Brooklyn College Coffee Collective

Using our experience organizing at an urban commuter school, we will discuss different holistic solutions to effecting institutional and cultural change within a university structure. We will present and analyze three possible mechanisms for change: collective student business models, student advocacy organizations, and non-violent direct action. Participants in this workshop will take away the analytical skills to know when and how to apply these proposed solutions, identify and use necessary resources, and create structures to foster further student participation on their campuses. Participants will be presented with (and will present) historical and hypothetical examples of institutional challenges and will work in small groups to resolve them. Together we will explore the diversity of available strategies to create practical, local solutions to these universal challenges. We will discuss tools for self-evaluation, reflect on our past successes and failures, and work together to build a unified student movement toward a democratic, sustainable university. This workshop is geared toward all students and student advocates, but specifically students in universities without an established culture of student participation.

Since the 19th century, universities have played major roles in economic development, for better or (mostly) worse. Given the current economic crisis and the clout and power of US universities (they employ more than 2% of the workforce and their collective GDP is more than 300 billion) why not have them promote economic development that is participatory, democratic, inclusive, community-based and sustainable? This workshop will relate the experience of students and faculty at a sizeable multiracial-ethnic urban public university (Brooklyn College/CUNY) and its efforts, both successes (student run coffee collective, aquaponics facility, community garden, new programs, facilities management) and limitations (lack of coordination, social fragmentation…).

Using our experience organizing at an urban commuter school, we will discuss different holistic solutions to effecting institutional and cultural change within a university structure. We will present and analyze three possible mechanisms for change: collective student business models, student advocacy organizations, and non-violent direct action. Participants in this workshop will take away the analytical skills to know when and how to apply these proposed solutions, identify and use necessary resources, and create structures to foster further student participation on their campuses. Participants will be presented with (and will present) historical and hypothetical examples of institutional challenges and will work in small groups to resolve them. Together we will explore the diversity of available strategies to create practical, local solutions to these universal challenges. We will discuss tools for self-evaluation, reflect on our past successes and failures, and work together to build a unified student movement toward a democratic, sustainable university. This workshop is geared toward all students and student advocates, but specifically students in universities without an established culture of student participation.

Since the 19th century, universities have played major roles in economic development, for better or (mostly) worse. Given the current economic crisis and the clout and power of US universities (they employ more than 2% of the workforce and their collective GDP is more than 300 billion) why not have them promote economic development that is participatory, democratic, inclusive, community-based and sustainable? This workshop will relate the experience of students and faculty at a sizeable multiracial-ethnic urban public university (Brooklyn College/CUNY) and its efforts, both successes (student run coffee collective, aquaponics facility, community garden, new programs, facilities management) and limitations (lack of coordination, social fragmentation…).