Students Open Up at “Tell Us How You Really Feel” Forum – Live Blog

The Charger Bulletin

November 14, 2016

Part two of the University of New Haven Civil Discourse Discussion has started in the German Club as the university encourages students to tell administration how they really feel about the campus climate.

Each student will be given 30 seconds to speak at the microphone. Pads and easels have been set up around the room to engage in further discussion lead by facilitators.

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Moving Toward Diversity

Facilitators raises point on how are we to educate if the people do not show up. Their goal is to have majority and minority students.

A space to come and speak out can be utilized successfully when successful communication is carried out with meaning – how to talk efficiently a student says.

A facilitator brings up intent versus impact and how what an actor my intend to say is not what the impact of the conversation may carry.

We have to be open to everyones ideas, but have to understand the line between disagreement and disrespect a student says.

Student believes that the personal grouping that the students are currently engaged in now is beneficial to allow students to really voice their opinions because not everyone is comfortable in a public speaking situation and tend to speak out of feeling, which could be misconstrued.

Students support the idea of having a day dedicated to the discussion of civil discourse whether it is a Reading Day or day where teachers give their students the opportunities to attend these sessions. Another idea of offering a class that allows students the opportunity to further educate themselves on the issues and how to moderate them. Counter-idea from a student is to make an open space, so students do not feel they are forced to attend.

Facilitators encourage students to spread the message of these discussions, so they will feel encourage to come.

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Disagreement vs. Disrespect

Issues of crossing the line, charged topics, complexities between us versus them, and respecting disagreements have been raised by students int he focus groups.

Social media has been brought up and how you are more impulsed and you do not get the same reaction and understanding that could come out of having face-to-face conversations and confrontations. Students bring up the point that face-to-face conversations also leave room for clarifications.

Escalation versus explication is raised to bring students to really think.

Another student raises the concerns of having to educate students on how to work through the uncomfortable feelings that may arise.

Student brings concerns of avoidance of issues that may happen on campus. Discussion needs to take place within the classroom to talk out what is happening and make students more aware what is happening.

Students need to take responsibility to not only be a bystander in situations that people unleash ignorant feelings toward one another and bring awareness to the ignorance.

A way we can help is to understand why people hold their beliefs, which could be resolved by listening to peoples thoughts. Student says he educates himself by looking up a wide spectrum of thought on the internet through blogs, videos, and other media platforms.

Student questions how do you know your views are correct if it was only the first thing that has come to you. He encourages students to educate themselves outside their beliefs to possibly broaden their opinion.

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Facilitators are going to space issues out at the easels set up throughout the room. Students are encouraged to bounce from topic to topic as the deem fit on their interests and concerns.

Groups include:

– Moving Toward Diversity (Academically, Personally, Organizationally)

– Disagreement vs. Disrespect

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With a close in open discussion, moderator sets forth some ground rules for further discussion to have effective communication:

– Respect

– Active Listening

– Use “I” statements

– Empathy

– Participation

– Openness

– Patience

– Parking Lot (idea that you are in a discussion and a topic is brought up is important, but not relevant, to mark it down and then focus on it during the next discussion.)

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Student believes university can benefit from being more open minded bringing up the idea that students who are on the conservative side of the spectrum believe that they are sort of being silenced and afraid to speak their beliefs – having an open dissuasion of understanding would alleviate tension.

Student counterattacks comment by saying that the difference in understanding and speaking out is how students decide to speak out and state their opinions. That there, again, is a difference between disagreeing and begin disrespectful.

Student believes we need to discuss the diversity issue on campus – how to talk with one another.

Student encourages students to enroll in the center of Diversity and Inclusion. And, to be open, again, with the different opinions that are shared on campus.

Student proposes a day out of the semester to be dedicated to discussions, much like a Reading Day.

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