{"id":12433,"date":"2024-09-05T11:37:31","date_gmt":"2024-09-05T15:37:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/?page_id=12433"},"modified":"2026-01-09T09:20:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T14:20:10","slug":"dialogue-across-difference","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/dialogue-across-difference\/","title":{"rendered":"Dialogue Across Difference"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3><strong>Conversations About Ideas that Matter<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><div class=\"prpl-row\"><div class=\"prpl-column two-thirds\">\n<p>While primary and secondary education establishes essential knowledge and competencies for understanding civic and democratic processes, higher education has traditionally served as a key institution for sustaining democratic systems. Colleges and universities cultivate students\u2019 capacity to see themselves as civic agents, critically examine the rights and ideals of citizenship, and participate in defining their community contexts.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In the current and contentious social-political context, helping students learn to dialogue across differences in beliefs is an important skill, not only for their personal growth but for the sake of our democracy. Montclair faculty share this value and regularly work with students to develop their capacities to communicate and learn across differences. Teaching students how to approach consequential topics in constructive ways is at the core of what the faculty do.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/dgmg81phhvh63.cloudfront.net\/content\/user-photos\/AACU_AcademicFreedomReport_010825_PUBLISHED.pdf\">Academic Freedom and Civil Discourse in Higher Education: A National Study of Faculty Attitudes and Perceptions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"prpl-column one-third\"><strong> Important\u00a0Links<\/strong> <div class='inset lt-gray'>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/course-planning-social-and-political-issues\/\">Course Planning: Social and Political Issues<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/fostering-civil-discussion\/\">Fostering Civil Discussions about Controversial Topics<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/teaching-resources\/inclusivity-and-diversity\/political-discussions-in-the-classroom\/\">Political Discussions in the Classroom<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/instructor-essentials\/planning-for-disruption\/\">Planning for Disruption<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">President Koppell has joined <a href=\"https:\/\/citizensandscholars.org\/focus-areas\/enable\/college-presidents-for-civic-preparedness\/\">College Presidents for Civic Preparedness, <\/a>an initiative by <a href=\"https:\/\/citizensandscholars.org\/\">The Institute for Citizens and Scholars<\/a> to nurture civil discourse. This <\/span>campus-wide effort involves cultivating democratic engagement, teaching students to understand different points of view, and engaging in constructive discourse.<\/p>\n<h3>The Working Group<\/h3>\n<p>As part of this effort,\u00a0<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">the Office for Faculty Excellence, working with the Office of the President, has formed the <\/span><b>Dialogue Across Difference Working Group<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/dialogue-across-difference-working-group\/\">WORKING GROUP MEMBERS<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Working Group has several objectives:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Catalog and understand the learning activities faculty are using to foster dialogue across differences;<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Create a continuous Dialogue Across Difference Speaker Series, addressing the needs of the faculty community at Montclair;<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Offer individualized support to faculty who are facing challenges fostering dialogue in their classroom.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Identify other strategies for empowering faculty to foster dialogue across difference.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>The Speaker Series: Fall 2025<\/h3>\n<div>\n<table style=\"height: 642px\" border=\"2px\" width=\"916\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th scope=\"col\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">_<\/span><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">___S<\/span><\/strong><\/th>\n<th scope=\"col\"><strong>\u00a0Description<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Intersections Between Compliance, Free Speech, and Academic Freedom<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Thursday, Oct 16, 12\u20131pm<br \/>\nUN 1143 (in ADP Center)<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: left\">This session will explore how faculty can approach sensitive conversations in ways that support learning while avoiding common missteps. Drawing on Title VI principles as a guide, the discussion will highlight strategies for navigating challenging topics with care and professionalism. Participants will receive practical insights into fostering dialogue that is both respectful of the principles of academic freedom and legally aligned.<\/p>\n<p>Speaker:\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/profilepages\/view_profile.php?username=apicellap\">Paul Apicella<\/a> (Director of Institutional Compliance)<\/p>\n<p>Moderated by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/profilepages\/view_profile.php?username=williamsjas\">Jason Williams<\/a> (Professor, Justice Studies; Dialogue Across Difference Working Group)<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Navigating Intersections Conference<\/strong><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Tuesday, October 28, 9:30\u20131pm<br \/>\nUniversity Hall 7th floor Conference Center<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: left\">\n<div>\n<p>The\u00a0<a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/counseling-and-psychological-services\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/counseling-and-psychological-services\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1755882050350000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2SnEg5hqjlQ-y3oQnU3G8n\">Office of Counseling &amp; Psychological Services<\/a>\u00a0(CAPS),\u00a0the\u00a0<a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/office-of-student-belonging\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/office-of-student-belonging\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1755882050350000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2ldtX633u8UbGg_IHuIL4u\">Office of\u00a0<\/a><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/office-of-student-belonging\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/office-of-student-belonging\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1755882050350000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2ldtX633u8UbGg_IHuIL4u\">Student Belonging<\/a>, and the\u00a0<a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/inclusive-excellence\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/inclusive-excellence\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1755882050350000&amp;usg=AOvVaw24Eba-D4iSjHfO-V5zhPvR\">Office of Inclusive Excellence\u00a0<\/a>(IE) have partnered to host the\u00a0<em>Navigating Intersections Conference &#8211; Examining Gaps and Building Bridges.