{"id":12402,"date":"2026-01-28T18:52:28","date_gmt":"2026-01-28T23:52:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/oee\/?page_id=12402"},"modified":"2026-03-17T14:39:32","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T18:39:32","slug":"better-together-the-constructive-dialogue-practice","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/oee\/better-together-the-constructive-dialogue-practice\/","title":{"rendered":"Better Together: The Constructive Dialogue Practice"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":52,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"class_list":["post-12402","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":{"lead_in":"","display_title":"","subtitle":"","call_to_action":"","hero_image_placement":"right_image","hero_media":"images","hero_pattern_option":"","hero_video":"","hero_image_landing":926,"hero_image_landing_two":"","hero_image_landing_three":"","content_modules":[{"acf_fc_layout":"text","anchor":"","css_class":"","title":"<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Better Together: The Constructive Dialogue Practice <\/strong><\/h3>","content":"Our office offers programming and educational opportunities to nurture the curiosity-driven skills and habits that strengthen how we communicate, connect and grow together at URochester and beyond.\r\n\r\nThrough this initiative, our university staff, faculty, and students are supported in:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Building skills for understanding across differences<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Creating meaningful connections in everyday moments<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Finding constructive ways to navigate disagreement, and<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Building a culture of respect and care<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/airtable.com\/appd5NVJVPiKRtev2\/pagfx1nkNllW7bQcX\/form\"><strong>Request a workshop here!\u00a0<\/strong><\/a>\r\n\r\n<em>Better Together: The Constructive Dialogue Practice<\/em> was developed by our office to address increasing social polarization, and in recognition of our University\u2019s focus on the importance of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/about\/values\/freedom-expression.html\">Free Expression<\/a>. Our programming is based in principles of Civic Dialogue [see glossary below] (sometimes called Civil Discourse), which provides a framework through which to approach free expression while maintaining our values of respect, curiosity, and academic inquiry.","background_color":"#ffffff","width":"width-medium"},{"acf_fc_layout":"accordion_new","anchor_id":"","classes":"","title":"<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">Programs<\/h3>","description":"","background":"plain","background_color":"#ffffff","style":"row_blank","expand":"no","accordions":[{"acf_fc_layout":"accordion","accordion_title":"\u201cConnecting Through Dialogue\u201d Workshop ","icon":"","row_content":"<h4><strong>Live, In-Person Education Session<\/strong> | 2 hours, by request<\/h4>\r\n<em>Connecting through Dialogue<\/em> is the flagship learning opportunity developed by the Office of University Engagement and Enrichment as part of our efforts to foster civil discourse\/civic dialogue (CD) and an environment of connection. Interactive activities prompt learners to consider and share their thoughts on the importance of dialogue. After grounding ourselves with core topics, facilitators engage learners in scenario-based activities to explore outcomes of different ways to engage around topics both civic and interpersonal. Activities invite humor and shared connection <em>(does pineapple belong on pizza?) <\/em>as well as provide opportunities to explore more personal topics (<em>How have you navigated a disagreement with someone you respect?) <\/em>\r\n\r\nRather than reaching consensus on the topics themselves, learners explore how hold dialogue that centers connection and shared understanding. Experience the difference between contentious debate vs. productive discussion on the topics, discuss barriers and tools for engaging in dialogue, and leave with key skills like deep listening, curiosity, and centering connection.\r\n<h2><\/h2>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h2><em>Testimonials from Workshop Attendees <\/em><\/h2>\r\n<em>\u201cI feel that the content and activities were facilitated extremely well. The hosts were engaging and made the session fun to participate in as well as a very genuine experience. In any future sessions, I think that this should be an important aspect to be preserved.\u201d <\/em>\r\n\r\n<em>\u201c[The session] helped me understand that being a leader is not about convincing people or being the loudest voice. It\u2019s about guiding conversations in a way that keeps people engaged and respectful, even when they disagree.\u201d <\/em>","accordion_anchor":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"accordion","accordion_title":"\u201cTry to Love the Questions\u201d Virtual Book Club led by Author Lara Hope Schwartz ","icon":"","row_content":"<h4><strong>Virtual Sessions via Zoom | <\/strong>4 Sessions during Spring 2026 Semester<\/h4>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThis 4-part facilitated virtual book club will guide readers through the book <em>Try To Love the Questions<\/em> with author Lara Hope Schwartz, Director of the Project on Civic Dialogue, American University School of Public Affairs.\r\n\r\nLara\u2019s book offers a \u201cframework for understanding and practicing dialogue across difference in and out of the classroom. This invaluable guide explores the challenges facing students as they prepare to listen, speak, and learn in a college community and encourages students and faculty alike to consider inclusive, respectful communication as a skill\u2014not as a limitation on freedom.\u201d\r\n\r\nSessions will be held via Zoom every 2 weeks starting on Thursday February 19, 2026, \u00a0from 2-3 pm.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/events.rochester.edu\/event\/love-questions-book-club\"><strong>Register here!<\/strong><\/a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAbout Lara:\r\n\r\nLara Schwartz is the founding director of the American University Project on Civic Dialogue (formerly Project on Civil Discourse) and teaches at the American University School of Public Affairs. Schwartz draws upon her experience as a lawyer with national civil rights organizations in her courses on constitutional law, politics, communications, policy, and civic dialogue. She has served on her university\u2019s working group on freedom of expression and was a fellow with the University of California National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement. Schwartz\u2019s book, <em>Try to Love the Questions: From Debate to Dialogue in Classrooms and Life<\/em> (Princeton University Press 2024), gives college students a framework for understanding and practicing dialogue across difference. Schwartz is the coauthor of <em>How to College: What to Know Before You Go (And When You\u2019re There)<\/em>. Schwartz holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School and an AB in English and American Literature from Brown University.","accordion_anchor":""}]},{"acf_fc_layout":"accordion_new","anchor_id":"","classes":"","title":"<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Glossary <\/strong><\/h3>","description":"","background":"plain","background_color":"#ffffff","style":"row_blank","expand":"no","accordions":[{"acf_fc_layout":"accordion","accordion_title":"Civic Dialogue","icon":"","row_content":"The process of engaging with one another about matters that impact our lives, communities, and society, through communication, listening, and shared inquiry. <strong>Civil Discourse<\/strong> is a synonym for Civic Dialogue.","accordion_anchor":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"accordion","accordion_title":"Civic Engagement","icon":"","row_content":"Individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern. Civic engagement can take many forms, from individual voluntarism to organizational involvement to electoral participation. It can include efforts to directly address an issue, work with others in a community to solve a problem or interact with the institutions of representative democracy.\u00a0 (American Psychological Association)","accordion_anchor":""}]}]},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Better Together: The Constructive Dialogue Practice - Office of University Engagement and Enrichment<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/oee\/better-together-the-constructive-dialogue-practice\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Better Together: The Constructive Dialogue Practice - Office of University Engagement and Enrichment\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/oee\/better-together-the-constructive-dialogue-practice\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Office of University Engagement and Enrichment\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-17T18:39:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/oee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/link-preview.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.rochester.edu\\\/oee\\\/better-together-the-constructive-dialogue-practice\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.rochester.edu\\\/oee\\\/better-together-the-constructive-dialogue-practice\\\/\",\"name\":\"Better Together: The Constructive Dialogue Practice - 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