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Academic Conferences,
Unconferences, &
Reciprocity
The Risks and Rewards of New Forms of Community
Engagement
Emily Janke, Director, Institute for Community & Economic Engagement, University of North
Carolina at Greensboro
Kristin Medlin, Communications & Partnerships Manager, Institute for Community &
Economic Engagement, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Sarah Bratt, MLIS student, Syracuse University
Stephanie Prato, MLIS student, Syracuse University
Agenda
● Introductions
● Walking the Talk - a UNCG case study
● Rethinking Academic Conference outcomes

● Reframing Reciprocity
● SYR’s unconferences
Rethinking Traditional Models of
Academic Conferences
In what capacities have you
witnessed community colleagues at
academic conferences?
© Janke & Medlin, 2013
Walking the Talk - UNCG Case Study
“Would you mind sharing this with the [consortium] listserv? I believe
I shared this opportunity that I've been developing with [name],
Senior Scholar at the [National] Foundation and developer of this
year's [conference] at [an out of] State University. It would be
great to meet with you to discuss the best strategy to ensure that
this meeting is immediately useful to community partners. The
senior scholar] will be sending some speaking points that will be
common to the [Institute-based] discussions, but there is room for
us to shape it for our own local folks. Would you be willing to help
to do this? Perhaps even help to facilitate? I realize that I should
have asked this prior to sending this announcement out... Hmm, if
you're interested, I can add you and the [consortium] on the flyer
before I send it to the [consortium] and any further... your
thoughts?”
© Janke & Medlin, 2013
Walking the Talk - UNCG Case Study
The next day I received an unsettling email simply stating: “Please
call me at [phone number].” I called and the effect of the
conversation was that the program planning committee was not
willing to co-sponsor the meeting. They did not believe that it
would serve their mission: to be directly useful to nonprofits. In
my earnestness to provide a high-quality experience in
collaboration with a prestigious international conference, I had
failed to partner with the individuals and organizations that such a
hub meeting was developed to serve.

The irony of trying to plan a conference on communityengaged partnerships without community partners was
embarrassing, to say the least.
© Janke & Medlin, 2013
Foundations
Mutual Benefit: suggests a win-win relationship. Speaks
to the outcomes anticipated and expected by all parties
involved in the activity, initiative, or relationship.
(implies equitable academic AND community outcomes)
Reciprocity: the seeking, recognizing, respecting, and
incorporating the knowledge, perspectives, and
resources that each partner brings to a collaboration
(Janke & Clayton, 2011, p. 3)

(implies balanced power and a process of co-creation)
© Janke & Medlin, 2013
Traditional Academic Conference
Outcomes
●
●
●
●
●
●

sharing and generating ideas
institutional and individual prestige culture
eminence
advancing the disciplinary community
cosmopolitan values
socialization and norms about “successful scholars”

To what extent are community-engaged scholars
and activists repeating the same patterns,
enacting and reifying the same schema, in
conference planning?
© Janke & Medlin, 2013
But where are all the community
partners?!?
Are academic conferences are set up to maximize the time
of community participants?
● cooperation vs. collaboration
● participation vs. inclusion

Community colleagues often find sessions to be too
theoretical, or alternately, too context specific and thus
not of much practical use
No benefit = Disengaged attendance or no attendance at all!
© Janke & Medlin, 2013
Paradigm Shift
To what extent are academic scholars open to the transformation that is
possible when all partners earnestly seek to understand, respect,
and incorporate community partners into plans for community
engagement conferences?
Are we willing to change the process for identifying conference hosts,
conference planners, session formats, locations and venues?
In what instances do we narrow our objectives for a conference on
community engagement to achieve academic outcomes alone—and
at what cost?

