Constructive Dialogue Institute Webinar Series
Building Better Campus Conversations
Four expert-led webinars from the Constructive Dialogue Institute on creating campus cultures where dialogue thrives
What This Series Offers
- Research-backed strategies from leading universities
- Practical tools you can use right away
- Real examples from campus dialogue programs
- Expert guidance from university leaders
- Free recordings you can watch anytime
Why This Matters
College campuses face big challenges around dialogue. Trust in higher education is falling. Students feel divided. Administrators struggle to create spaces where free speech and inclusion both thrive.
But some universities are finding ways forward. They're building cultures where students can:
- Talk about hard topics without fear
- Disagree while staying respectful
- Learn from people who think differently
- Practice the skills democracy needs
These webinars show you how they're doing it.
College presidents, administrators, faculty members, student affairs staff, diversity officers, student leaders, and anyone working to improve dialogue on campus.
The Four Webinars
Connection, Not Controversy: What Students Want
Discover what students really want from dialogue programs—and how it's different from what most educators assume.
- Three surprising findings about student dialogue preferences
- How to create classrooms that reduce tension
- Programs that actually work for student learning
- Ways to equip student leaders
Building a Culture of Constructive Dialogue
Learn from Georgia Tech, UCLA, and other leading universities about creating campus-wide dialogue cultures.
- Real strategies from successful programs
- How to balance free speech and inclusion
- Ways to get faculty and staff on board
- Creating environments where dialogue thrives
Preparing Student Leaders to Foster Dialogue
Student leaders shape campus culture. Learn how CUNY and Miami University train them to lead better conversations.
- Why student leaders are key to campus dialogue
- Common challenges in student training programs
- Strategies that create lasting cultural change
- New training programs from CDI
Building Trust with Students and Communities
As trust in higher education falls, learn how university leaders are rebuilding it through innovative strategies.
- Understanding the different types of trust
- Creative trust-building strategies that work
- How to sustain trust in challenging times
- Research-based framework for trustworthy leadership
What You'll Learn Across the Series
Key Skills and Strategies
- How to design dialogue programs students actually want
- Ways to create safe spaces for hard conversations
- Tools for training student leaders as dialogue facilitators
- Strategies for building trust with diverse communities
- Methods for balancing free speech and inclusion
- Techniques for turning controversy into learning
Who's Leading These Webinars
Constructive Dialogue Institute experts:
- Caroline Mehl — Executive Director
- Jake Fay — Director of Education
- Jackie Li — Director of Program Implementation
- Liz Le Grange — VP of Growth
University leaders from:
- Georgia Institute of Technology
- UCLA
- City University of New York (CUNY)
- Miami University
- Claremont McKenna College
- SUNY New Paltz
Why These Skills Matter Beyond Campus
The dialogue skills taught in these webinars prepare students for life after college:
- In workplaces: Teams need people who can work across differences
- In communities: Solving local problems requires talking with diverse neighbors
- In democracy: Citizens need to engage with people who disagree
- In families: Relationships thrive when people communicate well
When colleges teach dialogue skills, they're preparing students for meaningful participation in society.
Watch the Webinars
All four webinar recordings are free to watch. Each runs about 60 minutes and includes Q&A with the presenters.
Webinar 1: What Students Want Webinar 2: Building Dialogue Culture Webinar 3: Training Student Leaders Webinar 4: Building TrustVisit CDI Website
