Chapter 25 discusses community building and specifically explains the differences between 2 programming models: the program development model which ultimately promotes the "dissemination of information" (p. 542) and the Community-Building model which promotes programs as a "resource and participant with other learners" (p. 543). In your undergraduate or assistantship experiences, which model(s) have you seen used? Describe what the program was trying to accomplish, what steps were taken to achieve the goal, and the practices that were done well and poorly. How did the approach (either instructive, program-development or interactive community-building) impact the program & its results? Were there any outside factors, such as the 3 mentioned on page 548-involvement, technology, and community expectations, that may have also impacted the program & its results?
As an undergraduate student, I regularly volunteered with a student organization for Habitat for Humanity. As you probably know, the goal is to provide housing ownership opportunities for families who would struggle with this on their own. We always enjoyed working with Habitat for Humanity & had a great bonding experience with the community members until the lunch break (every time). At lunch, the Habitat site leaders would tell us about the mission, goals and other purposes of Habitat for Humanity. At this point, the experience stopped being interactive and became a lecture. These experiences have showed me how the approach & attitude one takes towards community programming can really impact the attitude & perceptions of the participants. We enjoyed our work with Habitat, but inevitably, when we would talk about it later, had to mention the lecture we received at lunch.
I have had the opportunity to take part in both the program development model and the community-building development model. The model in which I can relate to the most and have been more involved with is the community-building development model due to my involvement with my fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha. As a fraternity, we have many national initiatives that we spearhead or have major partnerships with, such as the Go-to-High School, Go-to-College Program, Project Alpha, and Big Brothers/Big Sisters. The one program in which I feel brings about the most sense of community is our initiative on voting called A Voteless People is a Hopeless People. The purpose of this initiative is to raise the awareness about the importance of voting as a community by registering people to vote and provide them with the most up-to-date information about the elections and its candidates. On numerous occasions at USF, my fraternity has held voter’s registration drives, rallies, and debate watch parties for the USF community. Whenever we host one of these programs, we make sure to always discuss the purpose and goals of not only the initiative of A Voteless People is a Hopeless People, but of our fraternity as a whole. We do this as a means to bring about the idea of “community capacity building,” as stated on page 544 of the book, because we want to bring together a community that takes part and advocates for voting.
Chapter 24 is about conflict resolution. The book talks about 7 different levels of conflict(pseudo-conflict, latent conflict, problems to solve, dispute, cry for help, fight or flight, and intractable), four theories to help understand conflict(student development, orgizational development, community development, and multiculturalism), 5 different tactics for addressing conflict(conflict resolution, intergroup dialogue, mediation, negotiation, and arbitration) and finally two different approached to conflict resolution(Ury, Brett, and Goldberg Model and The Thomas-Kilman Model). Think of a time during your assistantship where you have had to resolve a conflict. Choose the level of the conflict, the theory and tactic(s) you used to address the conflict and which model you used to resolve your conflict. Looking back on your conflict, do you feel you could have of handled your conflict better knowing what you do after reading the chapter?
I have been pretty lucky so far in my assistantship and have not had to deal with any conflicts past the first level(althought I am sure this will change next semester when basketball starts). The pseudo conflict that I had to deal with this week was taking away an officials games because he did not show up for his shift. I used student development theory to address the conflict. This theory was most helpful because it gave him a second chance to be an official and learn from the situation(hopefully he did)and the tactic I used was conflict resolution.Finally, the conflict resolution model I used was Ury, Brett, and Goldberg. I feel this was most helpful becuase it helped me hear his side of the story and I was able to get my point across and we both agreed that I was right and missing a shift was not acceptable. After reading this chapter I do not think I would change how I handeled the situation because it was very minor, however, after reading this I will be able to reference the book when I do have to deal with more intense conflicts.
One conflict I have encountered during my assistantship is when students come to our office because they think that we offer financial aid & are then upset when we explain that the scholarships & awards we work with are geared towards future goals and activities outside of the classroom more than their undergraduate education. This is a pseudo conflict because it is based off of an insufficient exchange of information and poor communication. This conflict is still in the process of being resolved, but I think that organizational development theory for conflict resolution will fit best. THe Ury, Brett & Goldberg Model for conflict resolution fits best for this situation because it advocates identifying interests and parties working together to find a resolution. Maybe our office should work to find out from students what they find most useful about knowing what we do and how to communicate that with students. This conflict is ongoing, but slowly we are trying to send our message to students.
Chapter 24: I have experienced levels of conflict from level 3:problem solving to level 5: cry for help in my assistantship. The Ury, Brett, and Goldberg Model and directed dialogue has worked best. A recent complicated roommate conflict that I am handling has escalated to the point that one of the roommates doesn't think it can be resolved. I set up meetings with each of the roommates seperatedly and got permission from each of them to have directed dialogue with the both of them. A problems to solve conflict that was easily solved by speaking to both residents seperately and finding out what their concerns were, then bringing both roommates together to share those concerns with one another.
Chapter 25: In my assistantship I helped to the Cypress Hall community building programming model. Our model specifically focuses on learning outcomes that the University as a whole has embraced. Some of the learning outcomes are: critical thinking, multicultural competance, and personal responsibility. These learning outcomes are displayed through creation of bulletin boards as well as programming. Since we have 18 different RAs, some students may benefit more or less depending on the program their RA chooses. This is why we also encourgage RAs to survery their residents to see what they want to experience with programming.
In chapter 24, it was interesting to learn the difference between conflict and dispute. I had never considered these two separately; but it now makes sense that a dispute is very specific and conflict is a larger issue. Also the information about situation and emotional conflict was helpful. I agree that these two types of conflict have elements that blend together. In chapter 25, it was good learn the difference between the conventional approach and community based approach. I agree that individuals feel a deeper sense of community and investment in things they help to create. I discovered this in my experience with Green & Gold Guides. Of course we had standards and protocol to follow established by Admissions; but when it came to the function and operation of our organization we were given much ownership. Very often our advisor, J. Earnest, would say “This is your organization, we want you to make it personal for you”. As I read this chapter, many things from my undergrad experiences began to become clear.
Chapter 24: I recently experienced a latent conflict with a student I advise. Without getting into details, her financial aid has not been released due some information about her parents the student was not aware of when she filled out the FAFSA. The student was trying to convey to me that she was more concerned about the financial piece rather than the emotions she was feeling after learning this new information. I could tell she was in denial and I struggled to try to ask questions that would let her know I was actively listening, had empathy for her, and was attempting to help her problem solve. I encouraged her to go to the counseling center, but she kept saying she needed time to "think". This issue still has not been resolved (financial piece or emotional piece), but I continue to offer her my support and assistance.
Chapter 25: In my undergraduate experience, I was a member of KDP, the Education Honors Society, at my college. This organization took a strong community-building approach to programming. As members, we had a strong say in the types of programs and activities we would be a part of, rather than the executive board always making decisions. As a result, we had excellent attendance rates and participation at meetings and events. Our voices were heard, which led to frequent changes, resulting in a dynamic environment that was engaging for all. Schlossberg's mattering theory might be applicable here. Since everyone felt they mattered, involvement rates were high.
There was a conflict that arose in student government in the executive branch involving the chief of staff, his deputy, and the director of student life and traditions (which the chief of staff oversees). The main issue was a lack of communication during an event and the follow up conversation had afterward. I was sitting in on the follow up conversation as an observer and noticed it was getting a little out of hand so I stepped in and eventually ended it. In actuality, it was no more than a pseudo-conflict in organizational development that I was able to help combat with conflict resolution and mediation. I don’t think I would say I could have handled the conflict better after reading this chapter because I feel as though I handled it decently. I allowed the parties to discuss their points and when it began to get a little crazy I was able to interject, discuss and end the conversation.
Chapter 25:
While I was in student government at my undergraduate institution we were hands on with the surrounding community, but one of our major projects that sticks out in my mind was assisting in filling the pantry for Catholic Charities of Dade City. We would collect canned goods and nonperishable items from members of the university as well as allocate some of our student government funds to go shopping to make sure the pantry for the low income and homeless members was stocked full at least once a semester. There was never an expectation from Catholic Charities, but were always so grateful for the work we were able to do. It was a rewarding feeling for us as much as it was for them.
Although my assistantship has had some minor psuedoconflicts at level 1, a conflict that stands out in my mind is from my work in property management. Like Monica with roommate issues, in property management, there are neighborly issues of noise disturbances. I would categorize this as a level 4 Dispute. One neighbor thought his noise level was reasonable where the other neighbor thought it was not. We had to meet with each neighbor individually and then have a group meeting to resolve the conflict. The Ury, Brett, and Goldberg Model actually lined up well with what happened. We had to deal with their interests and emotions, determine the rights of both renters, and eventually when mediation did not work, we explicated power setting a reasonable decible level for tv and sound system usage. Dealing with this type of dispute was a regular occurance and tended to be more complicated with the involvement of adults. Although college students have similar types of disputes, I found that even with mediation and conflict resolution, these adults tend to be very set in their ways and beleifs and are not open to conflict resolution attempts. That is why we had to force our decision on the neighbors.
Chapter 25:
I was involved with student government and planning for the class of 2007 events. As a class, we tried to use a community building programming model. No one set out specific goals for us, but we were able to determine how best to program to reach the most students. This autonomous role allowed us to build community programming and in the process it increased attendance and participation in our events. The level of community involvement was a challenge in the process, but considering that barrier, we feel we exceeded our realistic goal for the number of participants.
Chapter 24: In my assistantship I see conflicts literally every other day. The biggest and most common level of conflict is “problems to solve.” This happens when I work the ropes course with the students and we have to delegate who works what position. There is a position called “ground” which basically means you have to stay on the floor the whole time and it is the least favorite and involved position. No one ever wants to work it. I literally have seen students yell at each other because they felt they didn’t have to work it because they had seniority or worked it last week or something else. The Ury, Brett, and Goldberg Model helps me deal with these situations. Mostly when it comes to the third dimension dealing with power. I say this because someone has to work ground and it is part of the job. I tell my staff if they want to work at the ropes course expect to work ground every time or else do not sign up. When the conflict happens in front of me I just pick one and tell them that next time you guys work together you will switch so the other person works ground. Sometimes you just have to put your foot down and resolve the conflict as quick as you can because this specific conflict I have heard before I got to my assistantship is something they always argue about. But, you have to set precedent and show that for now on this is how it is going to be so that they do not make it a habit of always fight about it.
