Building Community Through Difficult Conversations

A year-long program for faculty, staff, and students offered by the Faculty Senate and Office of Equity.

Learn more: See the series webpage for additional information

Register: Visit this link to register

In a time of deep division in communities and on campuses, there is an urgent need to build spaces that support and facilitate communicating across differences. Research from across the disciplines demonstrates that empathy for those we disagree with is a learnable skill, and that it can benefit the individual and society.

Over this academic year, we are supporting a series of expert-guided workshops and faculty conversations to strengthen our ability to productively engage with those who hold different views from us.

The kick-off event will be held on October 23, during national Free Speech week, in the Wilson Library Reading Room. This session will focus on mindset and communication skills, and it will be repeated on November 13. This in-person, expert-led training is limited to 50 attendees per session, and attendance is strongly recommended before participating in the Winter/Spring events.

In these times, we need the courage to do this sometimes-uncomfortable work and seek a richer understanding of perspectives that we may disagree with at the outset. We are stronger when we stay engaged in the critical work of building connections despite our differences.

We hope that you will join us in conversation and community. Please see the series webpage for additional information, and please visit this link to register.