Feedback and Suggestions
Academic Assembly Program -- November 1st, 2007
We received 21 responses to our call for feedback on the November 1st Assembly. Reviews were decidely mixed. Several people commented that the talk seemed canned (not tailored to the audience) and a number of people expressed disappointment that he left no time for questions and answers. One point that resonated, and not in a good way, was the speaker’s comment about our changing work schedules -- days that begin very early, end late, and stretch into the weekend.
On the up side, several people mentioned that it was interesting to hear from a Cornell administrator outside of the library administration and some people responded specifically to certain themes in his talk.
Re: Scheduling of Academic Assembly
In the last few months, several people have commented that the afternoon time slot is particularly difficult for them. We wanted to let you know that we will try to schedule more morning programs when we can; however, because we have been asked to video-conference a number of the programs, and to accommodate some of the more well-attended programs, we need to use G10 Biotech. Unfortunately, Cornell Admissions has G10 booked solid every morning throughout the Academic Year.
Academic Assembly Program -- September 6, 2007
Thanks to everyone who responded to our online evaluation form. We received 32 responses (!) and the feedback was extremely useful. Many people commented about the venue – Mallott 251 – and, happily, the comments were mostly favorable, however, several people noted the poor lighting on the speaker and one person mentioned that the room probably isn’t large enough for some of the bigger programs.
Some background information on the venue, and scheduling, of Academic Assembly:
This year, we were informed that Clark Hall was undergoing renovations and that noise and easy access to the building might be a real problem. We also learned that G10 Biotech was booked solid every morning for the entire academic year. In addition, Anne Kenney would like us to videoconference Assembly programs to Weill and Geneva, whenever we can. The upshot is that we will be scheduling some programs in the afternoon, in G10 Biotech, for the increased seating capacity, and the video-conference capabilities. We are also exploring other possible venues.
More about scheduling:
Although Academic Assembly has traditionally met on the first Thursday of the month, there may be several occasions when this won’t be possible. For instance, we may need to change the date to accommodate the travel plans of an outside speaker. We will also keep a close eye on potential conflicts – i.e. All Staff Meetings. We will update the schedule of programs on our web site, as arrangements are finalized.
Academic Assembly Committees and Programming
One respondent asked why there was no survey about the previous year’s program. We’re not sure if this has been done regularly. We do know that previous AASC members conducted a survey at the end of the 05-06 Academic Year. This year, we decided to solicit feedback on an ongoing basis. As far as speaker suggestions, there is a link on this web page to send in any suggestions for programming. We’d love to hear from people.
It was also noted that the Steering Committee members were not introduced and there was no discussion of Academic Assembly business at the first program. This was an oversight on our part. Thanks for pointing it out. We should also note that there is typically a business meeting scheduled at the end of the Academic year to discuss the work of the committees and goals for the future.
Thanks, again, for your feedback!