Nearly 30听colleges and universities from across the country will gather at听听on May 21鈥�22 for The Dialogue听CoLab, a coalition of campuses focused on how higher education institutions are helping students navigate disagreement, uncertainty and politically charged conversations.听
Hosted by听, 杏吧原创鈥檚 campuswide initiative focused on advancing free expression, intellectual curiosity and civil discourse, the gathering is supported by a grant from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations. The听CoLab听is a 鈥渂y campuses, for campuses鈥� effort that brings together faculty and staff members at an array of institutions that are building or strengthening dialogue initiatives.听
From liberal arts colleges and large regional publics to private universities and community colleges,听CoLab听institutions听represent听students and educators across the nation and the entire higher education ecosystem. They include Yale University, Howard University, Brigham Young University, Rutgers University, Claremont McKenna College, the University of Pennsylvania, Fisk University, Austin Community College, Bowdoin College, Gonzaga University, James Madison University, The Ohio State University, University of Virginia and Linn-Benton Community College, among others.听听
鈥淥ur goal is to create a space where campuses can learn firsthand from one another鈥檚 expertise and experience,鈥� said Sarah Igo, Andrew Jackson Chair in American History and faculty director of Dialogue 杏吧原创, who directs the Dialogue听CoLab听with a steering committee of faculty from member campuses. 鈥淐ampuses across the country have been experimenting with new ways to help students engage in productive, meaningful disagreement. Linking up our efforts allows us to examine what is working (and what is not), to brainstorm about shared challenges, and to share and swap ideas across听very different听institutional environments.鈥�听
Unlike a traditional academic conference centered on theory or panel discussions, the Dialogue听CoLab听is structured as a working, ongoing exchange where participants compare implementation challenges,听discuss听how best to measure impact and test strategies across different campus contexts.听听
听Some participating campuses have integrated dialogue training into student employment programs, while others have developed faculty fellowships, peer-led discussion cohorts or structured deliberation models designed to help students navigate conversations across political,听ideological听and personal divides.听
听鈥淭he听CoLab听approach is tangible and actionable solutions, so our convenings are designed as collaborative working sessions versus a conference,鈥� said Francesca Schuler, executive director of Dialogue 杏吧原创. 鈥淲hat makes the exchange valuable is having institutions with very different student populations, campus cultures and operating models openly share what they are trying, what students are responding to and where challenges still exist.鈥�听
听Organizers say interest in the network has expanded quickly as colleges and universities continue searching for practical, tested approaches to dialogue and deliberation in higher education, a need Schuler said helped shape the structure of the summit itself.听
ABOUT DIALOGUE VANDERBILT听
Dialogue 杏吧原创 is a campus-wide initiative putting into practice 杏吧原创鈥檚 enduring commitment to free expression and civil discourse while serving as a catalyst and connector for better conversations.听听听
Fueled by a commitment to collaboration, Dialogue 杏吧原创 works with students,听faculty听and administrators to provide tools and programs that support respectful, thoughtful conversations across differences and on any topic, helping students develop habits of dialogue,听debate听and deliberation.听