Chapter 25: The model that I have had the most experience with is the community-building model. Just like Greg, I am involved in a fraternity, Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc. In my fraternity we have done over a hundred hours of community service from road clean ups to participating in S.O.S. and Community Plunge and doing our own community service work. What we made and continue to do work in is Seraph Inc. a non-profit organization dedicated to simply help people in need.
We have helped raise money to give scholarships to high school students to attend USF, and help build houses in Mexico for families who are homeless. Our mission is simple and that is to find someone that needs help and help them. We work closely with corporations and business in downtown Tampa that understand what we are about, and that is how we were able to get money and go to a village in Mexico and build a house for a family of over ten people. Technology throughout our whole process aided us in everything we did. From getting in contact with people in different countries and states to simply communicating within our city.
CH25 As an undergraduate I worked for campus recreation and as a fitness student supervisor I often had the free range to come up with programs and incentives for both student participant and campus rec. staff. For staff I (along with other student leaders)organized a USF Campus Rec. scavenger Hunt for the professional and student staff. All were very competitive and really excited about the future hunt coming up. However, in the past there had been a trend of everyone getting excited and then at the last minute no one showed up to the event. This time around we were more intentional with our planning designating marketers, street teams, people to guide each teams participating, and it proved to be very effective and fun. I think the cash prizes had a lot to do with it though!
CH24 In my assistantship I have had to deal with some student staff not showing up promptly for their shifts continually (Pseudo Conflict). What I decided to o is to put the student staff on a 4 week probation of limited shifts Student development. I used the student development in hopes that the staff would learn the value of being prompt to not only to the job but to class and to any other appointment they have. This particular staff is a hard worker and values his/her job so limiting his/her shifts was enough to give him/her the jolt they need to get back on track and he/she agreed that this situation was a good experience that would help in the future to prevent this not so good habit. After reading the chapter I don't think I would have handled or used any other theories. I do hope to get better at these conflict resolutions.
A conflict I have seen in my assistantship is with students questioning their aid package. Some students expect certain aid based on what they received in the past, but the many different variables that go into calculating the aid package can influence awards year to year. One student expected grants she had received the year before and came in saying she turned in the FAFSA before the priority deadline. This was a psudo-conflict and there was a insufficient exchange of information because even though she submitted the FAFSA before the priority date, she has failed to turn in the other requested documents posted on OASIS needed before the award process could start. I used the student development theory and conflict resolution and Thomas-Kilmans collaboration in this situation.
As an RA our staff worked with the building counsel to put on programs for all the residents in our building. One program was an event where residents could showcase their talents and bel appreciated by the rest of the resident community. The RAs and building counsel worked together to promote the event, the student performers and to create an environment that would feel make all the residents feel included. The model used in creating these programs was the community-building model where as students we were able to be engaged and learn by going through the process. Since we were able to use the approach of community-building we took responsibility for the successes and failures of the program and this may not have been the case if we had used the program-development model. Community expectation were an outside factor that influenced the program and results. These community expectations between the RAs and the building counsel led to more positive results with the program.
Ch. 24: I have not had to deal with too many conflicts in my assistantship, thankfully. But I do occasionally have pseudo-conflicts that occur when attempting to ensure that a task gets accomplished by student eboard members. I assume that the task is understood and the arbitrary deadline I set for approval is acknowledged. On more than one occasion, submission has been lax. To address this, I used the student development theory to allow the students to see for themselves the benefit of submitting work early and to make adjustments with enough time so no one faces the stressful burden of figuring things out last minute. The tactics I used were a mix of satisficing solutions and conflict resolution, to allow the students to recognize a solution can exist as a compromise. The conflict resolution model I implemented was the Thomas-Kilman Model, to allow for a solution to be handled in a number of modes, depending on the personal dispositions of the individual students. In the future, I could have the students to acknowledge before agreeing to doing something that they could face obstacles that prevent them from completing the task on time.
As an RA I used both the program development model and the community building model. My first year as an RA, my biggest challenge was trying to build a community in an upper class hall. This was especially difficult because the upperclassmen were not as motivated as the first year students to get involved in the hall. It was harder to get students to participate in RHA and there were lower turn outs for programs than there were in the first year halls. In the beginning I did a lot of social programs so that my residents could get to know each other. After realizing that they needed a motive to come to programs I began to think of new ideas for how I could do that. I started doing programs that applied more to them such as: resume building, and career search programs. There was more of a turn out for programs such as these because this is what they were focusing on especially the juniors and seniors. By incorporating these types of programs, my residents came out, got to know each other, and then were more likely to come out to other programs that they wouldn’t have if they did not meet others on their floor. I also incorporated some passive programming with my bulletin boards to get them involved in ways that did not involve much effort. This approach became very successful and helped me build community faster the following years. As an RA I have dealt with pretty much every type of conflict possible. Within my assistantship, I have dealt with some pseudo-conflict and latent conflict levels. On type of conflict that I am currently dealing with in my assistantship is with the tutoring program. Two of my students have expressed that they would like a different tutor because their current tutor is not really helping them with their classes. Some problems that the tutors may be having are: method of tutoring, lack of knowledge for the subject or perhaps lack of memory for the material. Although, this conflict has not been solved yet, I plan on having a one on one conversation with the tutors so that I can better understand what methods they are using and if they think these methods are working and if not how can they better understand the material and/or methods they are using. I will explain that I must look out for the student and explain that their tutoring services will no longer be used for that particular subject but perhaps with more training they can continue tutoring in different subject areas and other students.
Chapter 24: We handle a lot of conflict in Housing and Res Ed. One that comes readily to mind is a suitemate conflict that occurred a few weeks into of the year. The level of this conflict was Problems to Solve, both suitemates saw a situation differently and the conflict escalated pretty quickly. We almost always use student development theory when dealing with conflicts in housing because we want the students to learn how to live together and learn how to solve their own conflicts eventually. In this particular conflict we attempted to use mediation, which would have likely been partially effective, but one of the suitemates involved in the conflict decided not to attend the mediation. Because the conflict involved two suitemates and their living situation we used the Ury, Brett and Goldberg Model of conflict resolution. Even after reading about conflict resolution, I'm not sure this particular conflict could have been handled better. I do think though that this information will be helpful in future conflicts.
Chapter 25: Along with most organizations, through my sorority I used the community-building model. Through different community service projects and activities, the leaders in positions (through the events planned) would be providing the members the tools they needed with events that allowed them to affect change in the communities. Ranging from simple events such as potluck dinners with alumni, to the annual trick-or-treating for eyeglasses; or large scale events at Shriners Children’s Hospital. It was exciting to see that over the years, the community was excited to be involved in annual activities and remembered things that would occur. These types of events bring together the individuals of the organization for a common purpose, and the community. The community establishes a trust to the organization, and the members learn a deeper reliance for one another.
During my assistantship I have seen the program development model used during the beginning of the semester. The Financial Aid office receives a plethora of information in terms of student grades, academic progress, financial aid to be dispersed, and student residency locations. The outlined goal regarding all of this information is to make sure that the student receives the appropriate amount of financial aid eligible to him or her, or to reach students in regards to default loans or other financial matters. To reach this goal employees, grad assistants, and student employees updated a series of software that classifies information, discussed efficiency matters, made plans to contact students, and worked within federal regulations.
Overall, the goals of the program were met with satisfactory results. I believe that the approach impacted the program by showcasing the effectiveness and efficiency of the employees, and highlighted possible areas of improvement. For example, working closer with other departments to disburse information and aid more quickly was substantiated as a possible improvement. Lastly, I believe that all three—involvement, technology, and community expectations—impacted the program with satisfactory results.
Taking a note from Labs' post, I think that the financial aid office could learn something from a sorority. After all, they are known for the engagement with the community--both on campus and off. This sense of engagement, while not potentially on the same level as a sorority, could be fostered in the financial aid community. By this, I mean a better sense of student needs and wants, and a better relation them as well.
Ch. 24 While fortunate because I have not been involved in a lot of conflict in my assistantship yet, I have had some instances of students being upset in regards to their financial aid matters. One that stands out the most involves a cry for help—quite literally, actually. A student during the beginning of the semester came to the front counter to discuss the nature of her aid, because she was puzzled about the nature of her financial status. She was in good academic standing, but could not figure out why she had holds on her OASIS account. Come to find out she was taking graduate level courses, never filled out a certain form, and therefore the computer system did not recognize her complete credit hours. Naturally, she was dumb founded because she said that she was not aware of such a form. If that was not bad enough she was informed that she would have to pay $8,000 before she could be back in good graces with the university; she began to sob. In my opinion the only real option I had to implement involving theory was the Thomas-Kilman Model. This was because multiple parties would not have been of much help and she had a personal matter that had to be dealt with. I tried to console her, but there really was not much that I could do. She would have to deal with this issue the best way she saw fit, discussing it with the President or paying the cash…. After reading the chapter, I am not really sure that there would have been anything additional that I could have done for her. Her situation was one of circumstance and bewilderment, not processes.
Chapter 24 -I have also been fortunate enough to not have had many conflicts in my assistantship so far. Similar to Huda, I have struggled with encouraging a specific group of students to meet deadlines that I set for them. I saw this as a latent conflict, where I acknowledge that the group does not produce timely submissions, and the students forget or assume they can make submissions whenever they get to it. Student development theory would best address this conflict, as the students realize they must make timely submissions to demonstrate the commitment they made to the program. The Ury, Brett, and Goldberg model may best help resolve the conflict. We addressed that the group still shares the same interests and goals for the program, and that certain work needs to be done to achieve those goals. By addressing what I can do to help the students achieve those goals has addressed the power dimension. Having a conversation about expectations and what will be done to meet them has improved the way the students approach the program.
