The
Challenge: How to Meet When Geographically Separated
 The
Commonwealth College is comprised of 12 geographically
separated Penn State University campuses, with central administration
offices at University Park. Career Services staff at each of these
campuses were interested in meeting and exchanging information so
they could leverage their shared knowledge and resources, rather
than “recreating the wheel” at each campus. However,
because of limited staff size and the cost and time involved in
travel, they could not meet face to face frequently enough to develop
this exchange.
The
Solution: Virtual (Online) Meetings
Following a face-to-face organizational meeting, members of the
Career Services staff from various campuses met virtually on a regular
schedule using an online instant messaging system, as well as e-mail
and telephones, to plan, share, and develop documents. As with a
face-to-face team, they developed ground rules and addressed responsibilities
and expectations. Through
these meetings they have been able to develop a mission statement,
and are developing an online Staff Development and Reference Resource,
which they all can use
to share information. They have saved significant travel time and
costs. Additionally, they are now communicating more through the
use of technology, have renewed energy, and are interested in finding
additional ways to work more closely.
For
more information about this virtual team, contact Joelle Sherlock
at jps13@psu.edu.
|
"...the
room or space we're in is not a tangible room with walls...."