OHIO — A tense and divisive time across the U.S. prompted one university to start the process of equipping their students and staff with the necessary tools to work through hard conversations.

The school is now calling on other colleges and universities to do the same as the 2024 presidential election draws near.

What You Need To Know

  • Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the first colleges in the U.S. to provide training in civil discourse to all students, faculty and staff
  • OWU hopes other colleges will take on the challenge of helping students engage and sharpen their civic skills 
  • OWU is taking part in leadership training as a part of the Constructive Dialogue Institute’s program to unify the campus 

“We think that more colleges and more universities and more communities need to roll up their sleeves and do the tough work,” said Matt vandenBerg, President of Ohio Wesleyan University said.

That’s because society and the political landscape have experienced a great deal of division and polarization.

“We increasingly identify only with our own political and cultural camps, and we surround ourselves in these echo chambers where we only listen to and amplify the voices with which we already agree,” vandenBerg said.

These observations are what vandenBerg believes has created an atmosphere on college campuses across the United States, including OWU, where students are afraid to speak up.

“They fear what it means to not be in the majority,” he said. “They fear what it means to be open to that criticism and that acerbic reaction that comes with disagreement all too often.”

For many, he said the result turns into students disengaging altogether. 

Rather than seeing students isolate themselves from tough conversations, the university has taken a unique position in launching a movement. It’s in partnership with the Constructive Dialogue Institute, which teaches staff and students how to have healthy, constructive dialogue in civil discourse.

The hope is that all students will participate in the training. Once the training is complete, the university will conduct a survey to see just how effective it was for those who attended. In the end, students will have an opportunity to practice what they’ve learned in follow up events. Plus, they’ll be able to take the certificate received and add it to their resume as a skill. Ultimately, the university sees itself as a national model for how to preserve democracy.