Teaching Civil Discourse in the College Classroom: A Summer Seminar for Faculty

January 27, 2023

Teaching Civil Discourse in the Classroom: A Summer Seminar for Faculty
Instructors: John Rose (Duke) and Deondra Rose (Duke)
Dates: August 15 – 16, 2023
Location: Duke University
Durham, NC

The Civil Discourse Project is pleased to announce a call for applications for the second annual faculty summer seminar, “Teaching Civil Discourse in the Classroom,” made possible by a generous grant from The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations. Our 2022 seminar was featured in The Chronicle of Higher Education. The two-day seminar, to be held at Duke on Tuesday, August 15 and Wednesday August 16, will be led by Deondra Rose and John Rose. It will cover topics including potential course content and best practices for effectively promoting civil discussion over sensitive topics in the classroom. The seminar will help prepare professors to teach a course based on CDP’s own highly popular class at Duke, “How to Think in an Age of Political Polarization” (HTAPP).

The seminar will be free of charge with food and lodging covered. Participants will stay at the beautiful JB Duke Hotel on Duke’s campus. In addition, participants will receive a stipend of $5,000. In order to participate, applicants must agree to teach a course similar to Duke’s HTAPP within three semesters of finishing the seminar. Successful applicants will need to acquire express and written approval from their department chair or dean allowing them to teach such a course within that timeframe. In addition, participants will agree to participate in a Zoom follow-up meeting within three semesters of the summer seminar, where they will present the results of their course to other participants.

Applications will be handled on a rolling basis, with a deadline of April 15. Materials can be emailed to John Rose (john.rose@duke.edu) and should include the following attachments:

1) CV/Resume
2) 2-3 page statement explaining one’s interest in the seminar
3) Any other relevant documentation, including relevant course syllabi, publications, etc.

Questions concerning the application can also be sent to John Rose.