Roundtable Discussions
Format
Roundtable discussions are spaces for multiple colloquium participants to engage in collaborative and generative discussions. Each table will focus on one theme of sustainability (water, energy, public space, and sustainability efforts at CUNY). Participants are invited to choose one of the table themes that most interests them and join a discussion centered on imagining sustainability in the New York City region.
Goals
Each roundtable discussion has two main goals:
- Provide a space for colloquium attendees to meet and get to know one another in more depth.
- Produce a vision for sustainability projects across the NYC region.
Each roundtable will cover three main questions as it pertains to each table theme:
- What are the issues related to (table theme) in the NYC region?
- What is already being done?
- What is not being done or could be done better?
- Are these research-oriented, action-oriented, or both?
- How do we imagine (table theme) sustainability in the NYC region?
Timeline
Introductions
There will be approximately 20 minutes for participants to share information about themselves and the projects/research/interests in which they are involved. This is an opportunity for all participants to get to know one another, their work, and identify individuals or opportunities for future collaboration. Tables will then break for lunch, but participants are encouraged to continue informal discussions.
Discussion
After lunch, each table facilitator will guide a discussion, approximately one-hour, regarding the main questions for each roundtable. A scribe/documenter will take notes/photographs. It is suggested that each table utilize PowerPoint to record their discussion. These slides can then be used to present the group’s discussion later in the colloquium, as well as online at opencuny.org/nature
Presentation
Finally, each group will designate one or more presenters to give a brief overview of the table’s collaboration (approximately 5 minutes). Presentations should include the group’s top five statements. With participant’s permission, their names can be associated with these statements to allow other participants to contact each other about a specific topic/statement with the hope of future collaboration.
