How to Talk About Hot Topics on Campus

How to Talk About Hot Topics on Campus fills a gap in the student services and teaching and learning literature by providing a resource that shows how to construct and carry out difficult conversations from various vantage points in the academy. It offers a theory-to-practice model of conversation for the entire college campus that will enable all constituencies to engage in productive and civil dialogue on the most difficult and controversial social, religious, political, and cultural topics.

Preface ix

Acknowledgments xv

The Authors xvii

Part I: Laying the Theoretical Groundwork for Moral Conversation 1

1. Igniting the Fire of Moral Conversation 3

2. Promoting a Spirit of Pluralism on College Campuses 35

Part II: Practicing the Moral Conversation 63

3. A Faculty Member’s View on Moral Conversation from the Classroom 65
Robert J. Nash

4. An Administrator’s View on Moral Conversation from the Division of Student Affairs 99
DeMethra LaSha Bradley

5. A Senior Administrator’s Systemic View on Facilitating Moral Conversations Across Campus 133
Arthur W. Chickering

Part III: Final Words on Moral Conversation 173

6. Opportunities, Risks, and Caveats for Moral Conversation 175

Appendix A: A Step-by-Step How-To Guide for Facilitators and Participants When Doing Moral Conversation 205
Robert J. Nash and Alissa B. Strong

Appendix B: Additional Text References and Internet Resources 219

Appendix C: Western Stereotypes About Islam from Both the Left and the Right 221
Robert J. Nash

Appendix D: A Whole-Campus Teaching and Learning Rationale for Moral Conversation: Inspired by the 2004 NASPA Report Learning Reconsidered: A Campus-Wide Focus on the Student Experience 229
Robert J. Nash

Appendix E: Naturalistic and Narrativistic Paradigms in Academia: Implications for Moral Conversation 241
Robert J. Nash

References 251

Index 261

"This book is an excellent read for faculty, staff, and students on any type of college campus….The real gem in this book is its framework on how to conduct conversations on controversial issues…While the authors focus moral conversations around pluralism, the premise of moral conversations could readily apply to interactions around governance, accountability, fiscal challenges, pedagogy, curriculum development, and other important issues that can be uncomfortable to discuss, cause participants to be disrespectful of differing opinions, and ultimately be divisive to a campus community."
–Tracy M. Tyree, Associate Vice President of Student Affairs in "Community College Journal of Research and Practice," 32:9, 733-735

“I believe this is brilliant, timely and instructive book, not only for educators, but one that reaches across disciplines and functions in higher education and beyond for anyone that wants to improve the outcomes of their conversations about controversial topics…. It conveys the need to create spaces for these conversations on college campuses, but also instructs how to do it.
” – Andrea Silva McManus in Education Book Reviews (staff.lib.msu.edu/corby/reviews/posted/nash.) and excerpted in ASA Chairlink, January 2009

THE AUTHORS

Robert J. Nash is a professor in the College of Education and Social Services at the University of Vermont. He has published eight books, as well as more than one hundred articles, book chapters, monographs, and book reviews in many of the leading journals in education at all levels. He is a member of the editorial board for the Journal of Religion & Education.

DeMethra LaSha Bradley is an assistant director for academic integrity in the Center for Student Ethics and Standards at the University of Vermont (UVM). She is currently pursuing doctoral studies in the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies program at UVM. She is the co-author of several book chapters and has made various presentations at national conferences and universities across the United States.

Arthur W. Chickering is Special Assistant to the President of Goddard College in Vermont. He is the author of several Jossey-Bass books, including Education and Identity and Encouraging Authenticity and Spirituality in Higher Education.

How to Talk About Hot Topics on Campus

How to Talk About Hot Topics on Campus fills a gap in the literature by providing a resource that shows how to construct and carry out difficult conversations from various vantage points in the academy. It offers a theory-to-practice model of conversation for the entire college campus that will enable all constituencies to engage in productive and civil dialogue on the most difficult and controversial social, religious, political, and cultural topics.

How to Talk About Hot Topics on Campus covers teaching highly controversial, potentially provocative subject matter as well as creating an institutional culture that welcomes and nourishes difficult conversations throughout campus life. The book speaks to faculty, student affairs staff, administrators, and students in all campus venues.

Based on their experiences both in and out of classroom settings, Robert J. Nash, DeMethra LaSha Bradley, and Arthur W. Chickering outline a proven process they call moral conversation. Using concrete frameworks, ground rules, and examples, the authors clearly demonstrate how to put moral conversation into action. They map out how to justify, compose, launch, and facilitate respectful and engaging conversations about even the most controversial topics.

How to Talk About Hot Topics on Campus

How to Talk About Hot Topics on Campus fills a gap in the literature by providing a resource that shows how to construct and carry out difficult conversations from various vantage points in the academy. It offers a theory-to-practice model of conversation for the entire college campus that will enable all constituencies to engage in productive and civil dialogue on the most difficult and controversial social, religious, political, and cultural topics.

How to Talk About Hot Topics on Campus covers teaching highly controversial, potentially provocative subject matter as well as creating an institutional culture that welcomes and nourishes difficult conversations throughout campus life. The book speaks to faculty, student affairs staff, administrators, and students in all campus venues.

Based on their experiences both in and out of classroom settings, Robert J. Nash, DeMethra LaSha Bradley, and Arthur W. Chickering outline a proven process they call moral conversation. Using concrete frameworks, ground rules, and examples, the authors clearly demonstrate how to put moral conversation into action. They map out how to justify, compose, launch, and facilitate respectful and engaging conversations about even the most controversial topics.