Cafe Conversation

Café Conversation Executive Summary: Café Conversations is a series of staff development seminars designed to inform the employees from the various departments within the Oglesby Union of the numerous policies, programs, and facilities on the Florida State University campus. The ACUI Core Competencies, staff feedback, and interests guide the selection of Café Conversation topics. Café Conversations are held approximately once a month and provide an opportunity for staff to relax and enjoy lunch while having meaningful conversations with each other. Through the knowledge obtained from these monthly seminars, the employees of the Oglesby Union are able to better serve the 41,710 students currently enrolled at Florida State University and feel connected to the local community. As Bryan and Schwartz (1998) noted, “Informal opportunities such as cookouts, dinner, luncheons, and recreational events can be beneficial in developing a sense of staff cohesion and working as a team” (p. 95).

Description and Outline: According to Bryan and Schwartz (1998), “Professional development may be the best means to achieve growth and renewal. It may also be the only means to encourage and reward the development of staff at all levels” (p. 12). The mission of the Oglesby Union is to create a diverse and engaging community that fosters individual and collective learning by providing outstanding services and opportunities for involvement. The Oglesby Union creates and supports a learning environment for their staff through multiple professional development programs. Full-time employees, graduate assistants and undergraduate student employees all benefit from the diverse programming offered through the Oglesby Union. The Café Conversations program is one of the most successful and enduring professional development initiatives for full-time staff.

“Supervisors who encourage their staff to participate in professional development activities,” Tull, Hirt, and Saunders (2009) noted, “serve as role models for the profession’s belief in lifelong learning” p. 32). The impetus for Café Conversations came from a discussion at our fall staff retreat in 2004. With over 60 full-time employees ranging in educational level, skill set, and job duties, we found it difficult to provide professional development that met everyone’s needs. We started building the program by identifying commonalities between staff as well as mandatory trainings. In addition, we realized that we needed an incentive. Our Director identified funding to support the program and allowed for us to offer lunch each month during the sessions. It also showed the commitment of the Oglesby Union administration in the program, which is now seen as a perk of working at the Oglesby Union.

Café Conversations highlight programs and services within the university community while also giving staff time to have meaningful discussions about their work outside of their office. The monthly program gives staff the tools they need to better serve students by educating them on resources available both on and off campus.

Beginning in 2011, the Association of College Unions International (ACUI), the professional organization for the Oglesby Union, Core Competencies began to guide the selection of Café Conversation topics. These competencies include the following: Communication, Facilities Management, Fiscal Management, Human Resource Development, Intercultural Proficiency, Leadership, Management, Marketing, Planning, Student Learning and Technology. The ACUI Core Competencies refer to a set of composite skills, knowledge and behaviors that provides the basis and

forms the foundation for successful professional practice in college union and student activities work. 1 We began to collect data for Café Conversation in 2005. All of the ACUI Core Competencies have been discussed at least once and many have been discussed multiple times. We have been fortunate enough to collaborate not only with university departments, but also community organizations. Below is a snapshot of the variety of Café Conversation topics presented: • Accessible Programming • Business Etiquette of the Campus Environment • Campus Partners: Dean of Students • Campus Safety and Personal Awareness • Chief Osceloa Program • Departmental Communication • Diversity in the Workplace • Ethics in the Workplace • Financial Planning with Ameriprise Financial • Fitness and Movement Clinic with University Health Services • FSU Hazing Policy • FSUnited: Vocal about Values • Graphic Design • Helping Students Develop Their Leadership Skills • Including the LGBTQ Community • NOLES Care - Suicide Prevention • Preventing Identity Theft • Reconnecting with Alumni • Savings and Planning for Retirement • Stress Management • Sustainable Campus and Community • “True Colors” • Understanding Your Credit Score • United Way Campaign Partners Café Conversation is a very special opportunity for staff at all levels. Therefore, the topics must be applicable to a broad range of education and professional levels. Preventing identity theft, understanding your credit score, saving and planning for retirement, stress management, and financial planning are just a few examples of how we can teach valuable life skills to all of our employees through the competencies.

“Staff development is imperative because its outcomes exert a positive effect on student welfare” (Bryan & Schwartz, 1998, p. 98). The “Conversation” on the FSU Hazing Policy provides a great example of how lectures on critical issues in Higher Education can provide procedural knowledge and positive change among staff members who work with and advise student organizations. The transference of knowledge, policies and procedures between administrators, Union staff, student leaders and organizations has led to greater awareness of hazing dangers, greater positive outcomes and enhanced student engagement.

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http://www.acui.org/content.aspx?menu id=30&id=9463

Thankfully, Café Conversation continues to be supported by the Oglesby Union leadership and is highly attended by our staff. As Bryan and Schwartz (1998) argued, “Colleges and universities are heavily dependent on human capital, so attention to and reinvestment in that capital, our most valuable resource is time and money well spent” (p. 12). Traditionally, we have an average of over 30 staff members participate in each Café Conversations. The lunch provided during each Café Conversation costs on between $5.00 to $8.00 per person, depending on the catered food and drinks. The average cost of the program each year is $2000.00, which is set aside in the Director’s budget. We believe that this is “money well spent” on our staff considering how Conversation’s “free-lunch” incentive reinforces the administration’s ongoing support of professional support while providing staff a good meal.

Assessment Data: At the conclusion of each Café Conversation, we distribute a short satisfaction survey to those in attendance. Usually, we have had a response rate of over 70% of those in attendance completing the survey. The survey asks participants to the rate the speaker, the importance of the topic, and how it relates to their job responsibilities. Additionally, the survey asks participants to rate how the session improved their ACUI Core Competency which served as the learning outcomes for each session.

The program has been overwhelmingly rated as excellent or very good. Employees believe that they have been able to learn either a new skill or new information during the variety of presentations held during a Café Conversation. On occasion, Café Conversations are held at “offsite” locations throughout the Division of Student Affairs, such as the new Health and Wellness Center. These alternative locales help to generate new ideas for professional development as well as offering staff the opportunities to gain the on-hand knowledge each new site provides. Our presenters are always well prepared and knowledgeable of their respective areas. Our staff is made aware of upcoming conversations through varying modes of communication. We use on-line invitation software, make announcements during our weekly full-staff meetings called “Huddle,” and distribute a flyer internally.

In summary, we have an average of 200 staff members attend the Café Conversations each year. The staff stated that the presentations have met their expectations in regarding to enhancing their knowledge of the specific areas presented. Our staff members are very engaged and like to have ample time to ask questions and participate in the presentations and with the speakers. The Café Conversations are an enjoyable time for staff to connect with each other in a relaxed yet informative setting.

References

Bryan, W.A. and Schwartz, R.A. “Strategies for Staff Development: Personal and Professional Education in the 21st Century.� In Schuh, J.H. and Whitt, E.J. (eds.), New Directions for Student Services (no. 84). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Inc, 1998.

Tull, A., Hirt, J.B. and Saunders, S.A. (2009). Becoming socialized in student affairs administration.

Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing, LLC.