00:00:12.44 >> Let's take a look at a committee that has been assembled by the president of a college to look into services for evening students, and recommend ways to improve them. 00:00:21.72 This group consists of Ms. 00:00:23.20 Alice Grover, the Director of Evening Student Programs, Mr. 00:00:26.99 Richard Ellis, the Financial Administrator, Mr. 00:00:30.41 Karesh and Ms. 00:00:31.24 Bee Gudapatti, two faculty members who teach evening students, and Ms. 00:00:35.47 Lynn Borech, an evening student. 00:00:37.89 How well do you think they are doing? 00:00:40.14 Are they likely to provide sound recommendations? 00:00:45.71 >> Okay. 00:00:46.20 We're all here. 00:00:46.97 Now let's get started. 00:00:48.84 We need to find out today what extra services we can offer to our evening students. 00:00:54.08 And I like the idea of carpooling, because the parking lots are always full. 00:00:57.94 That is a consistent problem. 00:00:59.67 What do you think about a park-and-ride service? 00:01:02.71 >> well, you know, one of my primary agenda items would have to be lighting in the parking lot, because I feel like, when we ask these students to come out at 9:00 or 10:00 and that lot is dark, that's not safe. 00:01:13.14 That's not fair. 00:01:14.10 >> Yeah, right. 00:01:14.60 Right. 00:01:14.74 >> I'd like to see us talk about extending the bookstore hours. 00:01:17.26 As a person who works all day, I find it a real problem getting to the bookstore. 00:01:21.51 >> My students are always complaining that they can never get anything to eat, so I suggest we keep the snack shop open longer. 00:01:27.99 >> And a research librarian's an important thing, too, because when I assign these topics, they'll come back to me and say, "But there's nobody there to help me find the information." 00:01:36.56 >> Yeah. 00:01:36.69 >> I've heard it suggested that we keep the Admissions and Registration offices open. 00:01:41.60 But I'm here to tell you, we don't have any money for that. 00:01:44.02 So if you choose that as an option, we're gonna have to find some way to fund it. 00:01:47.80 >> Yeah. 00:01:48.51 >> Yeah. 00:01:49.45 >> Well, if we can't spend money, then maybe we need to go back to park-and-ride, because that's something that we can deal with. 00:01:55.25 We can use a volunteer system there. 00:01:57.41 >> Yeah. 00:01:57.66 >> Still, one thing that's a problem for those of us in the evening classes is the bookstore. 00:02:02.08 I work until 5:00. 00:02:04.52 Class is at 6:00. 00:02:05.51 The bookstore closes at 5:00. 00:02:07.03 I just don't have time, and I know many of the other students don't have time to get to the bookstore, either. 00:02:10.53 >> Look, there's no way. 00:02:12.74 The legislature is already talking about cutting our budget. 00:02:15.88 Now, if we keep that bookstore open until late at night, we're going to run our budget up several thousand dollars. 00:02:22.92 If you choose to do that, you're going to have to find some way to pay for it. 00:02:26.52 >> Maybe we can charge the evening students an extra fee to cover the cost. 00:02:30.26 >> That's a great idea, because the people that are using the service ought to be the ones to pay for it. 00:02:34.43 >> I don't think the evening students would see that as fair at all. 00:02:37.45 >> Now, now, now, now. 00:02:38.36 Let's not argue. 00:02:39.26 I want us to be cooperative. 00:02:40.92 Surely there's a way we can sell this to the students. 00:02:43.80 Don't you think so, Bee? 00:02:44.63 >> Sure. 00:02:45.20 I could get my advertising class to come up with an ad campaign as a class project. 00:02:50.10 >> And we'd need at least $25 each semester from each evening student. 00:02:53.11 But if we have that, it will work. 00:02:54.74 >> I think President Smith would go for that. 00:02:56.65 There's no drain on the budget there. 00:02:58.78 >> We're gonna have to be careful or we'll be getting on these committees all the time. 00:03:01.74 [ Laughter ] >> Yes, we will. 00:03:04.64 Now, what other things can we come up with? 00:03:07.02 I've only got about 10 minutes left. 00:03:08.95 Let's talk about an escort service. 00:03:11.32 >> Well, that's something else that we can do without money, because we can get the Evening Student Council to coordinate the volunteer program. 00:03:17.70 >> Yeah. 00:03:17.87 >> How do you think that would work? 00:03:19.41 >> Maybe we could come up with a reference librarian, one who's retired and can work on the weekends. 00:03:25.59 >> Yeah, that's good. 00:03:27.01 Well, I still think the park-and-ride service could be handled out of work-study funds, and maybe with the student-government volunteers doing the coordinating of that. 00:03:35.70 >> And I'll tell you something else we can do. 00:03:37.58 We can have faculty members come a little bit early, about 30 minutes early, and voluntarily advise these students. 