Difficult Dialogues

Fall 2008 Events

Difficult Dialogues Discussion Series

Controversy can arise in almost every aspect of university life, in the classroom or in the Pit, at committee meetings or at social gatherings. The prospect of placing sensitive issues on the agenda can give rise to fears of angry outbursts, withdrawal, or dishonesty. All these reactions—and particularly our fear of them—can create barriers to the inclusive process of dialogue. In this series of panel discussions featuring faculty, staff, and students, the Difficult Dialogues Initiative and the Center for Faculty Excellence provide a space for collaborative exchange on strategies for discussing difficult issues in the university classroom. Panelists and participants will share experiences in which talking about difficult topics has raised the temperature in the room and then lessons they’ve learned about how to address those emotions effectively. We’ll consider a range of challenging scenarios, and we’ll work to identify concrete strategies to help students actively and constructively engage different points of view. The first two sessions in this series will address issues of race and gender.

Talking About Race in the Classroom
Thursday, October 23; 3-4:30 pm
Undergraduate Library, Room 207
Racial and ethnic differences can be powerful elements in the college classroom. Students and teachers all bring deeply engrained presuppositions with them to discussions of race, and the strength of those assumptions can often lead classroom conversations into quagmires. In this session, we will consider how racial perceptions can affect our classroom interactions, how issues of race come into our teaching, and how we can identify resources and strategies to help foster dialogue based on mutual respect, tolerance, and an informed exchange of ideas and beliefs.
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Talking About Gender in the Classroom
Thursday, November 20; 12-1:30 pm
Undergraduate Library, Room 207
Gender difference has a significant impact on learning in the university setting. Teachers, students, course materials, and disciplinary contexts can all harbor assumptions about gender and the significance of gender difference that adversely affect learning and other interactions. This session is designed to explore issues of gender in the classroom and to identify constructive strategies for addressing both overt controversies and also the more subtle gender dynamics that can shape our teaching..
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