Events Calendar (updated 8/9/08)

Many other events will be added as they arise, so check back here or contact Martin directly at (970)491-5628 or cpd@colostate.edu .

Current Projects

We will continue to be involved with the Pathways Past Poverty project. Plans are underway, for example, to co-sponsor two candidate forums for county commissioners and state legislators focused on issues related to poverty.

We will be hosting two forums on childhood obesity to examine potential community actions to reverse the trend.

The Fall 2008 Community Issues Forum is scheduled for November 17th, at the Fort Collins Hilton. This will be one of our big events for the fall, where CSU students and the community come together for facilitated discussions on a number of key community issues.

Students will be choosing local projects for the fall 2008 semester soon. If you have a suggestion, email Martín Carcasson at mcarcas@colostate.edu

NIF Issue Forums

Each semester, CPD Student Associates will be organizing and running public forums using published National Issues Forum issue books. A list of all NIF issue books is available at http://www.nifi.org/discussion_guides/index.aspx.  NIF forums typically last two hours and aim for an audience of roughly 30. 

Workshops
Another community workshop will be schedule for early summer 2009.

An official NIF moderator training workshop is scheduled for September 13th, 2008 for CPD student associates.

We held our second CPD Community Public Deliberation Workshop from June 19-21 in Fort Collins. This free three-day workshop provided participants with a background on the concept of deliberation, as well the practical skills to convene and facilitate public forums, particularly forums using the National Issues Forum material. We will have our third annual workshop next summer (date TBA). As always, the workshop is provided free of charge (meals included!) If you are interested in attending our next workshop, email Martin Carcasson at (970) 491-5628 or cpd@colostate.edu

Student Research
CPD Student Associates will be completing book reports on deliberative classics, as well as reports on various deliberative organizations and techniques. Those reports will be posted here soon.

Student associate Dawneen Banks is currently working on a research project examing the role of public libraries in local democracies.

Faculty Research
Martin Carcasson and Elinor Christopher are completing a research report for the Kettering Foundation on the role of deliverative forums in community politics.

Martin Carcasson is completing a research report for the Kettering Foundation on the development of center of focused on public deliberation at universities. A summary of the report will be presented at the 2008 National Coalition of Dialogue and Deliberation Conference in Austin, Texas in October.

Martin Carcasson is completing a research project on the differences between "theoretical" and "on the ground" deliberation, to be presented at the 2008 National Communication Conference in San Diego in November.

Past Events and Reports

Download the recently completed 2007-2008 CPD Annual Report, which outlines all CPD events from the fall of 2007 through the summer of 2008. You can also read our 2006-2007 CPD Annual Report, which covers our projects sicne our the founding in the summer of 2006 through the summer of 2007.

Spring 2008 Events:
• The CPD designed and hosted the Spring 2008 Community Issues Forum in April, with 150 participants discussing five different local issues. Participants included students from SPCM capstone course as well as community members. This event has now become an every semester event that brings together campus and community members in a unique manner. The Spring 2008 forum included discussions on alcohol and responsibility, domestic violence, the responsibilities of citizenship, Fort Collins external maintenance standards, and the energy crisis. A report on the external maintenance standards forum was completed and provided to city council, which was in the process of deciding on a new ordinance.
• The CPD, in partnership with the United Way of Larimer County, launched the Pathways Past Poverty community mobilization effort (P3) in October 2007, a long term project that will continue through the fall of 2008, and include many public events. The project currently involves roughly 200 residents serving in 9 different committees. I serve as the lead facilitator and primary advisor of the overall project, and CPD students participated in eight “approach committees” that met several times during the spring. The CPD then designed and facilitated two community open houses in April and May 2008 to gather public feedback on preliminary goals developed by the approach committees, which received significant media coverage. A total of 250 community members participated over the two forums. CPD students also helped facilitate a “poverty simulation” event connected to the P3 project that drew 50 participants. A report on the forums was developed and provided to the P3 steering committee.
• The CPD facilitated a series of 7 public forums in six cities across northern Colorado (including Fort Collins, Loveland, Longmont, Greeley, Estes Park, and Sterling) in spring 2008 concerning the role of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) in the K-12 curriculum. The forums were part of a grant connected to the governor’s office. A total of 250 participated over the seven forums. A report was developed and provided to the organizers of the grant.
• The CPD developed and hosted the Kickoff Event at the Western States Communication Association Conference in Broomfield, CO, on February 16, 2008.  The event brought together communication scholars with local non-profit organizations to improve their agency’s communication strategies.
• The CPD hosted a Community Peace Circle on campus in February 2008, 35 participated in the all day event.
• The CPD hosted a forum on the “21st Century Mission of Schools” on February 12, 2008, for high school students involved in the Poudre Student Think Tank. 10 students participated.
• The CPD hosted a discussion zone at the “Focus the Nation” teach-in on climate change on January 20th and 21st, 2008, at the request of organizers.

