EXCO/Meeting Agendas and Minutes

from the Macalester Public Knowledge Base

[edit] Thursday Agenda and Notes

1) UPCOMING MEETINGS: All are welcome Thursday March 9th, Chapel Basement: skillshare and budget Sunday March 26th, Place TBA: Application review and skillshare scheduling - This is particularly open to everyone interested in having a say in the skillshare.

2) THE SKILLSHARE WILL BE APRIL 8TH, SAT: 1-5 Workshops in the Campus Center and a couple other places 5 on: food, hopefully, and music

3) IMPORTANT!!! >> TEACHER APPLICATIONS for the Skillshare are now available. The form is attached. So iif you have a class you would like to teach or someone you think would give a good workshop, fill 'er out. We will be tabling in the Campus Center during lunch time and applications can be turned in there or SPOed to Miriam Larson, or sent by email. This is the time to line up cool acts. There will be outdoor space, informal booths, music space, hopefully dance space, and Campus Center space galore!

4) We are looking for funding, particularly for materials, sound equipment, and copies. Reply to this email if you have suggestions of orgs or other sources.

[edit] Sunday Agenda and Notes

1. Introductions: Name, questions, ideas, why are you here?

   People raised interests including: Connections to other free schools, wanting ongoing involvement in Mac after graduation, non-heirarchical learning and organizing, learning from other students, role of higher education in society, labor Colleges like in Brazil, accessibility, getting non-salaried employees the same opportunities to participate in Macalester classes and get reduced fair for their kids to come to Mac

2. Introduction of ExCo planning so far:
   • Origins of ExCo in the Student Forum and Madison Conference on Democratizing Higher Education.
   • We have spoken with the Registrar, presented at the Faculty Meeting, corresponded with and researched other ExCos across the U.S.
3. Discussion, Q&A

   Ideas included:

   • Getting in touch with the St. Paul Public Schools Community Ed. Program
   • Having different spaces around the city for classrooms: Floating University model shared by Ray Tricomo
   • How do we participate in the community activities that are already available rather than just inviting the community to come to us?

     perhaps the ExCo website would have info on other Twin Cities learning opportunities

   • Hold a forum on education issues regularly (i.e. No Child Left Behind, access, U of M General College, etc.) as part of the Experimental College
   • Incorporating ExCo model into classes already taught at Mac
   • Having the skill share model after Tent State University

4. Committees formed
   1. Skill Share Committee
   2. Infrastructure Committee
   3. Community Collaboration Committee

[edit] Proposed Agenda for Thursday

1. Introductions: Welcome new people, new ideas, renewed energy
2. Recap introduction of ExCo planning so far:
   • Origins
   • Committees update/ description
3. Discussion
   • Our process: Do we want to be consensus based? Democratic? How can we implement this?
   • What are our motives for the Experimental College? Can we make a commitment to consciously oppose racism, sexism, homophobia, classism, etc? In what other ways will the Experimental College take action on these social inequalities? #*:Suggestions: anti-oppression workshops, a mission statement, collaborations with General College Truth Movement, Tent State University
4. Committees

   COMMITTEE DESCRIPTIONS:

   • SKILLSHARE ORGANIZAING COMMITTEE

     This group will coordinate the organization of the first skillshare(s) this spring to get people interested and excited about the idea of having an Experimental College on campus.

     • Tentative date: We agreed on having the skillshare on the 1st of April, but if you know of any major reasons not to have the skillshare on this date, let us know.
     • Since our committee is a very small group but the skillshare is by no means a small event, we want to invite you to get involved in organizing it. We have three main areas to work on and you can get involved in any of them.
       1. Finances
       2. Coordination of the skillshare classes
       3. Logistics of the event.

   • INFRASTRUCTURE:

     This committee will work with the administration and others to get the ExCo established at Macalester. They are focused on networking with campus and off-campus folks.

   • COMMUNITY COLLABORATION:

     Everyone agreed to contact groups personally and invite them to the next gathering. In addition to inviting them to come to us, we will let them know about our interest in having a Forum on Education in which they could offer insight and that we are interested in compiling a website as a resource for the Macalester Community to participate in what learning opportunities are already happening. See mpkb.net for a list of groups we are contacting.