University of Michigan establishes Institute for Civil Discourse to 'strengthen debate' on campus
One of the nation's top public universities is implementing an Institute for Civil Discourse designed to 'strengthen debate' on campus.
'We learn by confronting different arguments and different perspectives,' Michigan President Santa Ono said during a recent board of regents meeting.
One of the nation’s top public universities is implementing an Institute for Civil Discourse.
The University of Michigan announced the move on Monday, saying that the institute will serve to “strengthen debate” at its Ann Arbor campus, as well as at its Flint and Dearborn locations.
”We learn by confronting different arguments and different perspectives,” Michigan President Santa Ono said during a recent board of regents meeting.
”Michigan is the place to do this—to show our community and nation that civil discourse is not just possible, it is the very best way to learn and to solve problems,” he added. “It is fundamental to our democracy.”
The Office of the Vice President for Communications indicates that Ono will look to fill the inaugural director role in the months ahead, as well as create an advisory board from academics of a “broad range of ideological viewpoints.”
The creation of the institute is the latest effort by the university in its ongoing attempt to improve debate and free speech on campus.
On Dec. 5, Michigan announced it would drop diversity statements from hiring and evaluating faculty members.
“Diversity, equity and inclusion are three of our core values at the university. Our collective efforts in this area have produced important strides in opening opportunities for all people,” Provost Laurie McCauley noted in a statement. “As we pursue this challenging and complex work, we will continuously refine our approach.”
In January, the Michigan Board of Regents formally adopted a “statement of principles on diversity of thought and free speech.”
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”As a great public university guided by the letter and spirit of the First Amendment, we enthusiastically embrace our responsibility to stimulate and support diverse ideas and model constructive engagement with different viewpoints in our classrooms and labs, lecture series and symposia, studios and performance halls, exhibits and publications, and among our entire community of students, teachers, researchers, and staff,” the statement reads.
”Every member of our academic community should expect to confront ideas that differ from their own, however uncomfortable those encounters may be,” the document continues. ”We commit to these Principles because they help us to create, discover, and fulfill our vital mission.”