Reports from Spring 2008 events:

Pathways Past Poverty (P3) open house was held Wednesday, April 30th, 4:30-8pm at the Aztlan Community Center, with 200 participants (press release). A follow up meeting was held in Loveland on May 7th. The P3 steering committee then met over the summer to prioritize the goal and plan next steps. For the report on the community meetings, click here. For the agenda provided at the initial meeting, click here. For a two page list of the preliminary goals that were discussed, click here. For a document that includes one full page description for each of the goals, click here. For the survey given, click here.

For the CPD report on the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) convening meetings held throughout the spring, click click here

For the CPD report on the proposed External Maintenance standards and the Rental Housing Codes developed from the April 21 forum during the Spring 2008 Community Issues Forum, click here.

For a preliminary report on the results of the Denver By the People deliberation held on October 20, 2007, click here. For a statistical report on the before/after surveys, click here. For the national background information given to participants across the country, click here. For the local background information provided to participants in Denver, click here. Currently, follow up activities are being planned in conjunction with Regis University's Institute on the Common Good.

 

Fall 2007 Community Issues Forum

On Monday, November 12, from 6-8:30pm, the CPD hosted the FALL 2007 COMMUNITY ISSUES FORUM, a night of deliberative forums on a number of issues at the Lory Student Center. .This was the first of what will hopefully become an every semester tradition for the Fort Collins community. One hundred and twenty participants joined us in breakout groups examining seven different topics, including:

- The abuse of alcohol;
- The role of the campus newspaper;
- Pathways to peace;
- Health care reform in Colorado;
- Rising poverty in Larimer County;
- The energy problem;
- Improving the student/neighborhood relationship.

Reports on these various forums are currently being completed.





Fall 2007 Colorado Health Care Reform Forum

The CPD, along with the Larimer County League of Women Voters, hosted a community forum on health care reform on Saturday, 9am-12pm, in the Lory Student Center's North Ballroom. 45 participants, including Colorado State Senator Bob Bacon and Colorado State Representative Don Marostica. Report being prepared, should be posted October 10th. Download the report from the CPD/League of Women Voters Public Forum held on 9/29 here (54 page PDF) An 11 page summary report is available here (PDF)




2007 Poudre School District Grade Configuration Forums

Our major project for the spring of 2007. CPD student associates facilitated 6 meetings for the Poudre School District concerning the grade configuration of PSD schools. See the PSD website for more details. The report concerning the PSD Grade Configuration Forums has been posted on the PSD website, as well as below.

Full Report on Grade Configuration (66 pages)(PDF)

Summary of Report on Grade Configuration (11 pages)(PDF)




CPD Kickoff Event and Community Issues Forum

On Wednesday, January 24th, 2007, we held our Kickoff Event and First Annual Community Issues Forum at the Lincoln Center in Fort Collins. 135 citizens gathered to hear about the Center and discuss what issues were important to them. A report on that forum will be posted on this website in a couple weeks, and will be presented to local, county, and state government officials. Student associates working here at the Center will use the information gathered to pick semester projects, but the Center also hopes that the information will encourage other individuals and organizations to get involved in a variety of ways. In addition to facilitated table discussions, participants completed surveys that asked questions about what issues they would like to have the community engage more deliberatively. Documents provided to the participants at the Kickoff are posted below. Any interested citizens are encouraged to complete the survey and email it to cpd@colostate.edu, or mail it to the CPD at 217 Eddy Building, CSU Campus, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1783.

Participant Survey from Kickoff Event (Word)

Participant Survey from Kickoff Event (PDF)

Agenda for CPD Kickoff Event (PDF)

CPD Issue Cluster list (PDF)

List of Available NIF issue books (PDF)

Link to NIF website information on issue books

Link to IAP2 Public Participation Spectrum (PDF)

the NIF network of Public Policy Institutes (PDF)

Examples of deliberative techniques (PDF)

Link to IAP2 Public Participation Spectrum (PDF)






Additional past events

On Friday, November 16th, Director Martin Carcasson, along with John Gastil (UWashington), Tim Steffensmeier (KSU), and Bill Keith (UW-Milwaukee), taught a three hour "short course" on Deliberative Democracy at the National Communication Association Conference in Chicago, IL.

The CPD facilitated a discussion on Energy Policy at the Phi Theta Kappa Leadership Conference in Greeley, CO, on Saturday, September 22nd. 55 participants, report being prepared.

