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Fostering Compassionate Dialogue on Campus

#CampusBridge

A Rapid Response Initiative by The Divided Community Project at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, funded by the AAA-ICDR Foundation.

The third edition of "Leading a Divided Campus" is available as of July 12 - to access this new document, email Bill Froehlich at froehlich.28@osu.edu. 

About the Initiative:

#CampusBridge is a new initiative focused on serving campus communities nationwide. Our goal is to support campus leaders with resources grounded in dispute resolution theory and practice.

In these challenging times, it’s urgent and crucial that we come together to support students, particularly those feeling most vulnerable because of these events, and to reinforce campus and campus values of mutual respectful treatment and belonging. #CampusBridge is not just about addressing immediate safety concerns, but also about fostering a long-term environment of care, understanding, empathy, and constructive dialogue within campus communities.

 - Carl Smallwood, Executive Director of the Divided Community Project

#CampusBridge is focused on:
  • Enhancing Students' Safety and Well-Being: Building a secure and supportive campus environment.
  • Countering Divisiveness: Addressing negative perceptions and fostering understanding.
  • Promoting Anti-Hate Norms: Cultivating a culture of respect and inclusion within the university community

Materials:

The project has developed guides, checklists and social media toolkits for university and college leaders that offer promising ideas, informed by dispute resolution theory and practice, to support students in dealing with their feelings of pain, isolation, anger, and fear; discourage the targeting of individuals based on their identities; and encourage promoting productive and compassionate dialogue on their campuses.

 

. . . outlines steps for campus administrators to effectively address concerns, conflicts, or divisive incidents on campus. It emphasizes the importance of immediate and thoughtful action in response to such situations, including those arising from external events that deeply impact the student body, like global conflicts. Download the guide here.

. . . offers some ideas to show students support in brief one-on-one conversations. Download the free checklist here.

. . .  a starting point of agenda ideas for planning for unusually large and intensely emotional crowd events on campus. Download the free checklist.

. . . aids campus leaders in listening to students, supporting them, and understanding their reactions in the midst of a divisive situation. Download the free checklist.

Tranquil Springs University Simulation was designed for campus leaders seeking to prepare campuses for forthcoming demonstrations. While generally applicable to all protests, the theme of the simulation focuses on tension in the Middle East. You can review the general facts. All materials (confidential facts, facilitator guide, powerpoint) are available - just contact DCP Director Bill Froehlich via email at froehlich.28@osu.edu. 

#CampusBridge will add resources to this website over the next few months.  In addition to these resources, the Divided Community Project offers guides and checklists for campus leaders to prepare ahead of divisive situations, hold potentially contentious meetings, engage polarized student groups, plan an initiative to advance racial equity, deal with disputes over symbols and public spaces, articulate a community spirit, and engage in difficult conversations across political differences.  See more resources here.