Chapter 25 - During my undergraduate experience, I regularly volunteered with a group called Hoops for Hopes that was a part of a larger community service association. When I first joined, the group did not have a high attendance rate or attract a lot of students. This was largely due to the fact that the “hoops” part was missing from the organization; the group mainly focused on tutoring grade school children. With some strong leadership, the group changed locations, offered the opportunity for college students to interact with the middle school students during an open gym, and offered tutoring for the students who needed it. Over the course of my experience, the group began to have committed volunteers that developed into a community. Now that the group consisted of all interested individuals, further community-building aspects were evident, such as problem solving and taking responsibility. This group became an example for other groups in the association, and was recognized for its unique approach to serving disadvantaged youth.
I am glad chapter 25 was in this week because this past weekend I officiated in the inner city for kids who are able to play basketball at minimal cost. At the boys and girls club we ref kids games and each week the program director picks a point of emphasis and uses sport to reach children at an early age who are not raised or live in the best environments. Each week the kids learn a new characteristic and apply it to the game. The coaches give speeches on the point of the week and we participate and help explain different things to the kids without penalty(most of the time). I think this league is trying to show the kids the right way to handle different situation physically, mentally, and emotionally and provide them with skills that are helpful on and off the court. The only part that was done poorly was the intensity of the coaches but I was told that this was going to be addressed this week. Overall I think it is a great idea and the kids really seem to learn and enjoy their time playing.
Ch. 25: During my time as an undergrad, I regularly volunteered with a student group called, “DC Reads”. As a program under our Center for Social Justice, it revolved heavily around the “community-building model,” seeking to interactively engage the metropolitan community with the campus community. The organization was well established and students could tutor a wide variety of populations in DC, mainly under-privileged kids, recent immigrants (children and adult literacy programs), and charter schools (taught in both English and Spanish). I think it was so rewarding and successful due to the dual outside factors of involvement and community expectation.
During an event that my office was sponsoring, I had to resolve a conflict with an individual. It was definitely a “latent conflict” considering that I was having an issue with the situation. The individual was worried that they were giving me too much work to complete for the event. So, instead of them talking to me about it, they made decisions to take some of the load off when I didn’t need this at all. I was completely capable of handling the tasks needed to be done, and had they talked to me about it, they would have known otherwise. To resolve the conflict, I used the Thomas-Kilman model which worked out. I learned that I needed to look at whole perspective, the intentions behind the person’s actions. Also, I had to separate the person from the actual issue. Doing this made it easy for me to address the issue because their intentions were great, but the assumption made wasn’t accurate. Since the conflict boiled down to communication, the situation made our level of communication much better.
As for the next response, I’m going to take a trip down memory lane back to my undergraduate days
When I was a resident assistant at Rutgers, I had the opportunity to see both models being used. Back in March, I headed the 1st Annual LIVE. LOVE. BE. HIV/AIDS Awareness Ball 2010. The purpose of the event was to bring the Rutgers community together and raise support to bring awareness towards the HIV/AIDS epidemic. All of the funds raised went to a local AIDS foundation. With weeks of planning and collaborating with other organization, the event proved to be a success. People became more aware of HIV/AIDS and how to support efforts to prevent it which falls along the program development model. Since the Rutgers community came together in this effort to support it, the aspect of community building was utilized as well. Involvement and technology played a huge role. RU-tv covered the event on-site as well as creating a promotional commercial for the event and an interview on their morning show. Social media and flyering also helped with promotions. As a whole, the people from different areas of the Rutgers community including Greek life, Student Life, Residence Life, RU-tv and the like got involved in some form which definitely contributed to the success of the event. And…Rochelly played a BIG role in the AIDS Ball, too
Chapter 25. I've had the most experience with "Dissemination of Information." While "Community Building" is more fun, I think it must be noted that type of population you're dealing with and their particular personalities plays a part in which model works best. Most of my experiences have been with first-generation/minority/at-risk students. Their needs call for more of a dissemination of information model. Community building implies that the students have brought to the table their own prior experiences. Many of my students need a more direct approach. However, I've found that utilizing a mixture of both has been helpful. I think outside factors can certainly play a huge part in which design is used. In secondary ed and in dealing with the population I spoke about, community expectations, the school board and administration greatly influence the latitude teachers/leaders have in choosing a method. Due to the growing push for "results now!" less emphasis is being placed on the students' overall experience, which is unfortunate.
I really enjoyed Chapter 24. Conflict resolution is a too-often overlooked aspect of leadership. I've dealt with all 7 different levels of conflict. Students are very adept at concealing issues/problems/conflicts so SA professionals must be equally adept at recognizing the signs of conflict. I think multiculturalism is still the least utilized and least understood tactic for addressing conflict.
Chapter 24: In my assistantship, since I do not work with students, I do not really have any of the levels of conflict addressed (1-7), but I sometimes have conflicting opinions of what would be best way to tackle projects, with others in the office. With the evolvement of technology, my ideas may be different than those of 10 years ago. Although, I do think that this is an important chapter when working with students and I think that the basic guidelines for effective conflict resolution (pg 535) are important to note when advising student organizations as well as when working with students in a variety of settings. I personally like the “take the realistic and positive approach” by remaining positive, and giving alternative opinions and advice on the situations, while steering away from all the negative aspects.
Chapter 24: In my GA, I would say I have observed a situation that is actually still in progress. While I am not directly involved, I am definitely witnessing and hearing both sides of what is going on. I feel the level it falls into would be either latent or problems to solve, as I am not sure if one of the persons involved truly recognizes what the true problem is. I think what could help to address it is to use the organizational development theory through the human resources frame. Right now, I think both parties involved are in disagreement because of a difference in needs, and that there is insufficient communication between the two to clearly establish the needs of one another and the group overall. Since this is a conflict in process, I cannot say which model is used for resolution. However, if I could look ahead and guess how it will play out, my assumption would be the Thomas-Kilman Model of either collaboration or compromise. I say this based on the personalities of those involved and how I think they will come to a better point in this working relationship.
Chapter 25: Definitely the Community-Building Model was in use during my involvement with the Old Masters program at Purdue. Thinking about the football championship example, much of the campus would get swept up with the Old Masters program and series of events, but the team, those of us on the Central Committee and the Hosts/Hostesses, were the ones who planned and prepared for the 3 day event. The piece that sticks out to me is “collaboration and mutual work is expected.” I think this is such an important piece of community building that we help each other to complete the tasks at hand. With Old Masters, it was set up as Co-Chairs for each area of responsibility, so collaboration and teamwork were part of the design and truly helped to build a sense of community.
As an undergrad and grad I volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters. Simply hanging out with my little brother in the program has been rewarding for both him and myself. The program uses a community development model. BBBS doesn’t have a very structured approach to it, it’s simply me driving to his house and picking him up to go play basketball or something. It runs off of the statistic that children with positive role models succeed in life more.
I think everyone can agree that students not showing up to work is a common problem in our assistantships. The dilemma that we have learning outcome expectations. We give many second chances in the hopes that the student will learn from their mistake and grow. Student development theory often keeps us from throwing the hammer down on our students, and reasoning with them that they need to change their ways.
In Financial Aid, we spend a lot of time on program development. Rather than focus on the needs of the community, it is looking at the individual students. Each year, we send out a survey and allow open ended responses from the students about the areas where we can improve. We want to make sure that we are providing the students the resources and information to make well informed financial aid decisions. By reaching out to the students, it allows them to be involved in the process. We also use student focus groups to improve processes each year. For the students, this is an ongoing model of involvement, as they are able to shape the direction of financial aid each year. The goal each year is to allow for instructive opportunities for all of the students that utilize the office of financial aid. We are seeking constant feedback and improvement.
In Financial Aid, we spend a lot of time on program development. Rather than focus on the needs of the community, it is looking at the individual students. Each year, we send out a survey and allow open ended responses from the students about the areas where we can improve. We want to make sure that we are providing the students the resources and information to make well informed financial aid decisions. By reaching out to the students, it allows them to be involved in the process. We also use student focus groups to improve processes each year. For the students, this is an ongoing model of involvement, as they are able to shape the direction of financial aid each year. The goal each year is to allow for instructive opportunities for all of the students that utilize the office of financial aid. We are seeking constant feedback and improvement.
Ch. 24: I have not had to deal with a lot of conflict in my assistantship yet. I experience conflict when I go out to the counter part in financial aid, but I am still in training so I get help dealing with it. However, I have noticed other coworkers get in conflictual situations. There happens to be two people who sit around me who constantly get in arguments because they want control in power, which falls under the problems to solve category. They do not really use any theories to address these problems and it seems to be getting worse so there are a lot of areas of improvements they could work on.
Ch. 25: I have experienced both program development model and community building model. An example of the community building model is the activities that I did in some of the clubs I was in during my undergrad. In one of my clubs we would sponsor 5k races that would raise money to give back to the local community or hospital. It was very rewarding and I don't have any complaints about it. This experience actually made me think about going into social work or marketing. I want to continue to give back to the community and look forward to having an adviser role for a student organization soon in this program.
