In recent years, UConn has developed University-wide programs and events related to fostering dialogue among different people and points of view. To prepare students adequately for leadership and global citizenship, we provide opportunities to experience, learn, practice, and integrate dialogue as a core component of their higher education.
Like writing, quantitative skills, second language proficiency, and information, digital, and media literacies, dialogue is a foundational competency which is necessary to all fields of knowledge and essential to individual and social development. Among these core competencies, dialogue is unique as necessarily collaborative and deeply relational, making it an essential competency for democratic life.
While Dialogue will ideally be incorporated into most classes, an ad hoc group of the Common Curriculum Committee (CCC) is working to create a more intentional path forward for Dialogue as an assessable competency. The current timeline involves a launch of the competency in Fall 2030. Until then, CCC is laying the groundwork for course development and faculty training.
Definition of Dialogue
Dialogue is a focused and intentional communicative process comprising multiple voices and perspectives, active listening, and thoughtful questioning. This work includes attention to context, space for reflection, and the ongoing exchange of ideas in which participants seek better understanding of their own views and those of others.
Dialogue can be implemented in any course; it is not specific to a particular field of study nor limited to specific aspects of the curriculum. Embedding dialogue in our institutional identity means continually supporting instructors to create and sustain frameworks that can foster dialogic engagement. Courses that aim to promote dialogic engagement should meet the following central Student Learning Objective.
Student Learning Objective
Students will engage in dialogue as it is described in the following attributes:
- Participation in intentionally structured interactions, guided by communication agreements, with the syllabus providing clear expectations for preparation and assessment.
- Engagement in practices that enhance thoughtful communication, such as articulating the experiences, beliefs, and values that inform their perspectives; listening actively; and posing questions that elicit new information and advance the conversation.
- Reflection on their own experiences, the experiences of others, and the skills that distinguish dialogue from discussion or debate.
- Development and honing of effective communication skills through repeated dialogic interactions over the course of the semester.
In particular UConn has been working with the Essential Partners organization to offer professional development opportunities in Reflective Structured Dialogue. Please watch for events and trainings. In the meantime, additional resources on Dialogue can be found through CETL or the Humanities Institute.