Engaging Difficult Dialogues

Difficult Dialogues is a national program designed to promote and protect academic freedom and religious, cultural, and political pluralism on university campuses.

Have you ever been criticized for bringing conversations about gender, religion, science, or politics into your classroom?
Have discussions on gender, religion, science, or politics ever caused conflict in your classroom?
Have you shied away from topics such as these to avoid conflict in your courses?
Have you witnessed students being marginalized or even attacked for their race, worldviews, or religious beliefs?
Do you struggle with how to manage outbursts and maintain a safe, effective learning environment?
Do you believe that civil discourse and the art of respectful argument are the cornerstone of the university experience?

If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, then we invite you to apply to participate in our online workshop focused on classroom management techniques developed by the Difficult Dialogues National Resource Center.

The workshop is designed to teach new skills to faculty and staff to transform discussions with students into the learning and affirming experiences they are meant to be rather than combative and destructive discourses.

Together we can improve the learning climate on our campuses, resulting in a university that is more inclusive of minority voices and a safer place for the free exchange of ideas.

Past Engaging Difficult Dialogues Workshop

This hybrid in-person and online workshop for faculty and staff focused on techniques designed to encourage discussions with students in the classroom and beyond that are learning and affirming experiences.

The spring 2023 workshop was inspired by the Ford Foundation Difficult Dialogues Grant/National Center for Difficult Dialogues text Start Talking: A Handbook for Engaging Difficult Dialogues in Higher Education, Kay Landis editor (University Alaska, Anchorage and Alaska Pacific University)