Chapter 24: In Orientation, we encounter conflicts almost daily, more specifically when we are in session for the summer. The number one conflict is communication and being able to clarify very complicated, new, and exciting issues to students and families, while working collectively with other organizations and offices on campus, as well as handling an upwards of 45 OTL's. Needless to say it can be a bit stressful and there are many conflicts that occur during the day that can range from pseudo to intractable. We try to resolve any conflict imemdiately and with as much ease as possible, thinking of the students and families overall interest at heart. With that being said, I think a personal conflict that I have had to deal with in my assistantship had to do with communication and execution of a program that was carried out by undergraduate students. The program was overseen by myself, and I had conducted meetings within my professional staff to get all the information and "requirements" that I need to successfully carry out this program. I discussed this approach and regulations with the undergraduate students and they assured me that everything was going to be handled on their end. The program occured, and a situation was brought to my attention that the students did not carry out the agreed upon procedure that was discussed within our senior staff, and in the individual meetings with the students. Needless to say, the task that was not completed was left for others to do it, that was not their job; this created tension and a conflict. It was thought there was a miscommunication where I did not tell the students the appropraite information making a bit tension. This was at the level between pseudo and latent conflict. The main problem was, instead of comming to me with an issue, staff members talked about it and just got more irritated with the situation without knowing all of the factors-lack of communication. A student development theory was used to help resolve the issue. I approached the students and discussed what the issue was, and where we went wrong. They admitted to being lazy and not carrying out their portion of the assignment, we used this as a learning moment for them. I took that information back to other staff members and discussed the real issue and where we can improve in the future.
Chapter 25: I believe the most prominent model that I see and work with everyday is program development model. Orientation is a very complex program to develop, with the interest of students and families at heart. From planning to implimentation, Saunders and Cooper's Program Model expresses almost exactly what all goes into Orientation. All three areas, involvement, technology, and community expectations, are possible impacts to the program. An example with technology is moving toward a virtual orientation for those circumstances that cannot attend. It also has moved to virtual interaction so students can get information before they come to Orientation. We have also moved to online registration for classes, while students are in session. That is a lot of people and a lot of computer space that is needed, which is one of our number one technological issues we are facing right now-the availability of technology on campus.
1. In my assistantship in the CLCE, I often see the community-building model. I wouldn't say anybody uses it intentionally as much as it is a result of the organizational structure of our office. We are here as a support system and resource for those students who want to get involved and want to make USF a living community for their personal growth and development. What we really see as the outside factor that impacts our work is involvement. I've noticed, particularly at USF, involvement is hard to come by and I suppose it stems from the fact that USF is a commuter school. I know others in assistantships that call for student involvement outside of class would probably agree, but it is something that we continue to push forward with.
Similar to Monica, I have also experienced level 3 conflicts like problems to solve to level 5 conflict of cry for help. And I would agree with Monica that what has worked best for me in those situations so far has been the directed dialogue model from Ury, Brett, and Goldberg. We have a saying here in the CLCE and that's "Keep it Real", meaning we like to talk things out. When students (or colleagues) have conflicts, we like to dialogue about it and be sure that we can clear the air and everyone feels heard. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, we typically get to the bottom of it immediately.
Chapter 25:I have experienced both the program development model and community building model in my professional work experience. I have found that information coming from the top of an organization, such as in a staff meeting will utilize information dissmenation. Sub units of an office or department with smaller groups led by a supervisor will most likely utilize more team building exercises. As a whole the department will be strong as long as each sub unit builds unity among themselves. Most departments will have retreats or getaways that involve community building interaction among an entire staff. These allow many interactions that probably do not occur as often during normal work days. I see both models as necessary and influential. In terms of efficiency, getting information out quickly to employees is important. keeping the team mentality intact through smaller group exercises is something that will also benefit staff members and contribute to a successful work environment.
One of the duties in my assistantship is to handle all of the social event registrations. Just some quick background information for those who may not be familiar with this process. Fraternities and Sororities host social events and there are rules and guidlines they have to follow and they must register all social events with the office, if they fail to follow all of the rules for registering the event they end up with having to pay fines or even have their events cancelled. Many a times I have had to call a fraternity or sorority and cancel one of their events or issue late fines to them (which aren't cheap). I have had to deal with some irate fraternity and sorority leaders who have been yelling at me on the phone asking if there is an appeal process and telling me that it's not their fault the form is late and making up excuses left and right. These aren't exactly long drawn out conflict issues but they are conflicts that need to be handled none the less. The skill I have found most beneficial is remembering to breathe. While it would be very easy for me to yell back at the students it wouldn't be very professional so I must remember to take a deep breath and calmly explain the situation to the students and be sure to explain what went wrong so it doesn't happen again. But if the worst happens and the student fails to be reasoned with I am blessed to have a strong staff that backs me up and allows for guidance in those situations.
I recently encountered a fight/flight conflict which a student and a community partner could not come to a common agreement. It escalated to the point that I was forced to separate the student from the program that the community partner is involved with. Both of them were very defensive and the conflict became about both of them instead of the issue at hand. The resolution, even after 3rd party consulting, was to make sure the two would never be required to speak again. The hostility became overwhelming. After looking at chapter 24 and experiencing the conflict there are many things I wish I could have done differently. But as we learned in ecology, I did the best I could at the time and next time I will be more prepared.
I can agree with Ryan, I do not believe anything at the University resembles the community building model than our office. Everyday we provide intentional opportunities for students to volunteer for service to help their local community. We just compiled some statistics that tell us we have worked with over 40 community partners so far this fall semester. I use it everyday and provide an opportunity for about 45 of our students to earn a wage while working with the community.
I think within my assistantship I have seen the community building program model. Athletics tries to do a lot of community service, and to build relationships within the surrounding area. This summer, I worked with the Men's Soccer team to do a week of Community service. We focused on all different areas from kids, to thrift stores, to homeless shelters. There is a big push to be involved in the community within athletics, and to give back. When being involved with the community building program model, I feel there is a sense of leadership that is instilled. I as well as my students have to be able to assess a situation and learn from it and the people they interact with.
Chapter 24: I have experienced conflict within my assistantship. Especially between faculty on campus and athletics. With men's soccer there is a lot of school missed because of competition. During season the coach may not see an immediate problem with the amount of academics missed, or it is not a priority, and may expect faculty to understand. On the other hand the faculty are not willing to give up academics for athletics, and the conflict emerges. I believe this is a problem to solve that is result of differences in power, values, style, culture, and role ambiguity. I really think there is a power struggle amongst the faculty and coaches, and there needs to be a middle ground found that satisfies both parties.
Chapter 24: I have not really had to deal with any conflicts, but one situation comes to mind that you might call a conflict. The level of conflict was Problems to solve. It was during the Career Networking Fair we were trying to set up the lines for check-in. There were 5 people working on this all giving their thoughts on what worked best and what did not. The set up was different then last year so everyone was a bit confused. To top it all off my supervisor was dealing with a parking issue and could not answer her walkie-talkie. I was second in command when it came to set up so I went down to help. This only added to the stress and after listening to everyone's ideas and changing the flow of the line 3 times, I had to step back and look at the mess. Luckily Scott Ryan walked by and I could ask him for his thoughts, as the line was building for students to get in line! I went back and let them know that it was not going to be perfect it just had to make some kind of sense and so we made a line. Did it make sense, No, did it work for the most part, yes! So it all worked out in the end.
Chapter 25: I have seen the community-building program model in use at the career center. We have a new program call Career Center Student Representatives. This program allows students to be involved with the Career Networking fairs by taking on a variety of roles. It is brand new as of this semester. The 2nd yr in my department is in charge of this but I was very interested so I took on more and more roles as it grew. We reached out to all honor and academic groups to see who would be interested in the program and had a total of 8 students sign up. We then had a training overview session and allowed the students to sign up for what ever shift they would like. On friday we are having a round table to see what they thought of this and any suggestions they may have to improve this program. At times this process was overwhelming because there were only 4 people working to create this, but I think as it grows it will become a valuable program in the career center.
Chapter 24 I think Student Government functions mostly as the “information dissemination” type of group. The majority of our students come for Tuesday night senate meetings and don’t have much interaction beyond that. It seems like a select few who play a large role and spend the most time in our office. I wish we were more like the second type – the community-building model. Our newest senators are headed off on a retreat with the veteran senators this weekend, I hope by the time we bring them back to campus on Saturday they feel like they can play more of a role within SG. Chapter 25 One of my favorite political sciences professors at Iowa would say almost every week that “politics is all about the power and not everyone can have it”. I’m reminded of how true that is almost every day when I go to work. During election time I had to mediate a conflict between two students who had never even met. All they knew about each other is that they were both running for a senate seat. Both reported the other for campaign violations and argued that their competitor should be removed from the race all together. I would say it was a dispute, there was a lot of finger pointing and accusations, and I had to negotiate with both of them in order to get the situation back under control. I explained to both that they would potentially have to work together if elected and this was a bad way to start their relationship. But…like my professor said…not everyone can have a senate seat and they were both pretty determined.
To be honest, I really haven't had to deal with any real conflict in my assistantship. Like Lisa (and some others), I may have had to deal with some "pseudo conflict" a time or two, but it has never been anything more than a passive-aggressive email from an student organization about a USFSP policy. To resolve this "conflict" I used student development theory by opening opportunities to learn from and correct mistakes. I'm pretty strict on rules, but much lighter on consequences. As long as I am being fair and just, I consider the work I do as a learning opportunity not only for myself, but for others as well. In the example I am thinking of with the email, I worked with the individual to make sure they acknowledged what they had done wrong and then gave them the opportunity to correct their mistake.
I think I've had a lot of experiences with both models. In my assistantship, I've gotten to utilize the Community-Building model through a series called Coffee and Conversation. Part of the requirements of the grant that I work with is that my office provide some sort of training for community non-profits (the actual grant is complicated and would take to long to explain) in order to better provide community links between them, USFSP, and the student philanthropy boards we help set up to provide grants to the non-profits (hope that tracked well). I personally have developed a sense of ownership in my community, but I've gotten feedback from our non-profit partners that they too are developing a sense of ownership in their relationship with USFSP. This partnership and programming is new and is something I'm still working on, but I imagine it growing into something much larger.
Chapter 25 discusses community building and specifically explains the differences between 2 programming models: the program development model which ultimately promotes the "dissemination of information" (p. 542) and the Community-Building model which promotes programs as a "resource and participant with other learners" (p. 543). In your undergraduate or assistantship experiences, which model(s) have you seen used? Describe what the program was trying to accomplish, what steps were taken to achieve the goal, and the practices that were done well and poorly. How did the approach (either instructive, program-development or interactive community-building) impact the program & its results? Were there any outside factors, such as the 3 mentioned on page 548-involvement, technology, and community expectations, that may have also impacted the program & its results?
