NERCOMP Virtual Cafe

Submitted by: Sarah Walkowiak, Instructional Designer at Wentworth Institute of Technology

Contact Info:
Email: walkowiaks@wit.edu
Phone: (617) 989-4910

What role would you like to play in organizing this workshop? I’m interested in organizing a workshop on this topic.

Intended Audience: All NERCOMP Members

Proposal:

At the annual conference this year, some of us were discussing the fact that we wished we had more time to chat informally and catch up with colleagues.

I propose a monthly, or maybe quarterly/bimonthly casual open Virtual Cafe chat where NERCOMP members could hang out in a Zoom room for 1.5 hours. If we have a monthly session, it would be during the academic year minus September and January to avoid semester start conflicts, and December for the holidays.

People could socialize informally in the main room, or go into breakout rooms if folks want to discuss specific topics, from the NERCOMP tracks:
Main room: General hangout/chat
Breakout Rooms:
-Equity, Inclusion & Belonging
-Teaching, Learning, and Student Success
-Systems and Solutions: Enterprise, Infrastructure, Security, and Support
-Leadership & Change Management
-Libraries & Scholarship
Additional one-off breakout rooms could be created for specific topics that come up, or if we have a larger group and want to break into smaller groups, if needed

We could have a quick intro or icebreaker at the beginning to know who's in the room that day, and have a few discussion questions prepared as a backup in case people need a prompt to get started.

A shared document would be created to share any key takeaways or links that come up in the discussion.

I envision this as a virtual analog to a combination of the Birds of a Feather tables and the networking reception at the annual conference.

Another possibility could be to add a co-working/"body doubling" breakout "quiet room" for folks who want to try it out. (See https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-narrative-nurse-practitioner/202501/body-doubling-its-not-just-for-adhd)

I'd be willing to open this up to non-members, but it feels a bit odd to charge people to just hang out on a zoom call, perhaps if we do that we could keep the registration fee lower?

This would be a lighter lift to facilitate, the host would need to open up the room, set up the breakout rooms, let people in if there's a waiting room, and then give people a warning a few minutes before the end of the session. I'd be happy to host, and would love to partner with other folks to rotate or share hosting if there is interest in trying this out.

Learning Objectives:
- Create a supportive and welcoming space for NERCOMP members
- Share ideas and strategies for common challenges across institutions
- Network and connect with colleagues from other institutions
- Share work-in-progress projects or other expertise without the added pressure of a formal conference presentation

Event Type: Webinar/virtual

Track: Equity, Inclusion and Belonging in the Digital Age (2025-26)

Related Documents: {:13}

Presenters:

Preferred Date and Location: October 2025 virtual, November 2025 virtual, December 2025 virtual, February 2026 virtual, April 2026 virtual

Dates Not Available: No January, September, May, or June