Current Initiatives
Explore how campus is bringing civil dialogue to life
Already underway at UW–Madison, these efforts model the culture the Wisconsin Exchange seeks to continue to build, with a campus community enlivened and inspired by energetic exchanges across a variety of viewpoints
Deliberation Dinners
Held throughout the academic year, the Deliberation Dinners series brings together undergraduates over a meal for a lively discussion focused on an important and sometimes contentious political issue. Consensus is not the goal. Instead, the purpose of Deliberation Dinners is to ensure that everyone has a voice, and to help students listen to understand and to engage in constructive conversation about a divisive topic.
The Discussion Project
This professional development series for faculty is focused on authentic classroom dialogue.
Main Street Agenda
A statewide partnership between the La Follette School of Public Affairs and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Main Street Agenda brings together voters of different viewpoints throughout Wisconsin for conversations in the run-up to major elections.
Madison chapter of BridgeUSA
This student-led initiative is designed to create opportunities for thoughtful, cross-partisan engagement with elected officials.
Bridging the Divide
A nonpartisan discussion series by and for students, made possible by UW–Madison’s Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership, Bridging the Divide uses a train-the-trainer approach for student facilitators.
Pluralism and Unity Advisory Council
This newly formed advisory group in Student Affairs will bring together student leaders from across political, cultural, religious, and geographic backgrounds to advise on initiatives that foster belonging and unity, model pluralism, and help shape student success at UW–Madison.
Additional campus efforts
Pluralism and civil discourse efforts also happen in schools, colleges, and units across campus, such as the Center for Communication and Civic Renewal, the Center for Ethics and Education, the Center for Journalism Ethics, the Center for Research on the Wisconsin Economy (CROWE), the Center for the Study of Liberal Democracy, and the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership.
Courses and curricular pathways
Pluralism is woven into curricula as well. Examples include courses such as Advancing Public Policy in a Divided America (La Follette School), the first-year interest group Divided We Stand, and a community-based class in which journalism majors and adult learners from the UW Odyssey Project co-create solutions-based stories.
Looking to start a new initiative?
The Wisconsin Exchange is looking for innovative ideas to advance viewpoint diversity at UW–Madison. Grants up to $10,000 will be awarded to selected student-led projects and up to $50,000 for faculty- and staff-led projects.