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From: Jeri Levesque <levesqjr@webster.edu>
To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov>
Subject: [NIFL-WOMENLIT:2527] Re: space
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Daphne,
Before I open a can of worms, I need to clarify my situation. The president of my university wants to integrate literacy into its mission is a proactive way. The university is in the process of establishing a campus in the Old Post Office, a monolithic structure in a blighted St. Louis metropolitan
center. We have 97 campuses around the globe.
The Literacy Center or Institute or Named After a Donor place of literacy is a cornerstone of this new urban campus center. I am writing this from Washington DC where I have hit the hallowed halls of Congress pitching the notion of the value of this small component of a university initiative.
The architectural plan calls for space for at least nine full time employees, distance learning facilities, integrated technology and other amenities. We will partner with other organizations such as LIFT-Missouri (already housed on another campus site) to establish a working space. We currently work
together on a variety of projects including one funded by NIFL, an Even Start Statewide Initiative, PIRC and other state funded projects. Most of the work is at a desk (research and curriculum development) or in the field (training and technical assistance).
Space will be established- but the work at this time involves securing community partners and external funding for the essential "work" of literacy. Work is defined as the externally funded projects that create a need for space that engages literacy researchers, practitioners, partners, and learners. It
is much more demanding than assigning me a classroom for each of my courses every term and maintaining a perpetually cramped faculty office.
Great question. I look forward to the thoughts of others who do this sort of work on university facilities.
Jeri Levesque, Ed.D.
Associate Professor, Director, Webster University Institute (New title name I saw on a memo today) of Literacy
Webster University
St. Louis, Missouri 63119
Daphne Greenberg wrote:
> At the bottom of this posting, Jeri writes:
>
> "In real life I am the only tenured faculty who works off campus at home because when a space crunch hit - the thought was the literacy center is more of a concept than a place so I could be virtually anywhere!"
>
> I am wondering how often are we given the space that we need to do the type of work that we need to do-whether our work is learning, teaching, and/or administering. It seems to me that space is so essential-both from a pragmatic point of view and a psychological point of view. Any thoughts about this?
> Daphne
>
> Daphne Greenberg
> Associate Director
> Center for the Study of Adult Literacy
> MSC 6A0360
> Georgia State University
> 33 Gilmer Street SE Unit 6
> Atlanta, GA 30303-3086
> phone: 404-651-0127
> fax:404-651-4901
> dgreenberg@gsu.edu
>
> >>> levesqjr@webster.edu 03/03/03 01:16PM >>>
> Daphne,
>
> The name of my university literacy center is still in limbo - for a number of political reasons - including
> resistance by members of the reading faculty to have a literacy center that touches the k-12 realm which they
> believe is their domain. They see literacy as preK (family literacy/early education) and adult, health,
> workplace literacies as something they can co-exist with. If we were to include the k-12 youth/school age
> literacy component then all proposals and research would have to be scrutinized by the reading faculty to make
> sure we don't compete with their funding ideals.
>
> Bottom line - lifelong literacy is a tad too womb to tomb and trendy - adult literacy needs to keep a distinct
> identity.
>
> Jeri Levesque, Ed.D.
> Associate Professor, Director, Webster University Literacy Center
> St. Louis, MO
>
> PS
> In real life I am the only tenured faculty who works off campus at home because when a space crunch hit - the
> thought was the literacy center is more of a concept than a place so I could be virtually anywhere!
>
> Daphne Greenberg wrote:
>
> > Yes-that is my fear. If we adopt the name lifelong-adult will eventually be forgotten. What do others think?
> > Daphne
> >
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