© Janke & Medlin, 2013
Underlying assumptions that derail
“transformation”
(Driscoll, 2010)

● fear (traditional research would become undervalued and
no longer accepted)
● worry (research/scholarship will lose quality and rigor)

● avoidance (society’s problems and issues feel
insurmountable); overwhelming (preparation takes
significant time); discomfort (requires new kinds of
relationships)
● woe (lack of preparation for fostering community
relationships)
© Janke & Medlin, 2013
Reciprocity is Fluid
“transformational”

Janke, 2013

CAN BE
VALUE
NEUTRAL

“transactional”

© Janke & Medlin, 2013
Read more:
Janke, E. (2013). Increased community presence is not a
proxy for reciprocity. E-Journal of Public Affairs, 2(2).
Retreived from
http://ejournal.missouristate.edu/2013/08/increasedcommunity-presence-is-not-a-proxy-for-reciprocity/

© Janke & Medlin, 2013
Participation at Every Step
Reciprocity in the Planning Process
Spaces & Places:
an Unconference

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=pJqXTi2h1zg&feature=youtu.be
What is an Unconference?

Source: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3155/2464629784_afd3054962.jpg
Why have one?
● Sharing ideas
● Connecting communities to knowledge
networks
● Engaging the community
● Sharing your voice
Who’s involved?
The organizers4 MLIS Students from Syracuse University.
The community who attended:
● Academic Librarians
● Public Librarians

● School Librarians
● Special Librarians
● Vendor Representatives
● SU Faculty
● Students!
How? Before the event
● Build community buy-in
● Plan, plan, plan

● Get the conversation started
● Find sponsorships and partners
● Market your event!
How? During the event
1. Pick session topics
1. Create the schedule

1. Break into groups
1. Repeat step 3!
1. Reconvene and share out
After Spaces & Places
● Feedback
● Evaluation
http://bit.ly/13lhtWJ
“I found the conversations stimulating and very thoughtful.
The mix of practicing librarians, graduate students, and
faculty was very engaging, because we talked about
important issues from several different perspectives...the
feedback from the whole group was overwhelmingly
positive. I hope that we can facilitate future
unconferences at the iSchool; it's a powerful way to
generate conversations about important issues.”
- Barbara Stripling
President of the American Library Association
Call to action
Thank you! Questions?
Stephanie Prato
SU Student
scprato@syr.edu

www.scprato.com

Sarah Bratt
SU Student
sebratt@syr.edu
@sarahsbratt

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Imagining America: Reciprocity & academic unconferences

