New York Campus Compact - How to Host a Regional Roundable
About Regional Roundtables
NYCC member institutions represent a wealth of experience in service-learning, campus/community partnerships and civic engagement. We also have many new institutional members and many newcomers to the field, both faculty and staff. As a service to NYCC members, and to advance the good practices of service-learning and campus-community partnerships in New York, we have developed a mechanism for sharing our collective knowledge and for improving regional networking opportunities. Variously known as roundtables, learning circles or clinics, the key features are low cost, time-efficiency, high interaction, and easy access.
This endeavor is a response to our members’ desires to simply “get together for a couple of hours with my counterparts from nearby campuses to explore topics from the nuts and bolts to the grandiose, to connect a face with a name, and perhaps raise issues I can’t at home…..” Something less formal than NYCC’s one-day workshops or the familiar 2-3 day professional conferences. We each bring our own expertise and challenges to share with each other.
A roundtable can be hosted by any member campus, at any time of year, on any topic. A host institution will provide meeting space, parking, directions, and any food service they choose to provide —from a simple coffee break to a deli lunch. NYCC will provide a checklist of procedures, on-line registration services, and publicity using our mailing lists. We will also provide sample Campus Compact publications for a resource table. Registration fees are a modest $45. All registrations will be online and prepaid to NYCC. A portion of the registration fees can shared with the host site. A host campus may set a maximum limit on participants, or permit open-ended numbers
The ideal roundtable is a 2-3 hour get-together on a selected topic (or topics) for colleagues within a reasonable commuting distance. A “featured speaker” or expert presenter is not a requirement. A discussion leader will get the ball rolling, and the conversations will take their own course. Sample agendas of past roundtables are available from the NYCC office. Envision a gathering that is more focused than a water-cooler conversation and less costly—time and money— or formal than an overnight conference. We have identified a number of key topics of interest, but a host institution may choose a specific topic.
To be an effective stimulant for subsequent networking, roundtables will need both newcomers and veterans. Some topics may be more appropriate for faculty—design and operation of service-learning courses, for example. Others may be best for Community Service Directors and staff—e.g., student recruitment, or how to ensure buy-in from upper administration. Others will be useful to all who are involved in civic engagement, community relationships, volunteerism, student leadership, institutional change, etc.
Hosting Regional Roundtables
New York Campus Compact
Regional Roundtable Host Agreement
(For a printer-friendly version, click here)
The roundtable approach offers a wonderful opportunity for colleagues to meet and discuss the issues that are important to them in a collegial and interactive setting. The overhead is low and the administrative requirements are very manageable. Here is a checklist to simplify the process of hosting a roundtable.
Planning and Preparation
- Topic
NYCC will work with you to select a topic and write a program description. The description should emphasize the fact that this is an opportunity to meet with colleagues and discuss issues of shared concern. Submit the text to the NYCC for distribution.
- Publicity
NYCC will generate an e-mail announcement to the membership and post the event to the NYCC and national Campus Compact websites. Your name, phone number and e-mail address will be included so that participants have an institutional contact. If you wish to mail postcards, NYCC will provide you with our mailing list which consists of about 800 contacts.
- Registration
On-line registration is managed by the NYCC office via the NYCC website. On-line registration will close one week before the event. NYCC will send you weekly emails to update you on the number of participants registered. If you wish to limit the number of participants, please indicate number before online registration opens. NYCC will charge $45 per participant. NYCC will retain fifteen registration fees to offset the administrative costs and the remaining fees will be forwarded to the host campus.
- Meeting Space and Food
The host campus will reserve meeting space and order catering for the group. Host campus is responsible for food service expenses. This can range from a simple coffee break to a deli lunch depending on your budget and the time of the meeting.
- Confirming E-Mail to Participants
NYCC will confirm registration by email. The email will include the following:
- Program Description (as described in the original announcement)
- Directions to host institution
- Parking information
- Local accommodations if applicable
- Invitation to bring handouts from participant’s institutions for a resource table
- Name Tags
Provide name tags identifying participants by name, title and institution; this information will be forwarded to you by the NYCC.
- Logistics: Parking, Security, Accommodations
- Post signs directing visitors to the location
- Remind people to bring photo i.d. to clear security
- Provide a guest list to your campus security office
- Secure parking permits if applicable. If you do not have parking on campus, provide a list of area garages
- Agenda
Generate an agenda that includes a brief welcome from your institution, and a framework for the day’s discussion. Sample agendas available.
Day of Event
- Check-In Procedures
The check-in table should include a list of participants to be checked off upon their arrival. All participants will have prepaid to attend the meeting (their registration form serves as a receipt); payments should not be accepted the day of the event. If the participant has not paid, NYCC will bill them directly. After the event, mail the attendee list to:
New York Campus Compact
95 Brown Road, Box 1006
Ithaca, New York 14850
- Welcome and Agenda Review
Your role as emcee is brief but necessary and should include the following points:
- Welcome participants and provide a brief overview of your institution’s commitment to service/civic engagement
- Outline goals for the event, review the agenda
- Ask participants to introduce themselves
- Serve as timekeeper for roundtable sessions
- Evaluations
Make sure to leave enough time for participants to fill out evaluation forms.
(Sample available.) Collect and return evaluations to NYCC.
12. Contact list
Attendees have the option during online registration to be included on a contact list that is distributed on the day of the event. NYCC will provide you with the list for distribution to participants.
I agree to the above provisions and look forward to hosting a NYCC Regional Roundtable.
Name: ______________________________________
Institution: ___________________________________
Date: ___________
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