Furman University
IL-68: Innovation D

https://www.furman.edu/on-discourse/

On Discourse, started in July 2023, is a campus initiative designed to promote healthy discourse in an environment of diverse, divergent, and competing ideas.

The On Discourse initiative identifies, amplifies, and strengthens the broad spectrum of efforts across campus to teach and encourage students to listen to one another and engage in respectful dialogue with those who think differently than they do on issues that concern the Furman, national, and global community. These efforts are steeped in Furman’s institutional mission and values which include the following deeply held commitments:

• Freedom of Inquiry and Expression
• Respect for All People
• Rigorous Inquiry
• Deep Listening and Respectful Dialogue
• Opportunities to Engage Diverse, Divergent, and Different Perspectives

https://www.furman.edu/on-discourse/posts//?filter=previous-workshops-community-partners 

Examples of On Discourse events include:

• Restorative practice workshops. As represented by the International Institute for Restorative Practice, RP is a powerful tool that fosters stronger relationships between people and within communities by equipping individuals with skills to address conflict, mend harm, and ultimately build trust.
• The Intergroup Dialogue Program at Furman is a collaborative effort between Student Life and Academic Affairs to provide students, faculty and staff with a range of unique dialogue-based experiences.
• The Furman Justice Forum in collaboration with the Center for Interpersonal Connections partnered with Braver Angels to teach the skills of navigating difficult political conversations on campus, with a mission to challenge the crisis of partisan animosity.
• Unify Challenge College Bowl - Introduction to Government class participated in the Unify Challenge College Bowl, sponsored by  Unify America. Students had the opportunity to engage in a thoughtful, deliberate online guided conversation with a student from another college who held political views different from their own.
• The God? Forum, sponsored by the Catholic Student Ministry is a catalyst for a vibrant conversation and deep listening among students and community members with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Participants come together to discuss their beliefs and philosophies about the existence and presence of God. The broader purpose of the forum is to foster a deeper level of religious harmony and tolerance within the Furman community. Panelists for the forum represented religious leaders from diverse faith traditions which included Christian (Protestant and Catholics), Islamic, Jewish, Hindu and Buddhist.