  • 1. Academic Conferences, Unconferences, & Reciprocity The Risks and Rewards of New Forms of Community Engagement Emily Janke, Director, Institute for Community & Economic Engagement, University of North Carolina at Greensboro Kristin Medlin, Communications & Partnerships Manager, Institute for Community & Economic Engagement, University of North Carolina at Greensboro Sarah Bratt, MLIS student, Syracuse University Stephanie Prato, MLIS student, Syracuse University
  • 2. Agenda ● Introductions ● Walking the Talk - a UNCG case study ● Rethinking Academic Conference outcomes ● Reframing Reciprocity ● SYR’s unconferences
  • 3. Rethinking Traditional Models of Academic Conferences In what capacities have you witnessed community colleagues at academic conferences? © Janke & Medlin, 2013
  • 4. Walking the Talk - UNCG Case Study “Would you mind sharing this with the [consortium] listserv? I believe I shared this opportunity that I've been developing with [name], Senior Scholar at the [National] Foundation and developer of this year's [conference] at [an out of] State University. It would be great to meet with you to discuss the best strategy to ensure that this meeting is immediately useful to community partners. The senior scholar] will be sending some speaking points that will be common to the [Institute-based] discussions, but there is room for us to shape it for our own local folks. Would you be willing to help to do this? Perhaps even help to facilitate? I realize that I should have asked this prior to sending this announcement out... Hmm, if you're interested, I can add you and the [consortium] on the flyer before I send it to the [consortium] and any further... your thoughts?” © Janke & Medlin, 2013
  • 5. Walking the Talk - UNCG Case Study The next day I received an unsettling email simply stating: “Please call me at [phone number].” I called and the effect of the conversation was that the program planning committee was not willing to co-sponsor the meeting. They did not believe that it would serve their mission: to be directly useful to nonprofits. In my earnestness to provide a high-quality experience in collaboration with a prestigious international conference, I had failed to partner with the individuals and organizations that such a hub meeting was developed to serve. The irony of trying to plan a conference on communityengaged partnerships without community partners was embarrassing, to say the least. © Janke & Medlin, 2013
  • 6. Foundations Mutual Benefit: suggests a win-win relationship. Speaks to the outcomes anticipated and expected by all parties involved in the activity, initiative, or relationship. (implies equitable academic AND community outcomes) Reciprocity: the seeking, recognizing, respecting, and incorporating the knowledge, perspectives, and resources that each partner brings to a collaboration (Janke & Clayton, 2011, p. 3) (implies balanced power and a process of co-creation) © Janke & Medlin, 2013
  • 7. Traditional Academic Conference Outcomes ● ● ● ● ● ● sharing and generating ideas institutional and individual prestige culture eminence advancing the disciplinary community cosmopolitan values socialization and norms about “successful scholars” To what extent are community-engaged scholars and activists repeating the same patterns, enacting and reifying the same schema, in conference planning? © Janke & Medlin, 2013
  • 8. But where are all the community partners?!? Are academic conferences are set up to maximize the time of community participants? ● cooperation vs. collaboration ● participation vs. inclusion Community colleagues often find sessions to be too theoretical, or alternately, too context specific and thus not of much practical use No benefit = Disengaged attendance or no attendance at all! © Janke & Medlin, 2013
  • 9. Paradigm Shift To what extent are academic scholars open to the transformation that is possible when all partners earnestly seek to understand, respect, and incorporate community partners into plans for community engagement conferences? Are we willing to change the process for identifying conference hosts, conference planners, session formats, locations and venues? In what instances do we narrow our objectives for a conference on community engagement to achieve academic outcomes alone—and at what cost? © Janke & Medlin, 2013
  • 10. Underlying assumptions that derail “transformation” (Driscoll, 2010) ● fear (traditional research would become undervalued and no longer accepted) ● worry (research/scholarship will lose quality and rigor) ● avoidance (society’s problems and issues feel insurmountable); overwhelming (preparation takes significant time); discomfort (requires new kinds of relationships) ● woe (lack of preparation for fostering community relationships) © Janke & Medlin, 2013
  • 11. Reciprocity is Fluid “transformational” Janke, 2013 CAN BE VALUE NEUTRAL “transactional” © Janke & Medlin, 2013
  • 12. Read more: Janke, E. (2013). Increased community presence is not a proxy for reciprocity. E-Journal of Public Affairs, 2(2). Retreived from http://ejournal.missouristate.edu/2013/08/increasedcommunity-presence-is-not-a-proxy-for-reciprocity/ © Janke & Medlin, 2013
  • 13. Participation at Every Step Reciprocity in the Planning Process
  • 14. Spaces & Places: an Unconference https://www.youtube.com/watch?v =pJqXTi2h1zg&feature=youtu.be
  • 15. What is an Unconference? Source: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3155/2464629784_afd3054962.jpg
  • 16. Why have one? ● Sharing ideas ● Connecting communities to knowledge networks ● Engaging the community ● Sharing your voice
  • 17. Who’s involved? The organizers4 MLIS Students from Syracuse University. The community who attended: ● Academic Librarians ● Public Librarians ● School Librarians ● Special Librarians ● Vendor Representatives ● SU Faculty ● Students!
  • 18. How? Before the event ● Build community buy-in ● Plan, plan, plan ● Get the conversation started ● Find sponsorships and partners ● Market your event!
  • 19. How? During the event 1. Pick session topics 1. Create the schedule 1. Break into groups 1. Repeat step 3! 1. Reconvene and share out
  • 20. After Spaces & Places ● Feedback ● Evaluation http://bit.ly/13lhtWJ
  • 21. “I found the conversations stimulating and very thoughtful. The mix of practicing librarians, graduate students, and faculty was very engaging, because we talked about important issues from several different perspectives...the feedback from the whole group was overwhelmingly positive. I hope that we can facilitate future unconferences at the iSchool; it's a powerful way to generate conversations about important issues.” - Barbara Stripling President of the American Library Association
  • 22. Call to action Thank you! Questions? Stephanie Prato SU Student scprato@syr.edu www.scprato.com Sarah Bratt SU Student sebratt@syr.edu @sarahsbratt