Brown University is a place where differing perspectives, controversial issues and emerging ideas are regularly taught, discussed and debated. As the lifeblood of Brown, dialogue has long been central to Brown’s mission of discovering knowledge and understanding.
Launched in 2025, Discovery Through Dialogue is a shared project of our campus community that amplifies and expands opportunities for meaningful conversations in the pursuit of academic excellence.
At Brown, an openness to diverse ideas, perspectives and experiences is core to who we are. The Brown community regularly listens to and learns from one another through these and other campus activities:
Through the Community Dialogue Project (CDP), Brown University students build skills, confidence and strategies to engage productively in open inquiry and respectful dialogue. CDP initiatives support students engaging with the diversity of thoughts and experiences within and beyond the Brown community, and building relationships across backgrounds, beliefs and viewpoints. Students, faculty and staff can partner with the CDP by participating in training modules, coaching, workshops and other programming.
Through the Student Dialogue Fund, Brown University students may apply for financial support for student-led events and projects that promote open inquiry and respectful dialogue at Brown University by deepening knowledge of complex issues and/or engaging students in the application of effective dialogue skills. A panel of undergraduate, graduate and medical student leaders will review proposals. The application can be found on UFunds by searching for “Student Dialogue.”
As campus conversations grow more complex, faculty are increasingly called on to manage challenging dynamics in the classroom. The Office of Faculty Development, in partnership with the Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning, offers a facilitated workshop for faculty that provides practical strategies for fostering inclusive dialogue, maintaining community norms and responding thoughtfully when tensions arise. If your unit is interested in bringing this workshop to your faculty, contact Esther Jones to schedule a time.
Learn more about courageous conversations
Through the Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning, Brown University faculty members learn how to support students in developing the skill of communicating across differences in a range of disciplines. With the support of the Discovery Through Dialogue project, programming and workshops have been expanded to support even more faculty members, building on the center’s existing support for inclusive teaching strategies.
Through dialogue-focused professional development programming and other resources, staff members hone skills that promote dialogue across differences, conflict resolution and perspective-taking. These programs and resources have been developed in partnership with the President’s Staff Advisory Council and University Human Resources. Staff members can log into Workday and select Learning from the main menu to search for and enroll in upcoming professional development courses, or view upcoming courses on the Events@Brown calendar.
Held in June, Staff Development Day (SDD) provides professional and personal growth opportunities for all Brown University staff members. Among the offerings are programs that enable staff members to hone skills that promote dialogue across differences, conflict resolution and perspective-taking. The schedule of courses is announced in the spring, and staff members can enroll via Workday when registration opens.
The Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) Society invites Brown University students from all academic disciplines to engage in civil discourse, dialogue, disagreement and debate about social institutions and social ideologies. Sponsored by the Center for Philosophy, Politics and Economics, the PPE Society helps to organize several events throughout the academic year, including the Odyssey and Agora lecture series and the Janus Forum, which brings together two prominent speakers with different viewpoints.
Brown has always been characterized by its principled standards of intellectual openness and respectful discourse. We address differences through dialogue, debate and listening to each other. While no one can predict how national and international events will unfold and impact college campuses […], we will do everything within our power to ensure that Brown’s campus is a home where everyone is treated with dignity and respect, and is free to share their perspectives and beliefs with those who agree and those who don’t.
