In this episode, we welcome Dan Oppenheimer, Director of Public Affairs for the UT Austin College of Liberal Arts, to discuss Civil Discord, a recent conference at UT Austin that brought together scholars and writers from across the political spectrum for a series of moderated arguments on issues of great public significance. 

Key Points Overview:

• Civil Discord was a unique collaboration between three academic entities in Austin: UT Austin College of Liberal Arts, the School of Civic Leadership, and the University of Austin. The conference aimed to model civil discourse and connect across scholarly, political, partisan, and ideological lines.
• The conference featured five panels on topics such as colorblindness in America, the true founding of America (1619 or 1776), anti-racism in universities, the future of liberalism, and whether higher education is broken beyond repair. Each panel had a moderator and speakers representing different perspectives.
• Oppenheimer shares advice for universities looking to host similar events, including retaining control over the process while being open and transparent, giving enough time for planning (ideally a year), and being prepared for unexpected political confrontations.
• There is a shared interest across political lines in expanding the space for free speech and academic freedom on campus. Events like Civil Discord provide an opportunity for different sides to provide cover for each other and work towards this common goal.
• Oppenheimer emphasizes the importance of modeling civil discourse and disagreement in a controlled setting, as it helps university leaders prepare for the high-stakes politics that may come at them unexpectedly.

 

Transcript: The full transcript of this episode can be found on the Changing Higher Ed website. https://changinghighered.com/civil-discord-bridging-ideological-divides-in-higher-ed/

About our Guest

Daniel Oppenheimer is Director of Public Affairs for the UT Austin College of Liberal Arts. He is also the author of two books: "Exit Right: The People Who Left the Left and Reshaped the American Century" and "Far From Respectable: Dave Hickey and His Art." He has written for the Washington Post, Texas Monthly, Boston Globe, Slate.com, The Point, Washington Monthly, Guernica, The New Republic, Tablet Magazine, and Salon.com. He received an MFA in nonfiction writing from Columbia University.

  About the Host

Dr. Drumm McNaughton is a consultant to higher education institutions in governance, accreditation, strategy and change, and mergers.

 

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