Risk & Respect
For a long time, there was an elephant in the room at James Madison University: Conservative students were hesitant to speak up on campus because they felt like part of an ideological minority. Instead of letting the situation fester, administrators are addressing it proactively. Now, at first-year orientation, facilitators lead new students in a […]
Conversation & Careers
Some students feel naturally pulled to participate in dialogue-focused programming, while others need a gentle push. Wellesley’s leadership found a unique way to provide that extra motivation. Wellesley students tend to be highly driven by securing internships, fellowships, and post- graduate work. For that reason, campus leaders made a deliberate structural choice: integrating community […]
Connection & Conflict
From their very first semester on campus, students at Claremont McKenna College are immersed in a culture of “self-authorship,” where all students are encouraged to define their own narratives. Across departments, students are taught skills like active listening, self-reflection, thoughtful questioning, conflict resolution, and how to differentiate between dialogue and debate, with the hope […]
Expertise & Empathy
True engagement is possible only when students feel safe and encouraged to speak up. Benedict College takes that responsibility seriously, creating a culture where students feel empowered to participate because the authority figures in their lives do, too. Benedict, a small campus with fewer than 1,000 students per class, intentionally cultivates a “family” feel, […]
Motivating Students to Civic Action
What do young people need to have productive conversations on campus? Dialogue skills are important, of course. So, too, are safe environments and guidance from educators. Motivation, though, is a power all its own. When students want to use their voices and listen to others, that’s where the magic happens. Dialogue can bridge differences, solve problems, and […]
She Got a Free Building from Town Council. She Was 20.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FNPT70oKLI Nyra Govan, a 20-year-old from Saint George, SC, approached her town council with a straightforward request: her community needed a space to get physically active, and she wanted to use a public building to make it happen. They said yes — and gave her the building for free. Baratunde Thurston sits down with […]
The Power of &: Confident & Cautious
What if the hardest conversation is the one worth having? The Power of & is about bringing people and ideas together through listening, understanding, and connection. https://vimeo.com/1204189241/bd5ab2994d?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci Montclair State University students Amari and Samuel share why speaking up—even among friends—is worth the risk, even when you’re not sure how they’ll take your perspective.
President Koppell & Seeing Possibility in Politics
What if every college student saw civic participation as part of their education—not an extracurricular? Montclair State University President Jonathan Koppell wants every student to leave campus knowing they have a role to play in civic life. That belief led him to bring Montclair into the Campuswide Immersion program, weaving civic learning into the student […]
The Power of &: Intent & Impact
What if understanding mattered more than winning? The Power of & is about bringing people and ideas together through listening, understanding, and connection. https://vimeo.com/1204208366/0ccf7b3324?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci At the University of Pittsburgh, students are instrumental in shaping and running the All Angles program, a by-students, for-students event series that brings together experts of different political persuasions to […]
2026 Mellon Emerging Faculty Leaders Named
C&S has named 10 scholars as Mellon Emerging Faculty Leaders (MEFL) for 2026. Funded by the Mellon Foundation, the MEFL Awards support junior faculty whose research focuses on contemporary history, politics, culture, and society, and who are committed to the creation of thriving campus communities for students and faculty. The MEFL Award seeks to […]