The below instructions describe how to conceptualize, propose and organize informal events or impromptu gatherings using Center spaces and resources. For opportunities for formal events see Formal Event Planning.
SJWG members including board members, faculty affiliates, Training Program Fellows, and visitors should feel free to propose and host informal events. To best align with Center calendaring and programing, informal events are typically held on Wednesdays from 4:00-5:30PM in the Science & Justice Common Room located on the second floor of the Oakes Administration Building room 231. Check with the Center Manager for available dates.
CONCEPTUALIZE AN INFORMAL EVENT
Some examples of how the space should be used: hosting a small seminar (otherwise known as Cocktail Hours) with a visiting scholar or guest speaker, hosting a reading group in support of a formal event, workshop a paper or conference presentation, group work on a project, or presenting your own research. All events should aim at being accessible to and fruitful for our diverse and interdisciplinary audiences. To those ends, we hope that these principles will take precedence in all planning decisions:
Limit jargon and intra-disciplinary conversations
Planners should not assume that potential audience members are familiar with technical terminology or problems, and should build the event description and content around common problems/objects. This is a great opportunity for working out theoretical and methodological commitments that are internal to disciplines. It will often be appropriate to connect an informal event to a greater formal event if a guest is an expert on a more narrow topic that you would like to see discussed.
Have multiple disciplinary perspectives present in the event
In general, most informal events will only have the organizing event Host as a presenter and may not have guest participants, a discussant or a commentator from a different discipline than the presenter. However, events should still be structured around fostering cross-disciplinary conversation and limit jargon.
Conversation between presenters and commenters should begin before the event
Event planners should coordinate between all participants, and perhaps other members of SJWG when appropriate, to spark some discussion before the event. For example, if holding a reading group, the planners would submit the reading materials to the Center Manager to distribute prior to the discussion group.
If you are inviting participants, it is very important to emphasize that SJWG events, informal and formal, are atypical with regards to both the audience and the format. Long power points or reading directly from a paper should be discouraged, (unless of course the informal event is to workshop a paper or likewise material). The following text should be shared with all participants in order to help establish a common understanding of what our events are like:
Science & Justice offers a space for gathering scientists, engineers, humanists, social scientists, and artists around re-imagining what robust, curious and responsible forms of scientific and engineering knowledge could look like. As contemporary lives are increasingly experienced via scientific and technological practices and idioms, it has become urgent to develop collaborative models for enabling a diversity of livable worlds. With the assistance of the U.S. National Science Foundation, the University of California, and other funding agencies, we offer a variety of internationally recognized training programs, research projects, and academic events. In pursuing these ends, Science & Justice builds on the University of California, Santa Cruz's historic commitments to justice and interdisciplinary research.
Science & Justice events are atypically interdisciplinary compared to most academic venues. It is not uncommon to have audience members from genomics, physics, digital art, philosophy, environmental studies, feminist studies, and sociology, for example. We have developed some practices and methodologies to make our conversations more fruitful in this context, and these practices often make the conversations helpful to our speakers for moving their projects forward. Typically our events do not have long, text heavy power points and do not involve reading a paper (although a few slides with mostly pictures are welcome). We ask speakers to aim for their presentations to be 20-30 minutes (less if it is a panel), often followed by a brief response. Rather than present a completed piece of intellectual work, we instead invite speakers to share an ‘object’, such as case studies or anecdotes or actual physical objects, around which many people can find attachment sites or shared concerns. Jargon should be kept to a bare minimum and should always be explained. Provocations and unresolved research questions often receive the best responses.
PROPOSE AN INFORMAL EVENT
In order to propose an informal event or Cocktail Hour, complete the following: these steps will not always be sequential—please read all steps first.
Designate an Event Host
All events should have one person designated as an event Host who will ultimately be responsible for communicating all logistical needs listed below to any participants and the Center Manager.
Develop a description of the event
Along the lines of a 100-150 word abstract to be used in advertisement emails. It should describe how the event is interdisciplinary and meets the general event guidelines.
Gather publicity information for all speakers
If inviting guest participants, include for each: name as they would like it to appear, title, affiliation, biography, image (either headshot or in the field), and one image representing the event topic.
Develop a budget
The Center typically does not provide funds for informal events. If the informal event is associated with a formal event contact the Event Host and Center Manager The Center may consider co-sponsoring by lending its name, sometimes a small financial contribution, and/or organizing Critical Listeners.
Verify available dates
Contact the Administrative Assistant for available dates.
Submit information
Submit the event title, description, any related publicity information, Event Host’s name, and confirmed date to the Center Manager by the agreed upon date.
EVENT LOGISTICS
The Event Host is responsible for seeing that the following work is accomplished. These steps will not always be sequential—please read all steps first.
Event Calendaring and Location
Informal events will typically be scheduled for Wednesdays, 4:00-5:30PM in the Science & Justice Common Room located on the second floor of the Oakes Administration Building room 231. The Center Manager will work with the Host to identify and secure an appropriate date.
Media
The Common Room is equipped with a projector screen, wireless internet, and a phone line. A video projector is nearly always available however cannot be guaranteed as it is borrowed from Community Studies; the Center Manager will assist in reserving and setting up the projector. Note: The Center does not have a laptop, if one is needed, it will need to be borrowed from the Event Host or other means. Identify all media equipment needed for the event (laptop, adaptors, projector, audio support, etc.) as some items may need lead time to arrange with either facilities or Learning Technologies to rent requested items. If participants supply their own laptop/device, request they bring any adaptors or cords specific to their device.
Refreshments
The Common Room is stocked with beverages (coffee and tea) and has plates, utensils, glasses, etc. Sometimes the Center can sponsor more extensive refreshments upon request from the Event Host and approval from the Center. Wash any items (dishes, glasses, coffee pot) used and leave the room clean for the next group. Hosts should feel free to bring additional refreshments or food items. A refrigerator, sink, and microwave are available to use.
Parking on Campus
Parking passes are necessary on campus. The Center pre-purchases permits and are available for non-UCSC appointed event speakers and participants. Passes need to be requested to the Center Manager no later than 3 business days prior to the event. The Center does not provide parking permits for UCSC faculty, staff, students, or anyone with a formal or informal appointment who would otherwise be on campus.
Event Description
Establish a final description of the event, and include all relevant details (confirmed location, time, date, and speakers, and media needs). The final event description should be roughly 300-500 words and be written such that interdisciplinary audiences will find it understandable and attractive. In other words: no jargon. A shorter 100-150 word event description will be taken from this to use for publicity. Distribute event descriptions to the Center Manager.
Publicity
As requested by the the Host, and as applicable to the event, the Center Manager will post event information to the Center’s website and Center calendar. In addition to all Training Program Fellows and visitors, the Center Manager will work with the Host to identify appropriate audiences of key campus people and and will send email announcements to the predetermined list. If you wish to advertise to the Science & Justice mailing list, we may include the event in our weekly schedule.
Post Event
Follow up with any invited participants and/or speakers after the event thanking them for participating. CC the Center Manager in case the Center would like to contribute additional thanks or provide follow up information.