ReplyDeleteAs an undergraduate student, I regularly volunteered with a student organization for Habitat for Humanity. As you probably know, the goal is to provide housing ownership opportunities for families who would struggle with this on their own. We always enjoyed working with Habitat for Humanity & had a great bonding experience with the community members until the lunch break (every time). At lunch, the Habitat site leaders would tell us about the mission, goals and other purposes of Habitat for Humanity. At this point, the experience stopped being interactive and became a lecture. These experiences have showed me how the approach & attitude one takes towards community programming can really impact the attitude & perceptions of the participants. We enjoyed our work with Habitat, but inevitably, when we would talk about it later, had to mention the lecture we received at lunch.
ReplyDeleteI have had the opportunity to take part in both the program development model and the community-building development model. The model in which I can relate to the most and have been more involved with is the community-building development model due to my involvement with my fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha. As a fraternity, we have many national initiatives that we spearhead or have major partnerships with, such as the Go-to-High School, Go-to-College Program, Project Alpha, and Big Brothers/Big Sisters. The one program in which I feel brings about the most sense of community is our initiative on voting called A Voteless People is a Hopeless People.
ReplyDeleteThe purpose of this initiative is to raise the awareness about the importance of voting as a community by registering people to vote and provide them with the most up-to-date information about the elections and its candidates. On numerous occasions at USF, my fraternity has held voter’s registration drives, rallies, and debate watch parties for the USF community. Whenever we host one of these programs, we make sure to always discuss the purpose and goals of not only the initiative of A Voteless People is a Hopeless People, but of our fraternity as a whole. We do this as a means to bring about the idea of “community capacity building,” as stated on page 544 of the book, because we want to bring together a community that takes part and advocates for voting.
Chapter 24 is about conflict resolution. The book talks about 7 different levels of conflict(pseudo-conflict, latent conflict, problems to solve, dispute, cry for help, fight or flight, and intractable), four theories to help understand conflict(student development, orgizational development, community development, and multiculturalism), 5 different tactics for addressing conflict(conflict resolution, intergroup dialogue, mediation, negotiation, and arbitration) and finally two different approached to conflict resolution(Ury, Brett, and Goldberg Model and The Thomas-Kilman Model). Think of a time during your assistantship where you have had to resolve a conflict. Choose the level of the conflict, the theory and tactic(s) you used to address the conflict and which model you used to resolve your conflict. Looking back on your conflict, do you feel you could have of handled your conflict better knowing what you do after reading the chapter?
ReplyDeleteI have been pretty lucky so far in my assistantship and have not had to deal with any conflicts past the first level(althought I am sure this will change next semester when basketball starts). The pseudo conflict that I had to deal with this week was taking away an officials games because he did not show up for his shift. I used student development theory to address the conflict. This theory was most helpful because it gave him a second chance to be an official and learn from the situation(hopefully he did)and the tactic I used was conflict resolution.Finally, the conflict resolution model I used was Ury, Brett, and Goldberg. I feel this was most helpful becuase it helped me hear his side of the story and I was able to get my point across and we both agreed that I was right and missing a shift was not acceptable. After reading this chapter I do not think I would change how I handeled the situation because it was very minor, however, after reading this I will be able to reference the book when I do have to deal with more intense conflicts.
ReplyDeleteOne conflict I have encountered during my assistantship is when students come to our office because they think that we offer financial aid & are then upset when we explain that the scholarships & awards we work with are geared towards future goals and activities outside of the classroom more than their undergraduate education. This is a pseudo conflict because it is based off of an insufficient exchange of information and poor communication. This conflict is still in the process of being resolved, but I think that organizational development theory for conflict resolution will fit best. THe Ury, Brett & Goldberg Model for conflict resolution fits best for this situation because it advocates identifying interests and parties working together to find a resolution. Maybe our office should work to find out from students what they find most useful about knowing what we do and how to communicate that with students. This conflict is ongoing, but slowly we are trying to send our message to students.
ReplyDeleteChapter 24: I have experienced levels of conflict from level 3:problem solving to level 5: cry for help in my assistantship. The Ury, Brett, and Goldberg Model and directed dialogue has worked best. A recent complicated roommate conflict that I am handling has escalated to the point that one of the roommates doesn't think it can be resolved. I set up meetings with each of the roommates seperatedly and got permission from each of them to have directed dialogue with the both of them. A problems to solve conflict that was easily solved by speaking to both residents seperately and finding out what their concerns were, then bringing both roommates together to share those concerns with one another.
ReplyDeleteChapter 25: In my assistantship I helped to the Cypress Hall community building programming model. Our model specifically focuses on learning outcomes that the University as a whole has embraced. Some of the learning outcomes are: critical thinking, multicultural competance, and personal responsibility. These learning outcomes are displayed through creation of bulletin boards as well as programming. Since we have 18 different RAs, some students may benefit more or less depending on the program their RA chooses. This is why we also encourgage RAs to survery their residents to see what they want to experience with programming.
In chapter 24, it was interesting to learn the difference between conflict and dispute. I had never considered these two separately; but it now makes sense that a dispute is very specific and conflict is a larger issue. Also the information about situation and emotional conflict was helpful. I agree that these two types of conflict have elements that blend together.
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 25, it was good learn the difference between the conventional approach and community based approach. I agree that individuals feel a deeper sense of community and investment in things they help to create. I discovered this in my experience with Green & Gold Guides. Of course we had standards and protocol to follow established by Admissions; but when it came to the function and operation of our organization we were given much ownership. Very often our advisor, J. Earnest, would say “This is your organization, we want you to make it personal for you”. As I read this chapter, many things from my undergrad experiences began to become clear.
Chapter 24: I recently experienced a latent conflict with a student I advise. Without getting into details, her financial aid has not been released due some information about her parents the student was not aware of when she filled out the FAFSA. The student was trying to convey to me that she was more concerned about the financial piece rather than the emotions she was feeling after learning this new information. I could tell she was in denial and I struggled to try to ask questions that would let her know I was actively listening, had empathy for her, and was attempting to help her problem solve. I encouraged her to go to the counseling center, but she kept saying she needed time to "think". This issue still has not been resolved (financial piece or emotional piece), but I continue to offer her my support and assistance.
ReplyDeleteChapter 25: In my undergraduate experience, I was a member of KDP, the Education Honors Society, at my college. This organization took a strong community-building approach to programming. As members, we had a strong say in the types of programs and activities we would be a part of, rather than the executive board always making decisions. As a result, we had excellent attendance rates and participation at meetings and events. Our voices were heard, which led to frequent changes, resulting in a dynamic environment that was engaging for all. Schlossberg's mattering theory might be applicable here. Since everyone felt they mattered, involvement rates were high.
Chapter 24:
ReplyDeleteThere was a conflict that arose in student government in the executive branch involving the chief of staff, his deputy, and the director of student life and traditions (which the chief of staff oversees). The main issue was a lack of communication during an event and the follow up conversation had afterward. I was sitting in on the follow up conversation as an observer and noticed it was getting a little out of hand so I stepped in and eventually ended it. In actuality, it was no more than a pseudo-conflict in organizational development that I was able to help combat with conflict resolution and mediation. I don’t think I would say I could have handled the conflict better after reading this chapter because I feel as though I handled it decently. I allowed the parties to discuss their points and when it began to get a little crazy I was able to interject, discuss and end the conversation.
Chapter 25:
While I was in student government at my undergraduate institution we were hands on with the surrounding community, but one of our major projects that sticks out in my mind was assisting in filling the pantry for Catholic Charities of Dade City. We would collect canned goods and nonperishable items from members of the university as well as allocate some of our student government funds to go shopping to make sure the pantry for the low income and homeless members was stocked full at least once a semester. There was never an expectation from Catholic Charities, but were always so grateful for the work we were able to do. It was a rewarding feeling for us as much as it was for them.
Chapter 24:
ReplyDeleteAlthough my assistantship has had some minor psuedoconflicts at level 1, a conflict that stands out in my mind is from my work in property management. Like Monica with roommate issues, in property management, there are neighborly issues of noise disturbances. I would categorize this as a level 4 Dispute. One neighbor thought his noise level was reasonable where the other neighbor thought it was not. We had to meet with each neighbor individually and then have a group meeting to resolve the conflict. The Ury, Brett, and Goldberg Model actually lined up well with what happened. We had to deal with their interests and emotions, determine the rights of both renters, and eventually when mediation did not work, we explicated power setting a reasonable decible level for tv and sound system usage. Dealing with this type of dispute was a regular occurance and tended to be more complicated with the involvement of adults. Although college students have similar types of disputes, I found that even with mediation and conflict resolution, these adults tend to be very set in their ways and beleifs and are not open to conflict resolution attempts. That is why we had to force our decision on the neighbors.
Chapter 25:
I was involved with student government and planning for the class of 2007 events. As a class, we tried to use a community building programming model. No one set out specific goals for us, but we were able to determine how best to program to reach the most students. This autonomous role allowed us to build community programming and in the process it increased attendance and participation in our events. The level of community involvement was a challenge in the process, but considering that barrier, we feel we exceeded our realistic goal for the number of participants.
Chapter 24:
ReplyDeleteIn my assistantship I see conflicts literally every other day. The biggest and most common level of conflict is “problems to solve.” This happens when I work the ropes course with the students and we have to delegate who works what position. There is a position called “ground” which basically means you have to stay on the floor the whole time and it is the least favorite and involved position. No one ever wants to work it. I literally have seen students yell at each other because they felt they didn’t have to work it because they had seniority or worked it last week or something else. The Ury, Brett, and Goldberg Model helps me deal with these situations. Mostly when it comes to the third dimension dealing with power. I say this because someone has to work ground and it is part of the job. I tell my staff if they want to work at the ropes course expect to work ground every time or else do not sign up. When the conflict happens in front of me I just pick one and tell them that next time you guys work together you will switch so the other person works ground. Sometimes you just have to put your foot down and resolve the conflict as quick as you can because this specific conflict I have heard before I got to my assistantship is something they always argue about. But, you have to set precedent and show that for now on this is how it is going to be so that they do not make it a habit of always fight about it.
