“COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS FY 2010:
BICULTURAL IN AMERICA”
Cohort Practice in Dialogue and Deliberation,
November 2009 – April 2010
Presented by the Center for Professional & Organizational Development, Office of Human Resources
Class Syllabus
Syllabus Contents
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- Coordinator and Facilitator Information
- Background and Theme
- Registration
- Sessions and Topics
- Class Outcomes
- Class Materials and Resources
- Policies
- Logistics and Schedule
- Recognition
9. Follow-up
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1. Coordinator and Facilitator Information
Program Coordinator and Facilitator:Co-facilitator:
Laura White, M.A.Ever Grier, M.A.
Multicultural Training Specialist, CPODCounselor, Student Development
Suite 250, 40WGCB 215-D, Rockville campus
240-567-4297240-567-7648
2. Background and Theme
“What box do I check and what difference does it make?” is the topic to explore in the FY 2010 Community Conversation, part of CPOD’s Multicultural Education Initiative. Each Community Conversations cohort of MC employees becomes a learning community. In six half-day sessions over six months, participants gain new knowledge and create a “practice field” to cultivate competencies for the multicultural workplace. The goal is to engage in a complex social issue impacting the College, and practice intercultural skills such as:deep listening, respectful inquiry, critical thinking, testing assumptions, dialogue and reflection.
In 2008, impetus for an extensive dialogue class camefrom the workplace spillover into “hot words” or tensionfrom the contentious immigrant rights and anti-immigrant movements on the streets and in the media. The theme was a current and complicatedissue that continues to impact students, faculty and staff personally and professionally: “Migration, Immigration and Globalization.” This structured forum for passionate beliefs and ideas was designedbecause inadvertent comments becamedivisive among co-workers, or overheard by students.While the workplace is not the place for debates, avoidance ofcontentious issues works only partially. Establishing norms of constructive conversation --and learning to re-direct colleagues to dialogue—can channel the energy of differences. In fact, practice in constructive conversation enables co-workers to understand one another and MC students. It transfers invaluable intercultural knowledge and information, and unearths “hot buttons” that injure others when opinions or values are expressed without awareness.
This fall Community Conversations turns to a new yet related theme. Given increasingly numbers of mixed and multicultural families,a newPresident with diverse heritage,and the challenge of the upcoming 2010 Census (and the boxes that lead to our national count), the theme is “Bicultural in America.” Participants will explore the national history of the Census, required by the Constitution; changing social and public policy designations over time; the impact of Census information on College and community resources; the dilemmas of mixed identities and complex or unknown heritage; today’s headlines; and participants’ life-experiences.MC students face these questions when completing College registration and financial aid forms; most US residents face the Census Bureau forms and interview process in 2010. Having a foundation of understanding about the issues will enable College employees to handle student interactions and colleague concerns with greater skill.
Another objective of this program is practice in specific forms of dialogue. In FY 2010 these are: Burning Questions, Study Circles, World Café, Public Conversations, National Issues Forum and Talking Stick Circles.
3. Registration. Participantscomplete a brief application for the program, including supervisor signature, and register for the class using the PDS.
3. PresentationsAnd Topics
Presenters include College faculty and staff, as well as County government, MCPS and community representatives. Topics are outlined below; an updated calendar with presenter names will be available September 30.
On the first day, basic concepts are presented for discussion: dialogue vs. debate; conflict analysis and strategies for differences or disagreements; problems vs. dilemmas;class norms. Subsequent sessions begin with a presentation, followed by dialogue. Participants have suggested short readings outside of class.
Session 1.Introductions. Norms. Major Concepts.
Process: Burning Questions.
Session 2. Introductions. Presentation: Historical perspectives—
from the One-Drop Rule to the Multi-Culti Generation.
Process: Study Circles.
Session 3.Introductions. Panel: Bicultural/MulticulturalLives.
Process: World Café.
Session 4.Overview. Hyphen-Nation?
Process: Public Conversations
Session 5.Overview. Deliberation: Census Bureau designations must change by 2020.
Process: National Issues Forum.
Session 6.Overview. Revisit process and outcomes to deepen inquiry.
Would a follow-up event help MC?
Process: Talking Stick Circle.
4. Program Outcomes
Upon completion of this program, participants will be able to:
- Describe US Constitutional requirement and historical evolution of identity designations;
- List areas of social and economic impact of Census Bureaureports;
- Participate in constructive dialogues about complex social issues;
- Participate in a deliberative discussion on a public policy issue;
- Demonstrate constructive interruption of unproductive conversation;
- Describe one dialogue format and possible applications for use.
5. Class Materials And Resources
Participants are provided with a class manual, journal, handouts and booklets. They are encouraged to bring in materials to share, or forward Internet links and relevant articles and information to colleagues.If participants want an additional avenue for communication, CPOD will set up a MyMC group.
During each session, materials will be made available forshort-term check-out.
6. Policies
Attendance: Participants are expected to attend all six sessions and arrive and leave on time to encourage relationship and trust-building in the group and receive the Certificate of Completion. One excused absence can be granted by the CPOD Training Specialist, with prior notice.
As a courtesy to colleagues, pleasearrive between 12 noon and 12:30 PM. Take time to get settled and greet colleagues before the presentation begins at 12:45 PM.
Cancellation: If the College announces an administrative closing (e.g., weather or emergency), the session is cancelled and a “make up” day is scheduled.
Interruptions: CPOD asks that cell-phones be placed on “vibrate” and answered only in emergencies.
There is e-mail availability during breaks, if the computer classroom (115-C) is unoccupied.
7. Class Logistics and Schedule
Sessions are held on Friday afternoons, from 12:00 noon – 4:00 PM. Water, tea, coffee are provided. Please bring lunch and snacks; restaurants and a supermarket are located nearby. Presentations start promptly at 12:45 PM.
Sessions are: Friday, November 13, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009 (Hanukkah begins 12/11)
Friday, January 22, 2010
Friday, February 12
Friday, March 12
Friday, April 23
8. Recognition
Participants who attend all six sessions or five with an excused absence receive a Certificate of Completion, with appreciation for their increased capability for the multicultural workplace.
9. Follow-Up
Cohort will discuss possible follow-up activitiesin the final session.
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