Dialogue Across Difference

In recent years, there has been an intense focus on norms, policies, and practices related to academic freedom and responsibility and dialogue across difference in US higher education. Duke has engaged in significant efforts to support and model respectful engagement in dialogue across difference, and this year the OUE Research team has included several questions on the topic in the Duke Undergraduate Check-In Study (DUCkI).

During the fall semester, the vast majority of undergraduate participants (95.0%) indicated that they think it is at least somewhat productive to engage in conversation about controversial topics with others with whom they disagree. Further, 78.9% of respondents indicated that they had engaged in these types of conversations during their time at Duke, and 85.2% of respondents indicated that they had strengthened their skills for engaging in conversation about controversial topics with others with different views. Students who had stronger social support networks at Duke viewed these types of conversations as more productive, reported engaging more in these conversations, and reported strengthening their skills more during their time at Duke. Students who view faculty and staff as more caring and supportive of students as whole people, and who experience a stronger sense of identity safety (as opposed to identity threat) on campus, also reported having strengthened their skills for dialogue across difference more during their time at Duke.

These preliminary data highlight the importance of situating learning and skill development in the context of a supportive community where members feel able to take chances and make mistakes and are recognized and acknowledged for the range of identities, experiences, and perspectives that they bring to the table.