What is civil discourse? How can it be created and sustained in the classroom, on campus, and beyond? In this session students and faculty involved in an A&I seminar dedicated to this exact goal–Civil Discourse in a Troubled Age–will reflect on four years of experience with placing “how do we talk with one another productively” at the center of attention. We will discuss several assignments/activities that have been productive in fostering dialogue and a productive atmosphere and reflect, with students, on the value of sustained focus on how we talk and how we listen with one another. With our reflections, we hope to catalyze conversation around effective, portable assignments and techniques for placing civil discourse in different spaces in our community. We hope that others will offer their own experiences and techniques for bringing greater openness, curiosity, and even pleasure to discussions in the classroom, workplace or other space.
Sindy Fleming, Associate Dean of Students and co-instructor in IDSC 100
Bill North, Professor of History
Chico Zimmerman, Professor of Classics
- Slides from this presentation
- Discussion, Dialogue, Debate handout
- Civil Discourse in the Classroom. Simple approaches to tough conversations. By Lara Schwartz and Daniel Ritter