Well, for most culinary faculty, spring means an end to another academic year, the finality of graduation, and the opportunity to take a break and refresh. My question is whether or not this means putting your program, individual faculty classes, and your academic objectives on the shelf only to be dusted off in late August for a reboot of the same?

There is a real opportunity with spring to analyze, pull apart, regroup, and make exciting plans for a revitalized approach in August. There are always portions of your curriculum and personal effort that work extraordinarily well, but there are likely just as many efforts that fell short. Now is the time to put everything on the table, while your faculty members are still connected, while your students are still within reach, and while everyone is most likely able to tell it like it is.

Yes, we are all inundated with assessment mandates – regional accreditation, State Department of Education reporting, and programmatic accreditation efforts like the ACF, all requiring that we take a hard look at what we do. But, this is different. This spring review and ideation is all about you looking at yourself. What accrediting bodies often miss is the candid, “for our eyes only” review by the stakeholders closest to the situation; stakeholders who are not encumbered by the pressure of an outside body determining whether or not you are worthy of their stamp of approval. The only rule with this type of review is: “How can I (we) be better?”

So, what might this spring ideation look like? Here are a few ideas that can be organized in quick order. Your students may be gone at this point, but still accessible, your faculty might be cleaning out their excess paperwork and putting their kitchens to sleep, and your advisory panel of chefs and restaurateurs gearing up for a busy summer, but if you act quickly, you can still pull this valuable process together.

Make Involvement Self-Serving
The focus of the ideation exchange should allow each stakeholder the opportunity to benefit. Ask the group how they can help individual faculty with challenges such as: the introduction of a new topic or engagement method in a class; or how can the program curriculum address a growing industry concern and/or better prepare students to adapt to change; or perhaps what industry needs are not being adequately met by the curriculum? Many of the adjustments that come out of ideation can be addressed without formal changes to curriculum and the process that oftentimes slows down the evolution of the program. Small improvements that help each stakeholder will be well received.

Make the Process Fun and Engaging
Stay away from the typical “Robert’s Rules” meeting environment and make the session something that people look forward to, allow it to be informal, and involve a different kind of bonding that typically doesn’t happen during the school year. Maybe plan a golf outing, picnic with some type of physical fun event, etc. Great things come out of the right setting.

Allow Ideas to Flow Freely
Start the gathering with a statement that says as people present their challenges there will be no judgment of value. All ideas are welcome and important and who knows what other great thoughts will result.

Don’t Start with Pre-Determined Outcomes
This is not the type of gathering that is designed to accomplish specific, pre-determined goals. This is a chance to discuss the past year as each individual experienced it, the challenges before them, and the gaps that may exist in a curriculum. However the discussion goes is perfect.

Be Totally Transparent
Enter the ideation with an understanding that there can be no hidden elephant in the room or looming dark challenges. You must be prepared to honestly answer any concerns that come up, or let faculty know that if you don’t have an answer you will find out.

Have Student/Graduate Data Available
Without revealing anything that might point to a particular faculty member – compile trend data from student evaluations and alumni surveys that might feed into small group discussions. Simply compile the data in a handout that attendees can bring with them while putting on the 9^th green or flipping burgers for lunch. The data is simply food for thought.

Build Off the Positives
If there is a formal introduction to the ideation session then let it be primarily positive. This puts people at ease and minimizes the fear of any doom and gloom undertone to the gathering.

Make Sure that You Use Time Well
After a full year in the classroom, faculty members are ready for their time. Although there should not be an agenda to the session, there must be a way to collect input from small and larger discussions among group members and a way to show that you take the info to heart and will demonstrate action.

Use the Information to Design a Plan for Fall
A simple document that hits on the ideas and recommendations from individuals and small interactive groups should be compiled and sent out to all involved soon after the event. Make sure you are able to formulate it into a fall strategy. This will become the more formal discussion agenda when everyone re-unites prior to fall classes and even a source of discussion through a few newsletters over the summer. Keep the topics and the discussion alive!

Meet Again in August to Build Off the Ideation Session Energy – Show the Session Had Value
Now that ideas and concerns from the previous year were presented in an open ideation format, you as the director have had an opportunity to form thoughts into a strategy moving forward. The results of the spring session will become the agenda for your pre-class meeting and subsequent faculty gatherings throughout the year. Ideas should always evolve into some form of action if they are to have meaning. You will find this action will make subsequent spring ideations even more fruitful.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Paul Sorgule, MS, AAC, president of Harvest America Ventures, a mobile restaurant incubator based in Saranac Lake, N.Y., is the former vice president of New England Culinary Institute and a former dean at Paul Smith’s College. Contact him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..