Facilities
The success of a dialogue will often depend in some part upon the environment in which the dialogue is hosted. Considerations should be given to:
• Comfort – Is the location familiar to participants and/or does it lend itself to an atmosphere of respect, equality and even informality? A dialogue around a single large table or a circle or U-shaped configuration is more likely to be successful than one held in a classroom with a facilitator behind a podium. Someone’s living room will probably be more successful than the vacant dining hall.
• Accessibility – Is the location relatively easy for people to get to given the time of day and the transportation available to participants?
• Size – Is the size of the facility appropriate to the size of the group? A conference room that accommodates 50 people will seem empty to a group of 16 participants. A room that accommodates 12 will seem too cramped for that same group to engage in comfortable conversation.
• Audio-visual Needs – Whether you are using something as simple as newsprint or as complex as a movie, you will want to think out your needs, to prepare all of the material in advance and think about where and how the material will be used.
• Refreshments – If you plan to have refreshments before, during or after your dialogue, you will need to know if the facility allows refreshments, think about where refreshments can be set up and plan on having someone do clean-up (probably you).
There are often numerous places on campus that can accommodate your group, but some thought may need to be given to how you acquire permission to use those spaces. Using space within a specific department can require anything from getting the nod from a secretary to filling out a three-page justification-of-use form. Department lounges are often welcoming spaces with comfy furniture but may not be as flexible as other spaces. In addition, holding your event in a certain department may turn other students off. By Flexibility, we refer to the ability of the space to conform to the group’s needs. You may want at some point in the discussion to break up into small groups, and will need a space that can accommodate that. Or you may need everyone to be able to see a screen or a speaker and then be able to still see each other. In this way, one of the most flexible spaces on a college campus is the theatre. Using the stage, if it is the main theatre, or using a smaller “black box” type theatre allows you to arrange the seating in whatever fashion you choose. Classrooms are another viable option depending on the set up of the desks or tables. Also be sure to note when the building closes and whether food is allowed. It may be easier to reserve space on campus if you are affiliated in some way with a group, department, or faculty member.
Some unique settings are also available off campus, especially for promoting the role of students as citizens, or of the engagement of your university in the community. Some community organizations or the local school or library may have great spaces for your discussion. However, students do not always have readily available ways of getting to these places.