Director Martin Carcasson, along with Ginnie Sawyer from the City of Fort Collins Neighborhood Services department, attended a weeklong series of workshops put on by the International Association of Public Participation in Washington, D.C. from Sept. 17th to 21.

August 2-4 - The CPD hosted its first community moderator training workshop, with 18 attendees from 6 different states. Another workshop will likely be offered in the spring or summer of 2008.

June 30 - Director Martin Carcasson facilitating a Colorado Education Conversation public forum in the Lory Student Center

CPD student associates hosted discussions on Terrorism for the Presidents Leadership Program courses on Tuesday, April 3rd.

The CPD hosted a town hall forum with Northern Colorado state legislators on May 12, 2007.

CPD student associates moderated discussions on a variety of issues for the Speech Communication department's capstone course, including Alcohol, Public Education, Poverty, and News Media.

Director Martín Carcasson spoke at the Northen Colorado Multicultural Corporation meeting on Thursday, April 5th.

Director Martín Carcasson attended a conference on "The Role of University Centers in Collaborative Governance" sponsored by the Policy Consensus Initiative and the William Ruckelshaus Center from April 25-27 in Seattle, WA.

A forum on Latino/a Issues with Representative Kefalas was held at the Atzlan Community Center on Saturday, March 24th.

From March 21-23, director Martin Carcasson attended a 3 day workshop in Chicago, Illinois, on how to frame issues for deliberation put on by the National Issues Forum Public Policy Institute at the College of DuPage.

Director Martín Carcasson moderated the Fort Collins Municipal Election Candidate Forum sponsored by the Colorodoan and radio station KFKA 1310 on March 15th.

CPD student associates facilitated 6 meetings for the Poudre School District concerning the grade configuration of PSD schools. See the PSD website for more details. The dates and locations of those meetings were as follows:

Feb. 13 - 4:00-6:00pm, Staff forum at Lincoln Jr. High (this forum is for principals, staff, and teachers)
Feb. 15 - 7:00-9:00pm, Public forum at Fossil Ridge High School
Feb. 21, 4:00-6:00pm, Staff forum Preston Jr. High
Feb. 22, 7:30-9:30pm, Public Forum at Fort Collins HS
March 1, 7:00-9:00 pm, Public Forum at Rocky Mt. HS
March 7, 7:00-9:00pm, Public Forum at Poudre HS

A town hall meeting with Northern Colorado state legislators was held on Saturday, March 3, from 1-3:30pm in the Lory Student Center on CSU campus, in room 228.

Director Martin Carcasson and Assistant Director Karrin Anderson attended a "Community Politics" workshop in Dayton, Ohio put on by the Kettering Foundation. The Center was provided a $10,000 grant by the Kettering Foundation for participating in a year-long collaborative research project.

Director Martin Carcasson and student associate Jamie Folsum attended the Raising the Civic Canopy event on Thursday, February 15th, 3-6 pm, The Belmar Center, Lakewood, CO

The Graduate Student Council and the CSU Center for Public Deliberation hosted a discussion with Vice Provost Dorhout (Graduate Affairs) and our local state representatives about the changes proposed in State Statute that may affect graduate student health insurance at Colorado State University.  The meeting was held at 4:30 pm on Wednesday, Jan. 31, in the Grey Rock room of Lory Student Center. Contact Martin Carcasson with questions cpd@colostate.edu or 491-5628. Also see the Coloradoan article from 1/30 for information on the bill: Link to Coloradoan article. A summary of the meeting is available here (PDF)

The CPD hosted its Kickoff Event and First Annual Community Issues Forum on January 24th at the Lincoln Center in Fort Collins. Over 130 citizens gathered to hear about the Center and to provide Center students with information for potential community forums in the future. A report on the event will be completed in February.

CPD student associates ran an NIF public forum on "Democracy's Challenge" on Nov. 29th, 2006, for SP 207 students on CSU campus.

CPD student associates ran a NIF public forum on "America's Role in World" on Nov. 11, 2006, for SP 207 students on CSU campus.

CPD student associates facilitated a public meeting for the Poudre School district on the Civic Mission of Schools on October 24, 2006. Over 100 students, parents, and interested citizens attended. The information from that meeting is being used by the PSD Think Tank to develop action items which will be presented to the superintendent and at the statewide Civic Mission of Schools summit in January 2007.

An official NIF moderator training workshop was held for CPD Student Associates on October 14, 2006, at the TAMASAG Center.

CPD student associates facilitated three charrettes for the Front Range MPO concerning the 2035 Regional Transportation Plan in September and October, 2006.

CPD student associates helped facilitate an “Implication Wheel” exercise in September for the Poudre School District concerning the possibility of moving the 9th grade to high schools.