Mission
The Dialogue Project provides training in the development of essential collaborative dialogue skills—fostering a community that cultivates the respectful and open exchange of ideas. Programming for students, faculty, and staff builds skills in such topics as empathetic listening, managing emotions, navigating conversations, and finding points of connection.
The Dialogue Project launches with a focus on the undergraduate experience and four primary components: a special topic series, the first of which is Middle East Dialogues, encompassing courses and events related to timely challenging topics; workshops where faculty, staff, and students can actively practice the skills of collaborative dialogue; guest speakers on campus who model and specialize in dialogue-related skills; and a new partnership with StoryCorps' One Small Step program, which brings two people with different political beliefs together to record a conversation about their lives.
Guiding Principles
Two principles guide the Dialogue Project:
- Early and ongoing exposure to the habits of authentic discourse by those who have wholeheartedly and successfully embraced this practice in their personal and professional lives is an essential component of training.
- Providing opportunities to practice the skills of respectful listening and speaking, including constructive assessment and feedback, is a crucial element of inculcating this practice.
The Dialogue Project provides students, faculty, and staff with intentional training in the development of essential collaborative dialogue skills, including active listening, self-awareness, managing emotions, recognizing mis- and disinformation, and constructing a respectful well-reasoned argument. Participants will gain valuable experience in navigating conversations, finding meaning and points of connection, and promoting a culture of constructive and inclusive dialogue.
Priorities
The Dialogue Project is guided by a set of priorities. These priorities provide focus and accountability, and a framework for assessment.
Continuous Assessment
It is critically important to understand the impact of dialogue-building programs on the campus community. The Steering Committee will engage in continuous assessment and improvement of the Dialogue Project’s priorities, strategies, and programs. We will know we have been successful when we routinely observe our community:
- Effectively engaging with difference to make a difference
- Demonstrating increased resilience to adversity
- Displaying empathy, compassion, and patience with each other
- Articulating well-reasoned arguments in support of a wide range of viewpoints
- Employing media criticism skills in analyzing mis- and disinformation
- Solving complex interpersonal problems without reliance on college policies as a starting point
- Engaging in enthusiastic debate and responsible discourse