Alongside their academic studies, it is imperative that students at colleges and universities are equipped with the skills necessary to engage in conversations across lines of difference, especially on contentious issues. By learning to engage respectfully with those of differing or opposing views, students are prepared for civic participation in America’s increasingly pluralistic society.
As part of the Civil Discourse Focus Area within the Private Higher Education portfolio, AVDF supports organizations that equip faculty with the knowledge and skills to facilitate civil discourse among students. These programs enable faculty to improve teaching practices, refine courses and develop new curricula that promote constructive dialogue in the classroom.
To provide this type of training at a larger scale, AVDF awarded a grant to the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) in partnership with the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) to develop online civil discourse training modules for faculty at higher education institutions.
The first-of-its-kind online course and credential in deliberative discourse will strengthen faculty, staff, and students’ ability to engage with each other in respectful ways that advance mutual understanding, particularly when encountering meaningful differences of belief, opinion, or thought. The offerings will be developed and delivered by ACUE, the nation’s leader in quality teaching and faculty development.
“Our nation’s cultural politics and partisan divide are tearing campuses apart. Controversies over free speech, trigger warnings, outlawed topics, international affairs, and academic programs addressing gender, identity, and racial/ethnic studies have turned open discussions into shouting matches and worse,” said CIC President Marjorie Hass. “We can’t think of a more pressing issue for the future of higher education and the country than restoring a sense of common purpose through meaningful, trusting dialogue. We are grateful to AVDF for funding this new online course and credential in deliberative discourse to help our member institutions and other campuses around the country provide their faculty, staff, and students with the tools for having constructive conversations on difficult issues.”
Distributed through ACUE’s presence on hundreds of campuses, as well as CIC’s membership of more than 600 independent colleges and universities, the online course offering will:
- Allow college educators to develop the skills to facilitate more effective conversations among students in class, online and on campus.
- Utilize ACUE’s experience as the creator and provider of the highest-quality courses, pathways and certifications.
- Feature demonstration videos and scenarios so educators have opportunities to envision themselves and their students in situations where best practices for productive discussions are needed.
- Share information from leading experts, practitioners and peers.
“Students with diverse backgrounds and beliefs come together in class. It’s imperative that professors have the skills and confidence to engage these differences in productive ways,” said Jonathan Gyurko, ACUE president and cofounder. “This new credential, thanks to the generous support of AVDF and ACUE’s longstanding collaboration with CIC, will prepare college instructors to foster the tolerant and respectful conditions necessary for learning and mutual understanding.”
This collaboration is an extension of a partnership between CIC and ACUE, grounded in Belong: An Inclusive Learning Community, a network of CIC member colleges and universities dedicated to making their campuses more welcoming and inclusive. Once the new course in deliberative discourse is finalized in Spring 2025, this ACUE offering will be made available at no additional cost to all members of the Belong community, providing thousands of faculty members with access to this essential and timely resource.
For more information about the online course, click here.
About CIC
The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) is an association of more than 700 nonprofit independent colleges and universities, state-based councils of independent colleges, and other higher education affiliates, that works to support college and university leadership, advance institutional excellence, and enhance public understanding of independent higher education’s contributions to society. CIC offers conferences, seminars, reports, and other programs and services that help independent institutions improve educational quality, administrative and financial performance, student outcomes, and institutional visibility.
About ACUE
The Association of College and University Educators’ (ACUE) mission is to ensure student success through quality instruction. ACUE delivers the highest-quality courses, pathways, and certifications with quick-to-implement practices that make a huge impact on student success. ACUE Certified instructors are shown to boost persistence and completion for students, improve faculty confidence and engagement and help institutions meet their strategic goals. Endorsed by the American Council on Education, ACUE’s online, cohort-based, courses are delivered through institutional partnerships and open enrollment courses and are higher education’s only provider of nationally recognized teaching certifications. To learn more visit acue.org.
About the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations
The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations were organized in 1952 and are supported by two trusts established by Mr. Arthur Vining Davis. The Foundations aim to bear witness to Mr. Davis’ successful corporate leadership and his ambitious philanthropic vision. Since their inception, the Foundations have given over 4,600 grants totaling more than $385 million to colleges and universities, hospitals, medical schools, and divinity schools. To learn more visit avdf.org.
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