Friday, August 4
Wednesday, August 9
A daily schedule will be sent by email to registrants in advance of the conference. Except as indicated above, events are scheduled from 9:00 a.m. to 8:15 p.m. with some free time blocks allotted.
The conference is structured through a series of events to provide opportunities to learn by examining one's experiences in a variety of contexts. The events begin and end promptly at the times designated.
Plenary Events
The Conference Opening is the first of two plenary events in which the conference staff and membership are assembled and questions about the conference can be discussed. The Conference Discussion is the second plenary event held near the end of the conference, and offers opportunities for members and staff to review the conference as a whole, discuss their experiences, and reflect on what has been learned.
Small Group
The task of the Small Group sessions is for the group to study its own behavior in the "here and now." Each member will be assigned to a small group of 8-12 members, designed for heterogeneity of identity. Consultants are assigned to one small group for the duration of the conference. He or she will provide intervention into the group when the consultant(s) believe that such intervention will advance the work and learning of the group.
Large Group
The Large Group is a "here-and-now event" in which the task is to study group behavior in a setting where face-to-face interaction is inhibited by the size of the group. The group will consist of all members of the conference and a team of consultants.
Institutional Event
The overall aim of this event is to understand the total conference as a developing temporary organization. The task of these sessions will be to study the relations among groups as they interact with each other, and between the membership, as an evolving organization, and the staff. Interaction in this event involves issues of leadership, followership, representation, identity, boundaries, and delegation. As a part of its management function in this event, staff will be available for consultation and will conduct its work in open sessions.
Review and Application Groups
The task of the Review and Application Group is to reflect on the learning experiences provided by the conference and to encourage direct application of conference learning to the professional lives of the members. Staff will function as facilitators of the work of the Review and Application Groups.