A Note

This meeting was held March 26, 1998 at 6:30 PM in Hunt Lobby. It was announced the previous evening. We apologize for the poor scheduling (especially to the math department) and in the future will try to plan more in advance. Other than that, the meeting was highly successful and a first step in the community building mentioned below. Over 40 students, 4 teachers, 2 staff members, and 2 SLIs attended. All participants were able to freely exchange their ideas in a constructive and useful manner. Please send reflections about the meeting in an effort to improve the style for this year and beyond. In the near future, a WWW posting board will be set up for public comments.

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Themes

If there is a change that needs to be made, what is the focus of that change?
How do we want to initiate change? Slow and steady or by getting attention.
Taking the community's pulse
Large v. Day-to-day concerns
Proactively addressing solutions, instead of rehashing problems
What worked in the past? Looking behind us, before we move forward

Issues

Community building

• Reactions to this meeting
  • Making it useful and productive
  • Avoiding a "gripe" session
  • Relief at the refreshing tone of this forum
  • General feeling that more of these meetings should be held
• Students are highly fragmented in isolated groups. There is a lack of community.
• Return to the Community Forums of the school's earlier years which were smaller sessions among all members of the NCSSM community where people could present their points of view and bring forth ideas in a comfortable setting.
• Breakfast with the Director
• Lunch with faculty, staff
• Knowing the direction of the school
• RLA-SLI involvement; RLA-SGA association
• The Board of Trustees
  • Addressing feelings of detachment
  • Response to influence/affluence of the Board Members
  • Educators vs. Businessmen
  • Involving parents
  • Education about the Board of Trustees / educating the Board of Trustees
  • Inviting Board members into our classrooms and other living spaces
• talking with teachers about community issues inside and outside the classroom
• some sort of "electronic conversation" of interested parties -- this may take the form of a list server, a WWW posting board, or (maybe) a newsgroup

Communication

• Actions that directly affect student lack their input
• The functionality of the administration - SLI - student communication channel
• Confusion generates tension e.g. the Walltown issue
• There are so many levels of administration and policy that working through them is discouraging.
• Information is often hard to obtain.
• Is there "stress-free" communication?
• Seeming incongruity in the paths rules and regulations follow
• Openness/convenience of meetings which concern the community's welfare
• Feelings of dissatisfaction and the expression of that dissatisfaction
• Negative bias shown toward students who do speak up and express and opinion
• Listening / explaining
• Changing perceptions / stating problems / proposing solutions