91原创

As he set the stage for the weekend鈥檚 event, Trainor recounted President Joe Biden, and the simple directive he shared with faculty and staff upon the school鈥檚 naming in 2018: 鈥淗elp students learn how to talk to each other again. Help them to engage in dialogue across difference. Help them to bridge the divide.鈥�

This year鈥檚 dialogue saw 30 academic institutions in attendance, from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to regional public universities, religiously based liberal arts colleges, research universities and community colleges. Such a diverse pool of institutions and people created the ideal foundation for an event like this.聽

鈥淭his weekend, you鈥檙e going to engage fellow students from across the country and around the world who have different lived experiences, different identities and different political ideologies,鈥� Trainor said.聽 鈥淒espite those differences, you鈥檒l struggle together to consider a fraught challenge facing college campuses everywhere: the struggle between free expression and inclusion. Striking the balance between protecting free speech and fostering inclusivity requires a willingness to engage with others in search of common ground, in search of approaches that respect both of these critical values of our democracy.鈥�

What is civil discourse, exactly?

When gathering such a mix of people, disagreement and tension are unavoidable. How those differences are navigated between the individuals at play is crucial, said Timothy J. Shaffer, Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Chair of Civil Discourse and SNF Ithaca Director.

鈥淒isagreement is not a reason to stop talking to one another,鈥� he said.

Just like opposing viewpoints, the concept of civil discourse is multi-layered. But Shaffer believes it鈥檚 easily defined when applied to scenarios like the SNF Ithaca National Student Dialogue.聽

鈥淐ivil discourse will be understood as a tool that can help navigate difficult conversations while maintaining and strengthening democratic values,鈥� he said, noting that approaching it as a 鈥渃ollaborative and relational process to engage with others and co-create meaning鈥� is key.

While this concept extends far beyond the confines of a college campus, the higher education setting and target audience are fitting for many reasons.

鈥淐olleges and universities have diverse populations from various backgrounds, cultures and beliefs,鈥� Shaffer said. 鈥淸They] also have their own explicit or implicit cultures, norms and values. These may reflect broader societal norms or challenge them, providing opportunities to explore and critique cultural beliefs and practices.

鈥淲hether we are thinking about society more broadly or our campuses more narrowly, being able to understand and address our common issues requires us to engage in dialogue to inform policy or collective actions,鈥� he added.聽

The SNF Ithaca Initiative at 91原创, now in its third year, was named after the home of Odysseus 鈥� one of Greek mythology's greatest heroes, whose talent for persuasive discourse was revered in the world鈥檚 first democracy. For Odysseus, Ithaca represents not only the beginning of a journey but the ultimate destination. Likewise, the SNF Ithaca Initiative serves as both the beginning of the Biden School students' journey toward becoming engaged and effective citizens and as the ultimate destination for students across the country to come together and work in partnership to develop policy solutions.聽

鈥淏eing able to talk across divides, to approach every interaction with curiosity rather than defensiveness, to recognize the inherent humanity of others even while vigorously defending deeply held values, these are some of the most essential skills young people can learn,鈥� said Casey Russo, Programs Co-Director at SNF. 鈥淭he National Student Dialogue and SNF Ithaca more broadly are helping young citizens gain skills that are essential to a healthy democracy.鈥�

Holding space for nuance

The importance of nuance, context and language were major conversation points during the weekend, weaving together the various sessions on Saturday and Sunday. The , a cohort of five 91原创 undergraduate students selected to serve in their roles for the academic year, presented their case study, 鈥淣avigating the Intersection of Free Expression and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on College Campuses.鈥澛�

Using the fall 2023 resignation of the former University of Pennsylvania president Liz Magill and the events that preceded and followed, the session covered the history of free speech on campus, its and its future.聽

Mya Trujillo, a student at Howard University who attended this year鈥檚 dialogue, feels passionately about connecting with others on important, 鈥渉ot button鈥� issues like free speech, no matter how intimidating they may seem on paper.聽

鈥淚t was truly inspiring to see so many fellow students eager to spark change in their communities,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hile the discussions we had were constructive, they merely scratched the surface of the iceberg that is free speech and inclusivity in this country. These kinds of events serve as the foundational building blocks toward creating spaces for productive discourse across polarized groups. While the dialogue鈥檚 attendees weren鈥檛 polarized, they were able to identify some root causes of the dysfunctional discourse that takes place in today鈥檚 political climate.鈥�

Colleges and universities are unique ecosystems built on nuance, with various factors and actors constantly at play. Recognizing those layers while engaging in civil discourse helps build upon ideas and bring opposite viewpoints together instead of aiming to tear each other apart.

