Out on the Edge of the Loop

As stated in previous posts, distance workers are at a disadvantage when it comes to meetings, especially large ones. This past week my new division held its inaugural division-wide meeting. Because of the logistics over phone service in the location of the meeting, I was unable to attend. While I was not too upset over getting to miss a meeting, the event did provide me with another example of how organizations who employ distance workers must make concessions in order to include everyone in events.

Overall, my college has gone to great lengths to provide support on several fronts to make sure this work environment remains productive and enjoyable. However, I do think for an institution to make telecommuting a long-term employment method, considerable policy decisions must be made early to ensure a comparable experience for all employees.

When I consider the impact full-time distance working will have on faculty, the communication aspect becomes very important. Colleges will have to devise ways to get information to remote workers in very timely fashions. One method that comes to mind is platform such as WebEx (http://www.webex.com/) where colleges could hold large virtual meetings with presentations. WebEx offers service for $375 a month for five users, $75 for each additional user. There are other companies with different prices and services, but the benefit of web meetings over missed interactions can cost more. It is in my nature to find a low-cost mid-tech solution to problems such as this, and if the college’s Voice over IP system could do multiple site conference calls, one could use free Google Presentations as the delivery method instead of a WebEx-like service.

None of the above-mentioned issues is without a solution. It simply comes down to the institution committing to the idea of telecommuting and devoting time, money, and human resources into the planning and execution of the initiative.