Previous years' leadership聽summits鈥
The fifth annual summit focused on advancing constructive engagement through civil discourse, building on the SNF Ithaca National Student Dialogue鈥檚 emphasis on creating 鈥渢hird spaces鈥 for dialogue on campus. Sessions explored the role of higher education in fostering civil discourse, the importance of constructive engagement across differences, and how campuses can advance the public good in a time of division.
The fourth annual summit focused on the collective challenges of cultivating active and engaged citizenship among students, especially when democracy is challenged and strained. Sessions included discussions about the state of the field in higher education, civil discourse in an age of authoritarianism, and the relationship of institutional neutrality and free speech with respect to divisive political issues today.
The third annual summit focused on fostering dialogue and engagement in the face of the 2024 presidential election, free speech, viewpoint diversity and the curtailing of DEI efforts on college campuses. What prepares students for this critical election? How have policies, either through actions taken by state legislatures or university leadership, supported or suppressed the voices of students and/or faculty? How are you acting in response to this moment?聽
鈥婽he聽second annual summit聽examined the intersection of media and democracy鈥攖he mediated public square鈥攁nd the role of the college classroom in shaping democratic citizens. The vital urgency of this theme was palpable. To uphold a democratic society, today鈥檚 students must be equipped to identify disinformation and work to protect our information ecosystem. In its second successful year, the summit is complemented by the SNF Ithaca National Student Dialogue held in the spring, which convenes students from partner institutions to advance civic dialogue.鈥
On October 22, 2021, the SNF Ithaca Initiative convened a聽first-of-its-kind national summit聽of scholars at the 91原创. Focused on the topic of 鈥渂ringing civility to college campuses and beyond," the summit was an opportunity for the newly established SNF Ithaca Initiative at the Biden School to introduce itself as a leader and collaborative partner in the field of civil discourse, as well as facilitate conversation, collaboration and relationships with fellow institutions who share the SNF Ithaca Initiative mission of promoting civil discourse as a way of sustaining and preserving democracy.
