Recommendation from the Community Engagement Task Force:
Teach students a process of effective communication and conflict resolution in a civil manner during their First Term Seminar (FTS).
Additional explanation:
Learning the process is more important than debating a specific topic. By leveraging the FTS, the students learn tools they can use to handle the many new challenges they face in their college career, ranging from roommate issues to political conversations to academic or social disagreements. When fully implemented, all students will have a common “language” to use on campus and plenty of experience with the tools and the process to take into the world.
This recommendation was placed in the Personal Growth and Development Strategic Framework Substantive Category using the language:
Nurture a campus community committed to and skilled in the practice of civil discourse by coordinating campus wide initiatives relating to intellectual diversity, conflict resolution, and civil discourse, which may include work with First Term Seminar courses.
This recommendation was placed is Tier 1 and is being monitored by the Dean of Students and Vice President for Student Affairs.