Austin Community College District (ACC) welcomed more than a dozen community colleges and universities from across the country for a convening on the best practices to advance students’ skills and habits of respectful discourse.
Hosted in partnership with Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC), the Discourse Across Differences at Community Colleges Symposium was held at ACC Highland Campus in June.
“Community college educators are experts in pedagogy and student support. It was refreshing to participate in a conversation about an often politicized issue and keep it focused on educational concerns,” says Grant Potts, interim dean of the Division of Language Arts, Humanities, and Communications at ACC. “I was impressed with the level of care that our colleagues from across the country have brought to creating programs that help students learn how to participate in productive dialog on issues where there are deep, principled differences.”
The symposium was led by Potts in partnership with Jacqueline Pfeffer Merrill, director of BPC’s Campus Free Expression Project.
Participants held conversations centered on preparing students to be critical thinkers, engaged citizens, and employees in workplaces. It featured several presentations including:
- Incorporate civil discourse techniques in classrooms
- Co-curricular activities
- How programs could be emulated on other campuses
“Community colleges serve a diverse student body that includes many adult and First Generation students,” said Pfeffer Merrill. “This symposium showcased programming that has proven successful for these learners.”
The organizers of ACC’s Great Questions Seminars and Anne Arundel Community College’s Bridge to the Liberal Arts through Primary Source Texts programs highlighted their emphasis on collaborative efforts with faculty from different disciplines.
“It’s profoundly encouraging to meet with educators from around the country and be reminded of the power of constructive civil disagreement,” said Toño Ramirez, ACC professor of philosophy and chair of the Philosophy, Religion, and Humanities Department. “I came away from the day with a renewed optimism for the role that our institutions can play toward this end.”
The BPC organizes programs that bring together faculty and administrative leaders from various regions. The purpose is to exchange and disseminate best practices aimed at cultivating an inclusive atmosphere that promotes lively intellectual discourse.
Full list of participating higher education institutions:
- Anne Arundel Community College
- Austin Community College
- Cochise College
- Community College of Baltimore County
- Galveston College
- Holmes Community College
- Kingsborough Community College
- Linn-Benton Community College
- Miami Dade College
- New River Community College
- Northeastern Junior College
- Onondaga Community College
- Piedmont Virginia Community College
- Rappahannock Community College
- Rose State College
- University of Central Florida
- University of Texas at Austin Center for Community College Student Engagement
Tags: Bipartisan Policy Center, Discourse Across Differences at Community Colleges Symposium, Great Questions
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