Departmental Labor Meetings
The purpose of the departmental labor meeting is to provide dedicated time for planning, reflection, team building, and training. It is also a forum for students to learn more about the Labor Program and about their specific labor assignments. Departmental labor meetings are generally led by supervisors, mentors, or invited guests. The Labor Program Office can assist by facilitating activities and discussion on general topics such as team building, communication, conflict resolution, ethics, delegation, and leadership, as well as topics specific to individual labor departments (e.g., customer service). In addition, the Labor Program Office can coordinate training efforts so that departments who have similar needs are able to share in joint training experiences. A list of departments willing to present at labor meetings is available on the Labor Office website. The Labor Program Office also provides supervisors with calendars focusing on soft skills that can be emphasized at labor meetings.
Each Tuesday from 4:00pm – 5:00pm is reserved for departmental labor meetings and no other academic, athletic, or College requirements should be scheduled at that time. While departments may elect to hold meetings at alternate times, this is the only hour that is reserved campus-wide for this purpose and to avoid any conflicts that may arise. Students should not be penalized if they aren't able to attend a departmental meeting outside the protected Tuesday hour from 4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
On-the-job training is provided by the labor supervisors and mentors, as they are the experts in the work of the department. Even so, the Labor Program Office is happy to consult with department leaders to improve or enhance internal training programs and to connect departments for exploration of best practices.