Difficult Dialogues

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Let's Start Talking

Institutions of higher education represent one of the few venues in which the free exchange of ideas can take place, civil discourse can be modeled and practiced, and individuals can encounter different ways of thinking and living...

Difficult Dialogues On U.S. Campuses

Speech bubble with the following controversal words: immigration, racism, sexual identity, healthcare, climate change, middle east
Campuses engage with controversy on issues as varied as teaching evolution, gun control, gay marriage, energy policy, and war. This website provides strategies, resources, and information about projects that address a wide array of issues and topics, including: fundamentalism and secularism, racial and ethnic relations, the Middle East conflict, religion and the university, sexual orientation, academic freedom, civility in everyday life, and more.

Difficult Dialogues Handbooks

Start Talking HandbookStop Talking HandbookToxic Friday Handbook

The University of Alaska Anchorage offers three handbooks to help faculty, faculty developers and university leaders more effectively engage campus communities in conversations about the most important issues of our times. Start Talking: A Handbook for Engaging Difficult Dialogues in Higher Education addresses strategies for introducing controversial topics into the classroom. Stop Talking: Indigenous Ways of Teaching and Learning and Difficult Dialogues in Higher Education looks at ways to apply indigenous pedagogies in western learning environments and some of the tough topics between indigenous and academic communities. Toxic Friday: Resources for Addressing Faculty Bullying in Higher Education, along with its companion video, can launch productive discussions about ensuring safe, healthy working environments for all faculty.