Elon Campus and Wider Community
Forums for Challenging Conversations
ADL Training
(Based on the Anti-Defamation League, A CAMPUS OF DIFFERENCE, program offered by Leigh-Anne Royster)
A CAMPUS OF DIFFERENCE™ is a diversity education session created by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).On Elon’s campus, these sessions invite faculty and staff to explore the impact of stereotypes, bias and discrimination on individuals and on the entire campus climate.The training is designed to help participants recognize bias and the harm it inflicts on individuals and society, build understanding of the value and benefits of diversity, improve intergroup relations and confront racism, anti-Semitism and all other forms of bigotry.
Campus Conversation
(Held before Faculty Council and facilitated by a different people)
The Friday Campus Conversationsare be designed, primarily, as an opportunity to generate with others ideas for how we might strengthen Elon intellectual climate, preceded by some context-setting, with brief descriptions of several initiatives oriented towards enhancing our intellectual community and engagement.
Community Connections
(Coordinated by Tom Arcaro)
Students, faculty, staff, and community members are carefully selected to discuss a chosen topic in an open, educational, and respectful forum to benefit Elon University and the wider community. Moderators facilitate the conversations on topics that have been chosen by students and community members as determined by votes cast by students at college coffee and votes cast by visitors to the Times-News website.The healthcare forum followed a May 2013 program similar in design and scope in which the community discussed factors that contribute to gun violence in the United States.
Topics
November 2013: Healthcare
January 2014:Poverty
April 2014:Education
Conflict Competence Series
(Presented by Dr. Karen Jo Shapiro through the Office of Leadership and Professional Development)
Dr. Shapiro facilitates discussions on dealing with conflict that include defining conflict and conflict competence. She also gives a brief overview of the process of conflict dynamics and provides suggestions for enhancing constructive responses and for preventing destructive responses to conflict. The series includes the following sessions:
- An introduction to Conflict Competence for “New” Elon employees
- Campus-Wide Conflict Competence
- Supervisor Conflict Competence
Crucial Conversations
(Taught to faculty and staff by Chaplain Jan Fuller)
Crucial Conversations is a model for making conflict work for instead of against us, as individuals and as institutions. Participants learn to use the model when the stakes and emotions are high and when there are opposing opinions. Whether in a business or a personal setting, these skills help individuals communicate better instead of shutting down or lashing out.
Deliberative Dialogues
(Based on the National Issues Forum (NIF) model and offered by Mary Morrison and Mary Jo Festle)
A forum established to help people of diverse views find common ground for action on issues that concern them deeply. NIF forums are structured deliberative discussions, led by trained moderators. Using nonpartisan issue books, participants weigh possible ways to address a problem. They analyze each approach and the arguments for and against.
Difficult Dialogues
(Facilitated by Melissa Jordan, Director of the Multicultural Center)
This program addresses some of the most complex and controversial aspects of diversity and multiculturalism. As a public forum that encourages participation, the dialogues address a wide range of substantive and sensitive topics in global affairs with supplemental discussion around hot-button issues rarely discussed in the classroom. These dialogues challenge audience members to critically rethink topics such as racism, classism, sexism, anti-Semitism, ageism, phobias, fundamentalism, and secularism.
Inclusive Classroom Website
(Maintained by Dr. Mary Jo Festle and the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning)
The website is designed to be a resource to faculty members who are engaged in challenging conversations in the classroom.
Intergroup Dialogues
(Offered by Chaplain Jan Fuller)
This program is modeled on the University of Michigan Intergroup Relations (IGR) program for 12 students over the course of a semester.
The Program on Intergroup Relations (IGR)
IRG is social justice education program (developed at the University of Michigan in 1988) that engages students, faculty, and staff to proactively learn about the complexities of living in a multicultural society. Through academic courses, workshops, research, resources and outreach, the program provides opportunities for both the campus and the general community to explore issues of intergroup relations, explicitly focusing on the relationship between social conflict and social justice.
Redefining Discussion: How should we talk about controversial issues?
(Offered by Safia Swimelar as part of the Politics Forum)
The Politics Forum hosted a panel of Elon staff and professors from various departments to discuss controversial issues relevant to both our society and our campus relations. The panel included Dr. Laura Roselle (Political Science), Dr. Ken Hassel (Art), Dr. Stephen Bloch-Schulman (Philosophy), and Angel Garcia (Residence Life) who shared their own expertise from their different disciplines/areas, and attempted to find a way to move Elon dialogues in a more meaningful direction.
December 6, 2013