SUPPORTING STUDENT INITIATED DIALOGUES
Students will have received training or have used an on-line guide to prepare for planning, presenting and evaluating dialogues. The on-line guide can be found by clicking here. As a staff or faculty member wishing to support student work, you can -
• Help student planners make careful use of the planning outline form.
• Use your connections or resources to help them secure space, have refreshments available, recruit participants, or secure an expert or other resource that can set the stage for the dialogue.
• Offer, reluctantly, to help co-facilitate if you feel that the student might be more comfortable with someone to back them up. (Wait for an invitation to attend or observe the dialogue as students may have issues with being observed as they start this process.)
• Help student planners reflect on and assess the dialogue.
• Help students understand that this is a pilot effort and, as a result, unforeseeable problems may occur. These are not to be seen as failures but only as opportunities for learning. Don’t get so caught up in the quality of the outcome of the dialogue that you and the students forget the most important outcome is student voice and ownership.
• Work with students to create dialogue in courses using the New Student Politics and New Student Politics Curriculum Guide.
Students may be willing to give over control if you are willing to be in control. The trick with all of these offers is to be responsive rather than in charge.
