these websites and reports for some foundational information about undergraduate geoscience programs and workforce opportunities:

Resources to Review

  • Watch the 5 minute video on career opportunities for students in the geosciences: Be a Geoscientist

Prepare Background Information About Your Institution

  • If your institution has a geoscience program or department, what challenges does it face? What opportunities would improve the participation of minority students?
  • If your institution does not have a geoscience program or department, what types of opportunities would be feasible to provide instruction leading to geoscience careers for your students?

Meeting Schedule

Day 1 (Travel Day/Evening arrival)

[ALL PARTICIPANTS]

5:00-5:30 Registration and no-host mixer at Granite City Grill and Brewery

5:30-6:00 Ice Breaker (Mixer exercise) Activity and responses

6:00-7:00 Dinner

7:00-8:00 Project Introduction Slides (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 7.2MB Aug6 15)

  • Introductions
  • Goals of the Workshop
  • Goals of the individual meetings
  • Project outcomes
  • Review pre-workshop assignment

Day 2 Thursday, August 6th

6:15- 8:15 Breakfast Available–Hotel

Morning Session - Where are we now? What are existing opportunities and barriers?

8:30 Welcome & Logistics (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 518kB Aug6 15) (Administrators and Instructors Joint Meeting)

  • Overview of GeoNeeds (administrators and instructors)
    • Review of agenda, where we are and how we're going to get there.
    • Norms and expectations

  • Questions?
  • Logistics (meals, "Parking Lot", Soap Box Ideas/Concerns)

9:00 Breakout 1 Think-Pair-Share (Administrators)

Take notes in the Administrators Workspace (opens in a new window)

  • Report on the mission of your institution, its setting, profile of student body
  • Who are your students? Where do your students come from, what are their needs?
  • What are the workforce needs in your region

10:00 Break

10:15 Envisioning the Ideal State–Administrators' group discussion

Take notes in the Administrators Workspace (opens in a new window)

  • How is geoscience (or environmental science) taught at your institution?
  • How can instruction in geoscience contribute to your institutional mission and the success of your students?
  • What are your needs in staffing, resources....?
  • What can we do to help? (Direction to resources that are currently available)
11:00am Success with Underrepresented Groups (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 13MB Aug6 15) (Administrators and Instructors Joint Meeting)
  • Guest speakers from Waubonsee Community College, David Voorhees (Instructor) & Lorrie Stahl (Administrator)

12:00-1:00 pm Lunch

Afternoon Session - Where do we want to go?

[both instructors and administrators together]

1:00pm Envisioning the Ideal State -- Creating Ideal Models

  • The "Third-Third" Approach

1:30pm Individual Brainstorming Activity

  • If you had unlimited resources, time, etc ...
  • What do you need to achieve skilled geoscientists or informed citizens
1:45 Post-it Feedback
  • Use post-it notes to comment (common ground, most exciting (3rd/3rd), fuzzy idea)

2:15 Reflection on Feedback

2:45 Break

3:00 Identifying Stakeholders necessary for Ideal Model (who aside from instructors are needed on your team?)

  • Who should be involved, how to build and sustain networks of support....?
  • Consensus discussion
3:30 Development of Ideal Models (guided activity)
  • Align Stakeholders and Objectives
  • Create model of critical connections and feedbacks (a concept map of contributors and interactions)

4:15 Presentations - Ideal Model Report Out.

5:00 Reflections on the day, discussion, "road check"

6pm Dinner

Day 3 Friday, August 7th

6:15- 8:15 Breakfast Available–Hotel

Morning Session - How will we get to our ideal model?

8:30am Conveners presentation of Ideal Case Model

  • Conveners presentation of Ideal Case Model developed from yesterday's session
  • View the Synthesized Model (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 86kB Aug7 15)

9:00am Group feedback on synthesis of Ideal Model (Administrators Session)

  • Work in small groups on challenges and solutions
10:00 Present to whole group, Roles of Stakeholders, Summary of Discussion

10:30am Break

10:45am Time for reflective thinking? Applying the model to your home institution

  • Build an Action Plan for your Institution
  • What staffing and professional development do you need?
  • What institutional resources do you need?
  • What resources are available (e.g. from professional societies) that can be readily adopted or adapated?

12:30pm Lunch

Afternoon Session - Incentives and Opportunities to make this model a reality

1:00pm Incentives and opportunities to make this model a reality

2:30 Wrap-up discussion/thank you; Exit Survey

3:00pm Dismissal--transport to airport...