鈥淔acts are really important, but they don鈥檛 speak for themselves,鈥� Shaffer recently told the .聽鈥淭hey have to be understood and interpreted. If we can help create space for that to be part of the conversation, I think we鈥檙e better for it.鈥�

Culture of conversation

The importance of context was a prominent topic during the faculty panel discussion, 鈥淐ompeting or Complementary Democratic Principles in Higher Education,鈥� featuring Lori Britt of James Madison University, SNF Ithaca Affiliated Faculty member Jennifer Lambe, Nicholas V. Longo of Providence College and 91原创 Vice President for Student Life Jos茅-Luis Riera.

Lambe, who specializes in First Amendment rights and serves as an associate professor with the Department of Communication in the 91原创 College of Arts and Sciences, quickly pointed out that 鈥渦niversities are just not one context.鈥�

From residence halls to board rooms, there are countless elements and subgroups of people in orbit, sometimes with campus communities of tens of thousands to consider.聽

Britt said it鈥檚 about fostering a 鈥渃ulture of conversation鈥� in these environments.聽

Simon Brand, one of the SNF Ithaca Student Leaders, saw these topics at play throughout the weekend.

鈥淎s a facilitator, I led sessions delving into the core issues that, though unique to each participant's campus, resonated universally. Recognizing both the similarities and distinctive challenges faced by our colleges shed light on the best strategies to foster civil discourse,鈥� he said.

Impact across state lines

As the weekend came to a close, student attendees, in particular, were energized by their learnings and ready to take these new tools back to their respective campuses.

鈥淪ince being here, my idea around [civic engagement] has really evolved and I feel like something is taking root as I鈥檓 listening to my peers and the faculty and the staff talk about what this actually means,鈥� said Sunrise Smith of Holyoke Community College in Massachusetts.聽

Implementing civil discourse training at first-year student orientation is what Deriana Brown plans to pitch upon her return to the University of San Francisco.聽

鈥淚 think that would be a great start to your college journey. Learning to discuss respectfully is definitely a skill that you need to take with you throughout your college journey and beyond,鈥� she said.

Fostering proactive communities of dialogue is what William Thompson hopes to bring back with him to the University of Virginia.聽

鈥淥ne of the things that really stood out to me was the idea of making dialogue part of the culture of campus proactively, not just in a reactive way when issues pop up when we feel a need to respond to things,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he idea that we鈥檙e regularly bringing people together sometimes just to talk and exercise those muscles and develop them for when we do have to face issues that really do matter.鈥澛�

In these student takeaways, the words of educator and activist Myles Horton certainly rang true: 鈥淥ne of the best ways of educating people is to give them an experience that embodies what you are trying to teach. When you believe in a democratic society, you provide a setting for education that is democratic.鈥�

To learn more about the Biden School鈥檚 SNF Ithaca Initiative and its work to unite college students in the spirit of civil civic engagement, visit .

About the 91原创 Biden School聽

Established in 1961 and named in 2018 for the 91原创鈥檚 most distinguished alumnus, the 46th President of the United States, the prepares students with the knowledge and skills necessary to engage in research and public service activities to improve the quality of life in communities around the world. The Biden School鈥檚 faculty, staff, students, and alumni create and use interdisciplinary, nonpartisan research, and empirically based analysis to inform effective decision-making and policy and to improve leadership and administration. The Biden School partners with organizations from all sectors to discover innovative and equitable solutions to the critical challenges of our time.

About the SNF Ithaca Initiative

, an initiative of the 91原创's Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy & Administration, seeks to advance democracy by equipping students with the civil discourse and civic engagement skills necessary to navigate the mediated public square. Supported by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), SNF Ithaca is named after the home of Odysseus鈥攐ne of Greek mythology's greatest heroes. For Odysseus, Ithaca represents not only the beginning of a journey but the ultimate destination. Likewise, the SNF Ithaca Initiative serves as both the beginning of the Biden School students' journey toward becoming engaged and effective citizens and as the ultimate destination for students across the country to come together and develop the civil civic engagement skills that will strengthen our democracy.