Civil Dialogues and Student Success

The Civil Dialogues and Student Success (CDSS) program, formerly Engaging Difficult Dialogues, is a semester-long professional development experience focused on building practical skills for navigating challenging conversations, fostering constructive dialogue, and supporting student success. The program culminates in a final project in which participants apply and share what they have learned.

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Application Deadline
Friday, November 20, 2026

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In order to qualify for a program certificate, CDSS participants must fulfill the following requirements:

Must attend at least 8 of the 9 workshops.
Complete the final project at the end of the semester.
Present a summary of your project at one of the final two sessions of the workshop series.

The final project will be an implementation plan detailing how you will incorporate what you have learned into your role at the university during the upcoming year. Implementation plans are to be submitted to the designated area on D2L by Friday, April 30, 2027.

2027 Civil Dialogues and Student Success Schedule

All Sessions will be presented on Zoom, from noon to 1:00 p.m.

Date	Topic
Friday, January 15	Introduction and Discussion Norms This introductory workshop creates the foundation for the workshop series. Participants will establish shared norms and ground rules for safe and productive dialogue.
Friday, January 22	What is Your Viewpoint? Participants explore how personal core values, worldviews, and differing viewpoints impact emotionally charged conversations.
Friday, January 29	Civil Discourse and Navigating Difficult Conversations This session introduces the ideas of civil discourse and examines how to handle difficult conversations calmly and effectively.
Friday, February 12	Academic Freedom and Free Speech This workshop clarifies the legal and institutional distinctions between protected speech, academic freedom, and campus conduct codes.
Friday, February 26	Designing Dialogues This session introduces six principles of constructive dialogue – such as consent, transparency, and emotional intelligence – and shares concrete methods for preparing, facilitating, and closing the feedback loop on educative conversations.
Friday, March 5	Science and Other Ways of Knowing This session focuses on addressing diverse epistemologies while upholding rigorous academic standards.
Friday, March 19	Exploring Difference and Identity Participants examine how social identities influence classroom dynamics and student-faculty interactions.
Friday, March 26	Power Dynamics and Inclusion Participants examine how social identities influence classroom dynamics and student-faculty interactions.
Friday, April 9	Difficult Dialogues in Business Classrooms Participants examine case studies on navigating politically sensitive, ethical, and economic topics with students.
Friday, April 23	Final Project Presentations – Day One Participants will share their plans for incorporating what they have learned in CDSS into their courses or how they will apply the skills gained in CDSS to other roles at the university.
Friday, April 30	Final Project Presentations – Day Two