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>An annual conference designed to bring together Red Hawk community members to engage in the process of creating an environment in which everyone can experience a sense of belonging. Participants will learn strategies to make Montclair a bridge building community that fosters a culture of empathy and compassion, through thoughtful, constructive, and courageous multicultural and interfaith conversations, with a shared purpose of strengthening our solidarity as an inclusive and transformative campus community.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Keynote Speaker and Panel Discussion Moderator:\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/profilepages\/view_profile.php?username=ahluwaliam\">Dr. Muninder Kaur Ahluwalia<\/a> is chairperson of our Counseling Department in the College for Community Health and a prolific scholar. Her co\u2011authored book, Taking Action: Creating Social Change through Strength, Solidarity, Strategy, and Sustainability (2020), offers an interactive, four\u2011principle framework to guide individuals in social justice and advocacy efforts.<\/p>\n<p>Registration is free for all attendees. Refreshments and Lunch will be provided.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>University as a Historical Site of Reifying Democracy<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Wednesday, November 5,<\/p>\n<p>12\u20131pm<\/p>\n<p>340 Cole Hall<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: left\">The university has long been imagined as both a crucible and guarantor of democratic life, positioned as a space where open inquiry, deliberation, and civic participation are cultivated. This panel interrogates the historical role of the university in reifying democracy, both as an intellectual ideal and as an institutional practice. While examining the contradictions that arise in the present moment, we explore how universities have historically fashioned themselves as democratic institutions, sites where access to knowledge was linked to the broader public good, and how these ideals have become embedded in discourses of citizenship and progress. However, against this legacy, contemporary policy landscapes are increasingly subjecting universities to restrictive governance frameworks and partisan attacks that undermine their capacity to serve as democratic arenas. Panelists, Dr. Wilson, Dr. Williams, and Dr. Virella will analyze how current shifts in funding models, free speech debates, and accountability measures fracture the democratic promise of higher education, often deepening exclusion rather than fostering inclusion. By situating these dynamics within longer historical trajectories, we aim to offer a critical assessment of the university\u2019s paradoxical role: at once a symbolic bastion of democracy and a site where democracy\u2019s erosion becomes most visible.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Speakers: <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/profilepages\/view_profile.php?username=virellap\">Patricia Virella<\/a> (Associate Professor, Educational Leadership; Dialogue Across Difference Working Group)<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/profilepages\/view_profile.php?username=williamsjas\">Jason Williams<\/a>(Professor, Justice Studies; Dialogue Across Difference Working Group)<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/profilepages\/view_profile.php?username=wilsonl\">Leslie Wilson<\/a> (Professor, History; Associate Dean, CHSS)<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Academic Freedom in Policy, Curriculum, and Classroom Practice: A Faculty Conversation<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Thursday, November 13,<\/p>\n<p>12\u20131pm<\/p>\n<p>Cohen Lounge<br \/>\n(178 Dickson Hall)<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: left\">The Office for Faculty Excellence and the Dialogue Across Difference Working Group invite all faculty members to join a conversation that brings together faculty perspectives on how academic freedom operates across the multiple spheres that shape the process and praxis of higher education. These include the legal frameworks that define its boundaries and the disciplinary, curricular, and instructional contexts in which it is exercised. The speakers, Dr. Francesca Laguardia (Justice Studies) and Dr. Blanca Elizabeth Vega (Educational Leadership), will highlight arguments and uncertainties to inform professors and departments who may be considering how to navigate the tension between individual freedom, civic alignment, and institutional responsibility.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Speakers: <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/profilepages\/view_profile.php?username=vegab\">Francesca Laguardia<\/a>, Chairperson, Justice Studies<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/profilepages\/view_profile.php?username=vegab\">Blanca Elizabeth Vega<\/a>, Associate Professor, Educational Leadership<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><em>Last Modified: Friday, January 9, 2026 9:20 am<\/em><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Conversations About Ideas that Matter President Koppell has joined College Presidents for Civic Preparedness, an initiative by The Institute for Citizens and Scholars to nurture civil discourse. This campus-wide effort involves cultivating democratic engagement, teaching students to understand different points of view, and engaging in constructive discourse. The Working Group As part of this effort,\u00a0the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":370,"featured_media":12600,"parent":0,"menu_order":50,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-12433","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12433","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/370"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12433"}],"version-history":[{"count":101,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12433\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14772,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12433\/revisions\/14772"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12600"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12433"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}