In recent months, Brown faculty, staff and students across every facet of our community have called for more opportunities to practice and observe open dialogue across diverse viewpoints and to cultivate important related skills, such as listening and conflict resolution. In direct response to these concerns, I am excited to announce and encourage you to join a new community-wide project — Discovery Through Dialogue — that will highlight and expand the University’s long-standing ethos of open inquiry through dialogue.

 

At the heart of this project is the recognition that dialogue is the lifeblood of Brown University. Through open dialogue and the rigorous shaping and reshaping of ideas, we advance the knowledge and understanding that is critical to academic excellence. Advancing dialogue is also essential to Brown remaining an open, inclusive and respectful community where students, faculty and staff feel safe and supported to share their views on challenging topics and complex issues.

 

The Discovery Through Dialogue project features three pillars of pathways for engagement: knowledge-building, skill-building and community-building. Brown students, faculty and staff will have more opportunities to participate in conversations that strengthen productive dialogue on campus; to access resources that aid in developing the skills needed for productive exchanges; and to build the trust and understanding that unlocks learning, creativity and intellectual inspiration.

 

In recent years, we have seen a marked shift across our nation, including on our campus, in the way individuals engage around contentious and polarizing issues, especially with those whose views differ from our own. It has become increasingly commonplace to isolate ourselves in online echo chambers rather than listen to and learn from each other. Discovery Through Dialogue encourages an alternative by amplifying and fostering new opportunities for meaningful conversations across a wide range of perspectives.

 

Ensuring that Brown continues to unlock knowledge and understanding through productive and respectful dialogue is a shared project of our campus community. I encourage all faculty, staff and students to visit the new Discovery Through Dialogue website to participate actively in this project and to keep up to date with the many opportunities for campus-wide participation.

 

 

Discovery Through Dialogue is grounded in the University’s long-standing commitments to academic freedom and intellectual curiosity, and it supports the academic exploration that has taken place across our campus for decades. Since the University’s founding more than 250 years ago, open inquiry and respectful discourse have been hallmark elements of Brown’s commitment to unlocking knowledge and understanding.

 

While some of the work that takes place at a university is solitary, many of our greatest advancements are realized through collaboration with others whose knowledge, skills and life experiences are different from our own. Society’s greatest challenges — climate change, inequality, cybersecurity and so many more — demand the concerted efforts of people from a wide range of areas of inquiry who bring unique perspectives and areas of expertise to bear on these complex challenges.

 

 

In the coming weeks and months there will be many opportunities to engage with this project. I want to highlight a few upcoming opportunities that support the productive exchange of ideas across a wide diversity of thought and experiences.

 

On Monday, February 3, the Community Dialogue Project and the Office of the President will host a conversation with Jamil Zaki, professor of psychology at Stanford University, who will offer practical strategies for cultivating empathy, building stronger relationships and nurturing communities grounded in mutual respect. And, on Tuesday, February 20, the Office of the President will host a discussion with Brown faculty from diverse disciplines who will discuss how their research and scholarship intersect with and promote dialogue across different viewpoints. 

 

Students have expressed interest in hosting speakers and organizing events that build community and engage students in the application of constructive dialogue. A new Student Dialogue Fund supported by the Office of the President will offer financial support for student-led initiatives on campus that foster constructive dialogue. The application will be open on UFunds on Thursday, February 20. And, the Community Dialogue Project, which helps students to build skills, confidence and strategies to engage productively in open inquiry and respectful dialogue, has been expanded and scaled allowing for greater participation and engagement.

 

Professional development opportunities for faculty and staff will be offered through the Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning, and through University Human Resources in partnership with the President’s Staff Advisory Council. Dialogue-focused programming will be included at Staff Development Day in June.

 

By cultivating these and other opportunities for conversations among and between students, faculty and staff across a variety of viewpoints, we will continue to advance Brown’s mission to discover and preserve knowledge and understanding. I look forward to advancing Brown’s commitment to open inquiry together through this community project.

 

Sincerely,

Christina H. Paxson

President