Chapter 25:
The model that I have had the most experience with is the community-building model. Just like Greg, I am involved in a fraternity, Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc. In my fraternity we have done over a hundred hours of community service from road clean ups to participating in S.O.S. and Community Plunge and doing our own community service work. What we made and continue to do work in is Seraph Inc. a non-profit organization dedicated to simply help people in need.
We have helped raise money to give scholarships to high school students to attend USF, and help build houses in Mexico for families who are homeless. Our mission is simple and that is to find someone that needs help and help them. We work closely with corporations and business in downtown Tampa that understand what we are about, and that is how we were able to get money and go to a village in Mexico and build a house for a family of over ten people. Technology throughout our whole process aided us in everything we did. From getting in contact with people in different countries and states to simply communicating within our city.
CH25
ReplyDeleteAs an undergraduate I worked for campus recreation and as a fitness student supervisor I often had the free range to come up with programs and incentives for both student participant and campus rec. staff.
For staff I (along with other student leaders)organized a USF Campus Rec. scavenger Hunt for the professional and student staff. All were very competitive and really excited about the future hunt coming up. However, in the past there had been a trend of everyone getting excited and then at the last minute no one showed up to the event. This time around we were more intentional with our planning designating marketers, street teams, people to guide each teams participating, and it proved to be very effective and fun. I think the cash prizes had a lot to do with it though!
CH24
In my assistantship I have had to deal with some student staff not showing up promptly for their shifts continually (Pseudo Conflict). What I decided to o is to put the student staff on a 4 week probation of limited shifts Student development. I used the student development in hopes that the staff would learn the value of being prompt to not only to the job but to class and to any other appointment they have. This particular staff is a hard worker and values his/her job so limiting his/her shifts was enough to give him/her the jolt they need to get back on track and he/she agreed that this situation was a good experience that would help in the future to prevent this not so good habit.
After reading the chapter I don't think I would have handled or used any other theories. I do hope to get better at these conflict resolutions.
A conflict I have seen in my assistantship is with students questioning their aid package. Some students expect certain aid based on what they received in the past, but the many different variables that go into calculating the aid package can influence awards year to year. One student expected grants she had received the year before and came in saying she turned in the FAFSA before the priority deadline. This was a psudo-conflict and there was a insufficient exchange of information because even though she submitted the FAFSA before the priority date, she has failed to turn in the other requested documents posted on OASIS needed before the award process could start. I used the student development theory and conflict resolution and Thomas-Kilmans collaboration in this situation.
ReplyDeleteAs an RA our staff worked with the building counsel to put on programs for all the residents in our building. One program was an event where residents could showcase their talents and bel appreciated by the rest of the resident community. The RAs and building counsel worked together to promote the event, the student performers and to create an environment that would feel make all the residents feel included. The model used in creating these programs was the community-building model where as students we were able to be engaged and learn by going through the process. Since we were able to use the approach of community-building we took responsibility for the successes and failures of the program and this may not have been the case if we had used the program-development model. Community expectation were an outside factor that influenced the program and results. These community expectations between the RAs and the building counsel led to more positive results with the program.
Ch. 24: I have not had to deal with too many conflicts in my assistantship, thankfully. But I do occasionally have pseudo-conflicts that occur when attempting to ensure that a task gets accomplished by student eboard members. I assume that the task is understood and the arbitrary deadline I set for approval is acknowledged. On more than one occasion, submission has been lax. To address this, I used the student development theory to allow the students to see for themselves the benefit of submitting work early and to make adjustments with enough time so no one faces the stressful burden of figuring things out last minute. The tactics I used were a mix of satisficing solutions and conflict resolution, to allow the students to recognize a solution can exist as a compromise. The conflict resolution model I implemented was the Thomas-Kilman Model, to allow for a solution to be handled in a number of modes, depending on the personal dispositions of the individual students. In the future, I could have the students to acknowledge before agreeing to doing something that they could face obstacles that prevent them from completing the task on time.
ReplyDeleteAs an RA I used both the program development model and the community building model. My first year as an RA, my biggest challenge was trying to build a community in an upper class hall. This was especially difficult because the upperclassmen were not as motivated as the first year students to get involved in the hall. It was harder to get students to participate in RHA and there were lower turn outs for programs than there were in the first year halls. In the beginning I did a lot of social programs so that my residents could get to know each other. After realizing that they needed a motive to come to programs I began to think of new ideas for how I could do that. I started doing programs that applied more to them such as: resume building, and career search programs. There was more of a turn out for programs such as these because this is what they were focusing on especially the juniors and seniors. By incorporating these types of programs, my residents came out, got to know each other, and then were more likely to come out to other programs that they wouldn’t have if they did not meet others on their floor. I also incorporated some passive programming with my bulletin boards to get them involved in ways that did not involve much effort. This approach became very successful and helped me build community faster the following years.
ReplyDeleteAs an RA I have dealt with pretty much every type of conflict possible. Within my assistantship, I have dealt with some pseudo-conflict and latent conflict levels. On type of conflict that I am currently dealing with in my assistantship is with the tutoring program. Two of my students have expressed that they would like a different tutor because their current tutor is not really helping them with their classes. Some problems that the tutors may be having are: method of tutoring, lack of knowledge for the subject or perhaps lack of memory for the material. Although, this conflict has not been solved yet, I plan on having a one on one conversation with the tutors so that I can better understand what methods they are using and if they think these methods are working and if not how can they better understand the material and/or methods they are using. I will explain that I must look out for the student and explain that their tutoring services will no longer be used for that particular subject but perhaps with more training they can continue tutoring in different subject areas and other students.
Chapter 24: We handle a lot of conflict in Housing and Res Ed. One that comes readily to mind is a suitemate conflict that occurred a few weeks into of the year. The level of this conflict was Problems to Solve, both suitemates saw a situation differently and the conflict escalated pretty quickly. We almost always use student development theory when dealing with conflicts in housing because we want the students to learn how to live together and learn how to solve their own conflicts eventually. In this particular conflict we attempted to use mediation, which would have likely been partially effective, but one of the suitemates involved in the conflict decided not to attend the mediation. Because the conflict involved two suitemates and their living situation we used the Ury, Brett and Goldberg Model of conflict resolution. Even after reading about conflict resolution, I'm not sure this particular conflict could have been handled better. I do think though that this information will be helpful in future conflicts.
ReplyDeleteChapter 25:
ReplyDeleteAlong with most organizations, through my sorority I used the community-building model. Through different community service projects and activities, the leaders in positions (through the events planned) would be providing the members the tools they needed with events that allowed them to affect change in the communities. Ranging from simple events such as potluck dinners with alumni, to the annual trick-or-treating for eyeglasses; or large scale events at Shriners Children’s Hospital. It was exciting to see that over the years, the community was excited to be involved in annual activities and remembered things that would occur. These types of events bring together the individuals of the organization for a common purpose, and the community. The community establishes a trust to the organization, and the members learn a deeper reliance for one another.
During my assistantship I have seen the program development model used during the beginning of the semester. The Financial Aid office receives a plethora of information in terms of student grades, academic progress, financial aid to be dispersed, and student residency locations. The outlined goal regarding all of this information is to make sure that the student receives the appropriate amount of financial aid eligible to him or her, or to reach students in regards to default loans or other financial matters. To reach this goal employees, grad assistants, and student employees updated a series of software that classifies information, discussed efficiency matters, made plans to contact students, and worked within federal regulations.
ReplyDeleteOverall, the goals of the program were met with satisfactory results. I believe that the approach impacted the program by showcasing the effectiveness and efficiency of the employees, and highlighted possible areas of improvement. For example, working closer with other departments to disburse information and aid more quickly was substantiated as a possible improvement. Lastly, I believe that all three—involvement, technology, and community expectations—impacted the program with satisfactory results.
Taking a note from Labs' post, I think that the financial aid office could learn something from a sorority. After all, they are known for the engagement with the community--both on campus and off. This sense of engagement, while not potentially on the same level as a sorority, could be fostered in the financial aid community. By this, I mean a better sense of student needs and wants, and a better relation them as well.
ReplyDeleteCh. 24 While fortunate because I have not been involved in a lot of conflict in my assistantship yet, I have had some instances of students being upset in regards to their financial aid matters. One that stands out the most involves a cry for help—quite literally, actually. A student during the beginning of the semester came to the front counter to discuss the nature of her aid, because she was puzzled about the nature of her financial status. She was in good academic standing, but could not figure out why she had holds on her OASIS account. Come to find out she was taking graduate level courses, never filled out a certain form, and therefore the computer system did not recognize her complete credit hours. Naturally, she was dumb founded because she said that she was not aware of such a form. If that was not bad enough she was informed that she would have to pay $8,000 before she could be back in good graces with the university; she began to sob.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion the only real option I had to implement involving theory was the Thomas-Kilman Model. This was because multiple parties would not have been of much help and she had a personal matter that had to be dealt with. I tried to console her, but there really was not much that I could do. She would have to deal with this issue the best way she saw fit, discussing it with the President or paying the cash…. After reading the chapter, I am not really sure that there would have been anything additional that I could have done for her. Her situation was one of circumstance and bewilderment, not processes.
Chapter 24 -I have also been fortunate enough to not have had many conflicts in my assistantship so far. Similar to Huda, I have struggled with encouraging a specific group of students to meet deadlines that I set for them. I saw this as a latent conflict, where I acknowledge that the group does not produce timely submissions, and the students forget or assume they can make submissions whenever they get to it. Student development theory would best address this conflict, as the students realize they must make timely submissions to demonstrate the commitment they made to the program. The Ury, Brett, and Goldberg model may best help resolve the conflict. We addressed that the group still shares the same interests and goals for the program, and that certain work needs to be done to achieve those goals. By addressing what I can do to help the students achieve those goals has addressed the power dimension. Having a conversation about expectations and what will be done to meet them has improved the way the students approach the program.
