On May 29 and 30, the first POD Northeast Regional Conference took place at Northeastern University\u27s Warren Center in Ashland, Massachusetts.
The main goal of the conference was to provide a forum for instructional, organizational, and personal development specialists from the region to share information on their recent work

Koffman, Michael

Theall, Michael

English

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University of Nebraska - Lincoln 
DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln 
POD Quarterly: The Journal of the Professional 
and Organizational Development Network in 
Higher Education 
Professional and Organizational Development 
Network in Higher Education 
Fall 1979 
POD Northeast Regional Conference 
Michael Koffman 
Michael Theall 
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/podqtrly 
 Part of the Higher Education Administration Commons 
Koffman, Michael and Theall, Michael, "POD Northeast Regional Conference" (1979). POD Quarterly: The 
Journal of the Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education. 18. 
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/podqtrly/18 
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Professional and Organizational Development Network 
in Higher Education at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in POD 
Quarterly: The Journal of the Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education by an 
authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. 
POD Northeast Regional Conference 
MICHAEL KOFFMAN and MICHAEL THEALL 
On May 29 and 30, the first POD Northeast Regional Confer-
ence took place at Northeastern University's Warren Center in Ash-
land, Massachusetts. 
The main goal of the conference was to provide a foru.nl for in-
structional, organizational, and personal development specialists 
from the region to share information on their recent work. 
Presenters included Carol Mann of North Shore Community Col-
lege; Libby Hruska, Holyoke Community College; Ed Caffarella, 
University of Maine; David Holmes and Tony Roberts, University 
of Vermont: Ric Long, University of Bridgeport; Joe Durzo and 
Kathy Rogers,· Syracuse University; John Anderson, Bucknell; 
Margaret Quellette and Fred Adair, Harvard; Bob Wolke, Univer-
sity. of Pittsburgh; John Kelly, Commonwealth Institute for High 
Technology (Massachusetts); Bobbie Koffman, Boston State Col-
lege; Gay Lumsden, Keane College; and Ginger Rotondo, Patricia 
Dovas, Michael Theall ·and Gerry Herman of Northeastern Univer-
sity. Conference planning and coordination were handled by Glenn 
Erickson and Michael Koffman. 
In addition to the presenters, twenty-five persons registered for 
the conference. The range of involvement of these persons in devel-
opment went from Director, Office of Facu1ty Development to "in-
terested single crusader," with actual experience ranging from six 
months to fifteen years. Two-thirds of the participants had attended 
POD workshops and conferences prior to this one, although only 
nine were currently POD members. Altogether twenty-four separate 
higher education institutions in the northeast region (primarily New 
England) were represented. 
As indicated in the number of presenters, the conference achieved 
the goal of bringing development professionals together to share 
mutual interests. The rural "retreat-like" ambience of the confer-
ence center contributed to this purpose, including the faot that par-
POD Quarterly, Vol. 1, No. 3 (Fall 1979) 
181 
182 POD QUARTERLY 
ticipants were required to share camp-style living quarters and co-
operate in setting and clearing tables. 
In addition, many presentations were conducted as workshops, 
skill-building and even personal growth exercises. Ed Caffarella's 
three-hour simulation on "Diffusion of Innovations" was a highlight 
of the conference for many. Participants rated the presentations as 
well suited to their needs, and gave excellent ratings ro both the 
overall quality and organization of the program. 
Some criticism was voiced regarding the full schedule £or the two 
days (9:30A.M. to 9:00P.M. the first day and 9:00A.M. to 3:00 
P.M. the second day). As is often the case, some individuals felt the 
need for more time for informal social exchange. Others were frus-
trated by the necessity of choosing between equally attractive pre-
sentations. While certain problems with noise level in the !'looms as 
well as a shortage of lecture !'lOOms were cited, both the presenters 
and the participants regarded the regional conference as a success 
and would support another conference in ,1980. 
One substantive suggestion was made to encourage the directors 
of development centers to bring their entire staff to the regional con-
ference and to allow time during and after the conference for each 
staff to discuss the application of various new ideas to their situation. 
To stimulate such staff development certainly falls within the goals 
of the POD network. 




POD Northeast Regional Conference

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University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln POD Quarterly: The Journal of the Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education Fall 1979 POD Northeast Regional Conference Michael Koffman Michael Theall Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/podqtrly  Part of the Higher Education Administration Commons Koffman, Michael and Theall, Michael, "POD Northeast Regional Conference" (1979). POD Quarterly: The Journal of the Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education. 18. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/podqtrly/18 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in POD Quarterly: The Journal of the Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. POD Northeast Regional Conference MICHAEL KOFFMAN and MICHAEL THEALL On May 29 and 30, the first POD Northeast Regional Confer-ence took place at Northeastern University's Warren Center in Ash-land, Massachusetts. The main goal of the conference was to provide a foru.nl for in-structional, organizational, and personal development specialists from the region to share information on their recent work. Presenters included Carol Mann of North Shore Community Col-lege; Libby Hruska, Holyoke Community College; Ed Caffarella, University of Maine; David Holmes and Tony Roberts, University of Vermont: Ric Long, University of Bridgeport; Joe Durzo and Kathy Rogers,· Syracuse University; John Anderson, Bucknell; Margaret Quellette and Fred Adair, Harvard; Bob Wolke, Univer-sity. of Pittsburgh; John Kelly, Commonwealth Institute for High Technology (Massachusetts); Bobbie Koffman, Boston State Col-lege; Gay Lumsden, Keane College; and Ginger Rotondo, Patricia Dovas, Michael Theall ·and Gerry Herman of Northeastern Univer-sity. Conference planning and coordination were handled by Glenn Erickson and Michael Koffman. In addition to the presenters, twenty-five persons registered for the conference. The range of involvement of these persons in devel-opment went from Director, Office of Facu1ty Development to "in-terested single crusader," with actual experience ranging from six months to fifteen years. Two-thirds of the participants had attended POD workshops and conferences prior to this one, although only nine were currently POD members. Altogether twenty-four separate higher education institutions in the northeast region (primarily New England) were represented. As indicated in the number of presenters, the conference achieved the goal of bringing development professionals together to share mutual interests. The rural "retreat-like" ambience of the confer-ence center contributed to this purpose, including the faot that par-POD Quarterly, Vol. 1, No. 3 (Fall 1979) 181 182 POD QUARTERLY ticipants were required to share camp-style living quarters and co-operate in setting and clearing tables. In addition, many presentations were conducted as workshops, skill-building and even personal growth exercises. Ed Caffarella's three-hour simulation on "Diffusion of Innovations" was a highlight of the conference for many. Participants rated the presentations as well suited to their needs, and gave excellent ratings ro both the overall quality and organization of the program. Some criticism was voiced regarding the full schedule £or the two days (9:30A.M. to 9:00P.M. the first day and 9:00A.M. to 3:00 P.M. the second day). As is often the case, some individuals felt the need for more time for informal social exchange. Others were frus-trated by the necessity of choosing between equally attractive pre-sentations. While certain problems with noise level in the !'looms as well as a shortage of lecture !'lOOms were cited, both the presenters and the participants regarded the regional conference as a success and would support another conference in ,1980. One substantive suggestion was made to encourage the directors of development centers to bring their entire staff to the regional con-ference and to allow time during and after the conference for each staff to discuss the application of various new ideas to their situation. To stimulate such staff development certainly falls within the goals of the POD network. 

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POD Northeast Regional Conference

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