---
title: Eboard 04  Prepare for partner meetings
number: 4
section: eboards
held: 2017-01-30
---
CSC 322.01, Class 04:  Prepare for partner meetings
===================================================

_Overview_

* Preliminaries
    * Notes and news
    * Upcoming work
    * Extra credit
    * Questions
* How to work with your partners!

### News / Etc.

* I will email you your groups.
* Meet Susan Sanning, associate dean for community outreach

### Upcoming work

* Think about your projects.

### Good things to do

* See the CSC 321 Web site.

### Questions

---

Introduction
------------

* I want to learn how to effectively communicate with nontechnical people.
* I want to get away from Grinnell.
* Build something useful that functions, as opposed to those useless toys
  that PM made us write.
* Building a project from the ground up.
* Experience working with a team.  (Susan Sanning says teams will drive
  you crazy)
* Good grade.  Bzzz.  
* Learn how to listen to people, or at least make them think that I'm
  listening to them.
* Practice working with people.

What do Grinnell townsfolk think of Grinnell students
-----------------------------------------------------

* Arrogant
* Privileged / rich
* Weird hippie druggie
* Slovenly
* Don't keep their word.  Too many Grinnell students sign up to do things
  and then don't show up.
* [They also don't know what a liberal arts education might be.]
* It's really important that you set expectations and that you keep them.
* It's equally important that you don't overcommit.

Improving relationships
-----------------------

* Build trust!
    * Set expectations, such as for communication (how, when, how much
      advance notice, how long to wait for followup).
    * Be clear when you can't make it, and only for legitimate reasons.
      ("I planned badly and have a paper due in an hour.")
    * Plan well, with your calendar handy.  Note: Academic advising can
      give you a semester calendar.
* Dress codes.
    * Dress professionally.
    * In the US, we don't generally consider t-shirts and sweats and pajamas
      as professional.  (As College students, jeans and polos are probably
      fine for men or women.)
    * Take your cues from your clients!
* Learn the personalities of the people with whom you work.
    * How do you deal with people who don't want to criticize?  Pay 
      attention to body language.  Give people options.  Present yourself 
      honestly.
* How do you figure out what their goals are?
    * "Let me consult with Prof. Rebelsky and my mentor about what they
      think I can do this semester."
* Note: As soon as you realize that your goals are too lofty.

About Mayflower
---------------

* A continuing care facility.
* Most start as independent living: Apartment, house, duplex.
* As health changes, there are different levels of care.
    * Sometimes bringing care to your living spaces
    * Sometimes moving you to an assisted living space
    * Sometimes moving you to a full-time care space
* They never kick anyone out.
* You will be putting in stories of people as they come in.  That
  information will help caregivers.
* Started as retirement community for cong. ministers.
* JB Grinnell thought the retirement and the college community could feed
  each other.

What do you know about our community and its members?
-----------------------------------------------------

* Lean Republican.
* "Iowa Nice".  Some are genuinely nice, some are nice to your face but
  not so nice behind your back.
* Some have limited education.
* Many are resistant to change.  
* 30-50% of community is at or under poverty level.
* 30-40% of K-12 students are on free or reduced lunches.
    * This is an undercount.  Particularly in HS, kids don't want to be
      known as on free and reduced lunches.
* Unemployment rate in Grinnell is about 2.5%.  
* Grinnell has a lot of working poor, people who are underemployed.
* Grinnell does not pay property taxes for our main campus.
* What does homelessness look like in Grinnell?  Usually, couch hopping
  or large numbers of people in small location.  Lots of landlords are
  not good.
* A lot of our organizations rely on volunteers to keep the community going.
* Because we're a small community, you can make a big difference.