ReplyDeleteChapter 25 - During my undergraduate experience, I regularly volunteered with a group called Hoops for Hopes that was a part of a larger community service association. When I first joined, the group did not have a high attendance rate or attract a lot of students. This was largely due to the fact that the “hoops” part was missing from the organization; the group mainly focused on tutoring grade school children. With some strong leadership, the group changed locations, offered the opportunity for college students to interact with the middle school students during an open gym, and offered tutoring for the students who needed it. Over the course of my experience, the group began to have committed volunteers that developed into a community. Now that the group consisted of all interested individuals, further community-building aspects were evident, such as problem solving and taking responsibility. This group became an example for other groups in the association, and was recognized for its unique approach to serving disadvantaged youth.
I am glad chapter 25 was in this week because this past weekend I officiated in the inner city for kids who are able to play basketball at minimal cost. At the boys and girls club we ref kids games and each week the program director picks a point of emphasis and uses sport to reach children at an early age who are not raised or live in the best environments. Each week the kids learn a new characteristic and apply it to the game. The coaches give speeches on the point of the week and we participate and help explain different things to the kids without penalty(most of the time). I think this league is trying to show the kids the right way to handle different situation physically, mentally, and emotionally and provide them with skills that are helpful on and off the court. The only part that was done poorly was the intensity of the coaches but I was told that this was going to be addressed this week. Overall I think it is a great idea and the kids really seem to learn and enjoy their time playing.
ReplyDeleteCh. 25: During my time as an undergrad, I regularly volunteered with a student group called, “DC Reads”. As a program under our Center for Social Justice, it revolved heavily around the “community-building model,” seeking to interactively engage the metropolitan community with the campus community. The organization was well established and students could tutor a wide variety of populations in DC, mainly under-privileged kids, recent immigrants (children and adult literacy programs), and charter schools (taught in both English and Spanish). I think it was so rewarding and successful due to the dual outside factors of involvement and community expectation.
ReplyDeleteDuring an event that my office was sponsoring, I had to resolve a conflict with an individual. It was definitely a “latent conflict” considering that I was having an issue with the situation. The individual was worried that they were giving me too much work to complete for the event. So, instead of them talking to me about it, they made decisions to take some of the load off when I didn’t need this at all. I was completely capable of handling the tasks needed to be done, and had they talked to me about it, they would have known otherwise. To resolve the conflict, I used the Thomas-Kilman model which worked out. I learned that I needed to look at whole perspective, the intentions behind the person’s actions. Also, I had to separate the person from the actual issue. Doing this made it easy for me to address the issue because their intentions were great, but the assumption made wasn’t accurate. Since the conflict boiled down to communication, the situation made our level of communication much better.
ReplyDeleteAs for the next response, I’m going to take a trip down memory lane back to my undergraduate days
When I was a resident assistant at Rutgers, I had the opportunity to see both models being used. Back in March, I headed the 1st Annual LIVE. LOVE. BE. HIV/AIDS Awareness Ball 2010. The purpose of the event was to bring the Rutgers community together and raise support to bring awareness towards the HIV/AIDS epidemic. All of the funds raised went to a local AIDS foundation. With weeks of planning and collaborating with other organization, the event proved to be a success. People became more aware of HIV/AIDS and how to support efforts to prevent it which falls along the program development model. Since the Rutgers community came together in this effort to support it, the aspect of community building was utilized as well. Involvement and technology played a huge role. RU-tv covered the event on-site as well as creating a promotional commercial for the event and an interview on their morning show. Social media and flyering also helped with promotions. As a whole, the people from different areas of the Rutgers community including Greek life, Student Life, Residence Life, RU-tv and the like got involved in some form which definitely contributed to the success of the event. And…Rochelly played a BIG role in the AIDS Ball, too
Chapter 25. I've had the most experience with "Dissemination of Information." While "Community Building" is more fun, I think it must be noted that type of population you're dealing with and their particular personalities plays a part in which model works best. Most of my experiences have been with first-generation/minority/at-risk students. Their needs call for more of a dissemination of information model. Community building implies that the students have brought to the table their own prior experiences. Many of my students need a more direct approach. However, I've found that utilizing a mixture of both has been helpful. I think outside factors can certainly play a huge part in which design is used. In secondary ed and in dealing with the population I spoke about, community expectations, the school board and administration greatly influence the latitude teachers/leaders have in choosing a method. Due to the growing push for "results now!" less emphasis is being placed on the students' overall experience, which is unfortunate.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed Chapter 24. Conflict resolution is a too-often overlooked aspect of leadership. I've dealt with all 7 different levels of conflict. Students are very adept at concealing issues/problems/conflicts so SA professionals must be equally adept at recognizing the signs of conflict. I think multiculturalism is still the least utilized and least understood tactic for addressing conflict.
Chapter 24:
ReplyDeleteIn my assistantship, since I do not work with students, I do not really have any of the levels of conflict addressed (1-7), but I sometimes have conflicting opinions of what would be best way to tackle projects, with others in the office. With the evolvement of technology, my ideas may be different than those of 10 years ago. Although, I do think that this is an important chapter when working with students and I think that the basic guidelines for effective conflict resolution (pg 535) are important to note when advising student organizations as well as when working with students in a variety of settings. I personally like the “take the realistic and positive approach” by remaining positive, and giving alternative opinions and advice on the situations, while steering away from all the negative aspects.
Chapter 24: In my GA, I would say I have observed a situation that is actually still in progress. While I am not directly involved, I am definitely witnessing and hearing both sides of what is going on. I feel the level it falls into would be either latent or problems to solve, as I am not sure if one of the persons involved truly recognizes what the true problem is. I think what could help to address it is to use the organizational development theory through the human resources frame. Right now, I think both parties involved are in disagreement because of a difference in needs, and that there is insufficient communication between the two to clearly establish the needs of one another and the group overall. Since this is a conflict in process, I cannot say which model is used for resolution. However, if I could look ahead and guess how it will play out, my assumption would be the Thomas-Kilman Model of either collaboration or compromise. I say this based on the personalities of those involved and how I think they will come to a better point in this working relationship.
ReplyDeleteChapter 25: Definitely the Community-Building Model was in use during my involvement with the Old Masters program at Purdue. Thinking about the football championship example, much of the campus would get swept up with the Old Masters program and series of events, but the team, those of us on the Central Committee and the Hosts/Hostesses, were the ones who planned and prepared for the 3 day event. The piece that sticks out to me is “collaboration and mutual work is expected.” I think this is such an important piece of community building that we help each other to complete the tasks at hand. With Old Masters, it was set up as Co-Chairs for each area of responsibility, so collaboration and teamwork were part of the design and truly helped to build a sense of community.
As an undergrad and grad I volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters. Simply hanging out with my little brother in the program has been rewarding for both him and myself. The program uses a community development model. BBBS doesn’t have a very structured approach to it, it’s simply me driving to his house and picking him up to go play basketball or something. It runs off of the statistic that children with positive role models succeed in life more.
ReplyDeleteI think everyone can agree that students not showing up to work is a common problem in our assistantships. The dilemma that we have learning outcome expectations. We give many second chances in the hopes that the student will learn from their mistake and grow. Student development theory often keeps us from throwing the hammer down on our students, and reasoning with them that they need to change their ways.
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ReplyDeleteIn Financial Aid, we spend a lot of time on program development. Rather than focus on the needs of the community, it is looking at the individual students. Each year, we send out a survey and allow open ended responses from the students about the areas where we can improve. We want to make sure that we are providing the students the resources and information to make well informed financial aid decisions. By reaching out to the students, it allows them to be involved in the process. We also use student focus groups to improve processes each year. For the students, this is an ongoing model of involvement, as they are able to shape the direction of financial aid each year. The goal each year is to allow for instructive opportunities for all of the students that utilize the office of financial aid. We are seeking constant feedback and improvement.
ReplyDeleteIn Financial Aid, we spend a lot of time on program development. Rather than focus on the needs of the community, it is looking at the individual students. Each year, we send out a survey and allow open ended responses from the students about the areas where we can improve. We want to make sure that we are providing the students the resources and information to make well informed financial aid decisions. By reaching out to the students, it allows them to be involved in the process. We also use student focus groups to improve processes each year. For the students, this is an ongoing model of involvement, as they are able to shape the direction of financial aid each year. The goal each year is to allow for instructive opportunities for all of the students that utilize the office of financial aid. We are seeking constant feedback and improvement.
ReplyDeleteCh. 24: I have not had to deal with a lot of conflict in my assistantship yet. I experience conflict when I go out to the counter part in financial aid, but I am still in training so I get help dealing with it. However, I have noticed other coworkers get in conflictual situations. There happens to be two people who sit around me who constantly get in arguments because they want control in power, which falls under the problems to solve category. They do not really use any theories to address these problems and it seems to be getting worse so there are a lot of areas of improvements they could work on.
ReplyDeleteCh. 25: I have experienced both program development model and community building model. An example of the community building model is the activities that I did in some of the clubs I was in during my undergrad. In one of my clubs we would sponsor 5k races that would raise money to give back to the local community or hospital. It was very rewarding and I don't have any complaints about it. This experience actually made me think about going into social work or marketing. I want to continue to give back to the community and look forward to having an adviser role for a student organization soon in this program.
