Ithaca College

This coming October, Ithaca College will host an event titled "Difficult Dialogues," an event modeled after the national initiative by the same name, which describes itself as a "program designed to promote academic freedom and religious, cultural, and political pluralism on college and university campuses in the United States." Ithaca's "Difficult Dialogues" event is supported by an endowment that was given in honor of President Emerita Peggy Williams.

I expect the event to include a keynote speaker who is an expert on a topic, as well as an opportunity for consideration of differing viewpoints. The goal of the program is to both experience and model the ability of the academic community to engage in civil and respectful discourse on a controversial topic. Planning for this event is in its initial stages, but some have already suggested the Middle East conflict as a possible topic.

Faculty, staff, or students are invited to provide thoughts on the topic, the format, and the possible speaker. If you are interested in providing input or being involved in the planning (which is happening currently), please send a message to provost@ithaca.edu. More information on Difficult Dialogues at Ithaca College will be available following the beginning of the semester.