Civil Dialogue Project

The Civil Dialogue Project’s purpose is to create a campus culture of civil dialogue and to provide resources, training and support to students, staff, faculty and community members to have meaningful conversations on important topics.

MISSION STATEMENT

To foster respectful and challenging conversations to help students, faculty and staff responsibly engage and better understand themselves, each other and their community. 

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

from the Constructive Dialogue Institute

• Let go of winning.

  Approach conversations with the goal to learn and understand, rather than to convince someone you are right. 

• Share your story and invite others to do the same. 

  We all have experiences and values that shape our views. Focusing on these stories is a powerful way to build understanding and connection. 

• Ask questions to understand.

  Asking questions helps us see context, motivations and values that inform others’ views.

• Make yourself and others feel heard.

  Use positive body language, practice active listening and stay open to new perspectives.  

• When possible, seek common ground.

  We share more in common than we think. Find places, big and small, where you agree and move the conversation forward with those ideas.