Difficult Dialogues

Applications for Support of Campus Dialogue (pdf)

Purpose
Difficult Dialogues is a program designed to promote academic freedom and religious, cultural, and political pluralism on college and university campuses in the United States. Its overall goal is to enhance the intellectual atmosphere and augment the institutional opportunities for “difficult dialogues” throughout our campus. The purpose is not to change people’s beliefs. Rather, we intend to create and institutionalize models of dialogue based on mutual respect, tolerance, and an informed exchange of ideas and beliefs.

Objective 1: Ground the DDI through development of baseline information describing current understanding of the relationship of religious belief and intellectual inquiry among Chapel Hill students, faculty, and staff.

Objective 2: Provide faculty development and training to help faculty facilitate constructive discussions of controversial issues in the classroom.

Objective 3. Renovate and enrich the UNC-Chapel Hill curriculum to incorporate more opportunities for faculty and students to discuss diverse opinions, scientific inquiries, religious and spiritual beliefs, and ethics in a respectful environment.

Objective 4. Develop extra-curricular student life activities that stimulate informed discussions of controversial subjects and encourage the exchange of ideas and beliefs in a mutually respectful atmosphere.

The UNC Difficult Dialogues Initiative offers leadership and logistical support to campus groups seeking to stimulate meaningful, respectful and intellectually serious dialogue on campus.

 

Criteria for Support

A. Proposed project must demonstrate commitment to DDI Principles:

• Freedom of expression for a wide range of viewpoints;
• Respectful attention to a wide range of viewpoints;
• Intellectually serious analysis and defense of multiple viewpoints; and
• Share findings throughout the campus community and with audiences in the wider academic and public spheres

B. Proposed project must deal with a DDI-Relevant Topics: questions of academic freedom and religious and cultural pluralism. For example, DDI hosted faculty, student and staff dialogues on the question of Personal Faith and Conscience: How, When, Where and With Whom Can We Speak our Minds on a Public University Campus?

C. Submit a completed Application to formally request support. In two pages:

1. Please give a brief summary of the project and its goals. Is this a one-time event or an on-going project? Is it a new project or has it happened in the past?
2. How do you propose to meet the criteria? Please be as specific as possible.
3. How is the topic significant to UNC Chapel Hill, the wider community, or the nation?
4. What type of evaluation will be conducted, if any, to indicate if your goals have been met?
5. Please describe the specific types of support that would be useful to this project and indicate other confirmed or potential sources of support.
6. Please attach flyers or other information that might help explain the project.

Applications may be submitted via email to difficultdialogues@unc.edu at least 30 days before the proposed event date. Applications will be evaluated promptly based on their match with the criteria above and resources available. Any questions may be directed to difficultdialogues@unc.edu or (919) 966-1289.