The Office of Diversity & Equity

Difficult Discussions

Difficult Discussions is a spin-off of a national model (Difficult Dialogues) that addresses the increasing polarization of our society and the need to deal more effectively with breakdowns in civil discourse; specifically in higher education. In essence, a difficult discussion can be an encounter among people with differing opinions, beliefs, perspectives or worldviews within our classroom, labs or studios or across the KU community. The overall goal is to create safer places for the free exchange of ideas, and to become more inclusive of voices and ways of knowing that have been absent, unpopular, excluded, or oppressed. www.difficultdialogues.org

There are several aspects of a model that have been adopted nationally and being explored at KU. For example, basic conflict resolution, interactive theatre, faculty fellows and faculty and staff development. See National Issues Forum at www.Nifi.org. Several Big 12 schools have begun programs; University of Missouri, Baylor, Iowa State, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and the University of Texas–Austin.

A core group of faculty and staff are exploring various aspects of the model that may be applicable to KU. If you would like more information or be a part of the discussions, please contact Fred Rodriguez, interim Associate Vice Provost in the Office of Diversity and Equity at fredrod@ku.edu