Chapter 24: In Orientation, we encounter conflicts almost daily, more specifically when we are in session for the summer. The number one conflict is communication and being able to clarify very complicated, new, and exciting issues to students and families, while working collectively with other organizations and offices on campus, as well as handling an upwards of 45 OTL's. Needless to say it can be a bit stressful and there are many conflicts that occur during the day that can range from pseudo to intractable. We try to resolve any conflict imemdiately and with as much ease as possible, thinking of the students and families overall interest at heart. With that being said, I think a personal conflict that I have had to deal with in my assistantship had to do with communication and execution of a program that was carried out by undergraduate students. The program was overseen by myself, and I had conducted meetings within my professional staff to get all the information and "requirements" that I need to successfully carry out this program. I discussed this approach and regulations with the undergraduate students and they assured me that everything was going to be handled on their end. The program occured, and a situation was brought to my attention that the students did not carry out the agreed upon procedure that was discussed within our senior staff, and in the individual meetings with the students. Needless to say, the task that was not completed was left for others to do it, that was not their job; this created tension and a conflict. It was thought there was a miscommunication where I did not tell the students the appropraite information making a bit tension. This was at the level between pseudo and latent conflict. The main problem was, instead of comming to me with an issue, staff members talked about it and just got more irritated with the situation without knowing all of the factors-lack of communication. A student development theory was used to help resolve the issue. I approached the students and discussed what the issue was, and where we went wrong. They admitted to being lazy and not carrying out their portion of the assignment, we used this as a learning moment for them. I took that information back to other staff members and discussed the real issue and where we can improve in the future.
ReplyDeleteChapter 25: I believe the most prominent model that I see and work with everyday is program development model. Orientation is a very complex program to develop, with the interest of students and families at heart. From planning to implimentation, Saunders and Cooper's Program Model expresses almost exactly what all goes into Orientation. All three areas, involvement, technology, and community expectations, are possible impacts to the program. An example with technology is moving toward a virtual orientation for those circumstances that cannot attend. It also has moved to virtual interaction so students can get information before they come to Orientation. We have also moved to online registration for classes, while students are in session. That is a lot of people and a lot of computer space that is needed, which is one of our number one technological issues we are facing right now-the availability of technology on campus.
1. In my assistantship in the CLCE, I often see the community-building model. I wouldn't say anybody uses it intentionally as much as it is a result of the organizational structure of our office. We are here as a support system and resource for those students who want to get involved and want to make USF a living community for their personal growth and development. What we really see as the outside factor that impacts our work is involvement. I've noticed, particularly at USF, involvement is hard to come by and I suppose it stems from the fact that USF is a commuter school. I know others in assistantships that call for student involvement outside of class would probably agree, but it is something that we continue to push forward with.
ReplyDeleteSimilar to Monica, I have also experienced level 3 conflicts like problems to solve to level 5 conflict of cry for help. And I would agree with Monica that what has worked best for me in those situations so far has been the directed dialogue model from Ury, Brett, and Goldberg. We have a saying here in the CLCE and that's "Keep it Real", meaning we like to talk things out. When students (or colleagues) have conflicts, we like to dialogue about it and be sure that we can clear the air and everyone feels heard. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, we typically get to the bottom of it immediately.
Chapter 25:I have experienced both the program development model and community building model in my professional work experience. I have found that information coming from the top of an organization, such as in a staff meeting will utilize information dissmenation. Sub units of an office or department with smaller groups led by a supervisor will most likely utilize more team building exercises. As a whole the department will be strong as long as each sub unit builds unity among themselves. Most departments will have retreats or getaways that involve community building interaction among an entire staff. These allow many interactions that probably do not occur as often during normal work days. I see both models as necessary and influential. In terms of efficiency, getting information out quickly to employees is important. keeping the team mentality intact through smaller group exercises is something that will also benefit staff members and contribute to a successful work environment.
ReplyDeleteOne of the duties in my assistantship is to handle all of the social event registrations. Just some quick background information for those who may not be familiar with this process. Fraternities and Sororities host social events and there are rules and guidlines they have to follow and they must register all social events with the office, if they fail to follow all of the rules for registering the event they end up with having to pay fines or even have their events cancelled. Many a times I have had to call a fraternity or sorority and cancel one of their events or issue late fines to them (which aren't cheap). I have had to deal with some irate fraternity and sorority leaders who have been yelling at me on the phone asking if there is an appeal process and telling me that it's not their fault the form is late and making up excuses left and right. These aren't exactly long drawn out conflict issues but they are conflicts that need to be handled none the less. The skill I have found most beneficial is remembering to breathe. While it would be very easy for me to yell back at the students it wouldn't be very professional so I must remember to take a deep breath and calmly explain the situation to the students and be sure to explain what went wrong so it doesn't happen again. But if the worst happens and the student fails to be reasoned with I am blessed to have a strong staff that backs me up and allows for guidance in those situations.
ReplyDeleteI recently encountered a fight/flight conflict which a student and a community partner could not come to a common agreement. It escalated to the point that I was forced to separate the student from the program that the community partner is involved with. Both of them were very defensive and the conflict became about both of them instead of the issue at hand. The resolution, even after 3rd party consulting, was to make sure the two would never be required to speak again. The hostility became overwhelming. After looking at chapter 24 and experiencing the conflict there are many things I wish I could have done differently. But as we learned in ecology, I did the best I could at the time and next time I will be more prepared.
ReplyDeleteI can agree with Ryan, I do not believe anything at the University resembles the community building model than our office. Everyday we provide intentional opportunities for students to volunteer for service to help their local community. We just compiled some statistics that tell us we have worked with over 40 community partners so far this fall semester. I use it everyday and provide an opportunity for about 45 of our students to earn a wage while working with the community.
I think within my assistantship I have seen the community building program model. Athletics tries to do a lot of community service, and to build relationships within the surrounding area. This summer, I worked with the Men's Soccer team to do a week of Community service. We focused on all different areas from kids, to thrift stores, to homeless shelters. There is a big push to be involved in the community within athletics, and to give back. When being involved with the community building program model, I feel there is a sense of leadership that is instilled. I as well as my students have to be able to assess a situation and learn from it and the people they interact with.
ReplyDeleteChapter 24: I have experienced conflict within my assistantship. Especially between faculty on campus and athletics. With men's soccer there is a lot of school missed because of competition. During season the coach may not see an immediate problem with the amount of academics missed, or it is not a priority, and may expect faculty to understand. On the other hand the faculty are not willing to give up academics for athletics, and the conflict emerges. I believe this is a problem to solve that is result of differences in power, values, style, culture, and role ambiguity. I really think there is a power struggle amongst the faculty and coaches, and there needs to be a middle ground found that satisfies both parties.
Chapter 24:
ReplyDeleteI have not really had to deal with any conflicts, but one situation comes to mind that you might call a conflict. The level of conflict was Problems to solve. It was during the Career Networking Fair we were trying to set up the lines for check-in. There were 5 people working on this all giving their thoughts on what worked best and what did not. The set up was different then last year so everyone was a bit confused. To top it all off my supervisor was dealing with a parking issue and could not answer her walkie-talkie. I was second in command when it came to set up so I went down to help. This only added to the stress and after listening to everyone's ideas and changing the flow of the line 3 times, I had to step back and look at the mess. Luckily Scott Ryan walked by and I could ask him for his thoughts, as the line was building for students to get in line! I went back and let them know that it was not going to be perfect it just had to make some kind of sense and so we made a line. Did it make sense, No, did it work for the most part, yes! So it all worked out in the end.
Chapter 25:
I have seen the community-building program model in use at the career center. We have a new program call Career Center Student Representatives. This program allows students to be involved with the Career Networking fairs by taking on a variety of roles. It is brand new as of this semester. The 2nd yr in my department is in charge of this but I was very interested so I took on more and more roles as it grew. We reached out to all honor and academic groups to see who would be interested in the program and had a total of 8 students sign up. We then had a training overview session and allowed the students to sign up for what ever shift they would like. On friday we are having a round table to see what they thought of this and any suggestions they may have to improve this program. At times this process was overwhelming because there were only 4 people working to create this, but I think as it grows it will become a valuable program in the career center.
Chapter 24
ReplyDeleteI think Student Government functions mostly as the “information dissemination” type of group. The majority of our students come for Tuesday night senate meetings and don’t have much interaction beyond that. It seems like a select few who play a large role and spend the most time in our office. I wish we were more like the second type – the community-building model. Our newest senators are headed off on a retreat with the veteran senators this weekend, I hope by the time we bring them back to campus on Saturday they feel like they can play more of a role within SG.
Chapter 25
One of my favorite political sciences professors at Iowa would say almost every week that “politics is all about the power and not everyone can have it”. I’m reminded of how true that is almost every day when I go to work. During election time I had to mediate a conflict between two students who had never even met. All they knew about each other is that they were both running for a senate seat. Both reported the other for campaign violations and argued that their competitor should be removed from the race all together. I would say it was a dispute, there was a lot of finger pointing and accusations, and I had to negotiate with both of them in order to get the situation back under control. I explained to both that they would potentially have to work together if elected and this was a bad way to start their relationship. But…like my professor said…not everyone can have a senate seat and they were both pretty determined.
Chapter 24 -
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I really haven't had to deal with any real conflict in my assistantship. Like Lisa (and some others), I may have had to deal with some "pseudo conflict" a time or two, but it has never been anything more than a passive-aggressive email from an student organization about a USFSP policy. To resolve this "conflict" I used student development theory by opening opportunities to learn from and correct mistakes. I'm pretty strict on rules, but much lighter on consequences. As long as I am being fair and just, I consider the work I do as a learning opportunity not only for myself, but for others as well. In the example I am thinking of with the email, I worked with the individual to make sure they acknowledged what they had done wrong and then gave them the opportunity to correct their mistake.
Chapter 25 -
ReplyDeleteI think I've had a lot of experiences with both models. In my assistantship, I've gotten to utilize the Community-Building model through a series called Coffee and Conversation. Part of the requirements of the grant that I work with is that my office provide some sort of training for community non-profits (the actual grant is complicated and would take to long to explain) in order to better provide community links between them, USFSP, and the student philanthropy boards we help set up to provide grants to the non-profits (hope that tracked well). I personally have developed a sense of ownership in my community, but I've gotten feedback from our non-profit partners that they too are developing a sense of ownership in their relationship with USFSP. This partnership and programming is new and is something I'm still working on, but I imagine it growing into something much larger.