00:03:44.69 And that wouldn't cost us anything, either. 00:03:46.90 >> No, that won't cost us anything. 00:03:48.57 But I've got another meeting to go to, so we're going to have to cut this off. 00:03:52.23 I think we did great. 00:03:53.31 We got a lot of recommendations to hand in there. 00:03:56.44 And we need to meet just one more time to sign off on the report. 00:04:00.07 Next Friday at 2:00. 00:04:01.65 >> I have to work then. 00:04:02.86 >> Well, Lynn, I'm really sorry about that, but maybe we can just send this in with only four signatures. 00:04:08.00 It'll be all right. 00:04:09.19 Next Friday at 2:00. 00:04:10.39 And thank you for coming today. 00:04:12.97 >> Yeah. 00:04:15.84 >> I hardly know where to start in pinpointing the problems this group experienced. 00:04:20.41 They did just about everything wrong. 00:04:22.83 First of all, the designated leader, Alice, did not clarify the charge and make sure everyone knew what they were to do, and how important the task was. 00:04:32.07 Also, Alice didn't make sure members knew each other. 00:04:35.21 Usually people hesitate to speak up in a group where the other people are strangers. 00:04:40.28 This is probably most true for Lynn, the student member of this group. 00:04:44.37 Next, Alice started to talk about solutions before the members had an idea of the scope of the problem. 00:04:50.71 Notice that she fixed right away on a park-and-ride program, which may be a good idea, but Lynn indicated that parking wasn't the most pressing problem evening students have. 00:05:02.58 This group's solutions won't work if they don't address the real problems. 00:05:07.22 In addition to the lack of orientation and lack of organization exhibited by Alice, the other members don't help the process much, either. 00:05:15.56 Each one has his or her agenda, and seems to be more interested in promoting that agenda than in listening to anyone else. 00:05:23.49 Members don't acknowledge anything said by someone else. 00:05:27.36 Topics change as speakers change. 00:05:30.15 There's no organization or structure to the discussion, and solutions are decided on without full evaluation. 00:05:37.42 Alice seems uncomfortable with conflict. 00:05:40.19 Lynn, the student member, who questions the fairness of charging evening students for services that are provided at no charge to day students. 00:05:50.02 But when Lynn mentions her concern, Alice says that conflict isn't nice, and the group should avoid it. 00:05:56.90 Lynn, who understandably feels put down, doesn't volunteer any other suggestions or comments. 00:06:02.26 She just shuts up. 00:06:04.51 When the meeting is set to sign the report, it's at a time when Lynn can't make it. 00:06:09.52 But Alice doesn't see this as a problem. 00:06:12.49 As a student member of this committee, wouldn't you feel put down, unappreciated, and disgusted with the process? 00:06:20.35 Would you feel loyal to the group and committed to the decision it produces? 00:06:24.92 Probably not. 00:06:26.97 Another variable this group did not handle well is the evaluation of options. 00:06:31.91 In part because Alice was uncomfortable with conflict, the group did not fully assess the pros and cons of the option they latched onto. 00:06:39.99 In addition, not everyone in the group -- notably, Lynn -- agreed with this option, but because no one in the group tested for consensus, the members don't even realize they aren't in full agreement. 00:06:51.63 Also, do you think the members of this committee will remember all the things they talked about? 00:06:56.52 No one was taking notes. 00:06:58.63 The likelihood is that, when it comes time to write the report, much of the information will be lost, which actually may not a bad thing, since the recommendations were not evaluated, and probably won't work to solve the most important problems of evening students. 00:07:15.98 Here are some of the most important principles that were violated. 00:07:19.78 You can probably spot additional ones, too. 00:07:24.70 No clarification or discussion of the charge. 00:07:29.54 No introduction of members. 00:07:32.43 No systematic procedure or outline, such as the General Procedural Model for Problem Solving, for organizing the discussion. 00:07:41.42 Disorganized discussion with poor listening. 00:07:44.79 No responding to each other's remarks. 00:07:48.11 No expressions of doubt or disagreement. 00:07:50.78 Conflict not permitted. 00:07:53.87 No thorough evaluation of options. 00:07:57.18 No testing for consensus. 00:07:59.72 No written record of proposals or decisions.