Storytelling has been a form of communication for tens of thousands of years. Good storytelling can be a simple, effective, and efficient way to provide understanding of complex issues. In the latest issue of C&U Journal,
Christopher Rooney discusses why storytelling has a valuable role in organizations like the registrar’s office.
“I quickly saw that not only did [storytelling] have vast potential, but it was already being used quite prominently,” Rooney wrote in the article.
“Stories are one of the primary ways in which humans communicate and interact with one another—even in an office.”
Rooney writes that as registrar offices are increasingly engaged in collaborative work on campus, “stories can help integrate information, knowledge, and people into teams.” He added: “Stories offer an opportunity for multiple members
of a team to contribute to a larger narrative. Individuals are limited—by time, subject, and level of responsibility—in their ability to process information, so when work intersects, storytelling offers a chance to share information efficiently.”
Rooney also noted that storytelling can be a tool to help mitigate interpersonal issues within an office. In addition, he points out that as the workplace becomes more “data informed and data literate and gains access to more quantifiable information,”
storytelling can help ensure staff continue to connect to “the individual and institutional knowledge on which we historically have depended.”
Other articles in the Summer 2020 issue include:
Features
Pathways and Potholes: Transfer Student Experience at a Four-year University by Glenda Droogsma Musoba and Tekla Nicholas
“We Have to Do Better Than This”: An Interview with Sara Goldrick-Rob by Christopher Tremblay
An Interview with Dr. Mark McCoy by Kimberley Buster-Williams
Commentary
Reframing Everyday Language in Higher Education Toward Student Sustainability by Devon Almond
Legislative Complexities for Collegiate Athletic Eligibility by Garrett Seelinger and Lendsey Thomson
Enhancing Community College Operations by Kenneth McGhee
Campus Viewpoint
One Stop: A Holistic Path to Student Success by Andrea Graves
Book Reviews
The Empowered University reviewed by Kristina C. Anderson
The Assault on American Excellence reviewed by Kristina C. Anderson