Colleges and universities have a special responsibility to create environments that promote these values and help to inculcate in students an enthusiastic appreciation for the value of free expression, enlightening debate, and civil discourse – especially during these difficult times of distrust, division, and apparent disdain for civil discourse and debate.

We are working to make the concept of healthy democratic dialogue a part of Lewis & Clark’s identity as an institution and the foundation for the way we relate to each other. Engaging in constructive dialogue with people who hold different viewpoints is a skill that is increasingly in short supply, and one that both our students and our world desperately need. Learning and caring – that’s the heart of who we are and what we do, and how we want our L&C graduates to be in the world.

Higher education institutions play a crucial role in shaping well-educated and engaged citizens, emphasizing the importance of civic responsibility, critical thinking, and the ability to engage constructively in societal discourse. By fostering an environment of open dialogue and debate, higher education prepares students to be active participants in democratic processes, ensuring they emerge as individuals committed to contributing positively to society and advancing democratic values.

I believe fervently in the importance of educating and preparing students—leaders of the future—to embrace discomfort and challenge to their beliefs, to accept and engage with the ‘other,’ and to embrace an educational trajectory that prepares them for the world beyond campus by supporting them in engaging in respectful conflict and dialogue across difference.

There is a basic if oft-stated truth about democracy: it is not a spectator sport. The health of our civic institutions requires engaged citizens ready and able to exercise their voice thoughtfully and responsibly. When this College, and institutions like it, graduate broadly educated students with the skills and determination to get involved, we have every reason to believe that our country’s fragile democratic experiment may long endure.

The free exchange of ideas is a cornerstone of liberal education. Communicating persuasively, disagreeing courteously, and engaging respectfully across the ideological spectrum, are essential skills for the thriving of a democratic society. Differences of opinion must be treated as opportunities to learn and grow.

This is a critical role for higher education that is more important than ever in today’s highly polarized environment. We are challenged today by the fact that much of the American populace does not have confidence in higher education, so a collaborative, focused initiative such as this represents our best opportunity to emphasize the importance of preparing engaged citizenship.

…But we also know that, to realize the full potential of Duke’s people, we must cultivate and maintain a campus community where every person—especially those whose viewpoints or backgrounds may be in the minority—feels a strong sense of belonging and support for their work. We must work to create a culture that clearly reflects our core institutional values of respect, trust, inclusion, discovery, and excellence in all we do.

Societal divisions threaten the mutual understanding, shared norms of behavior, and commitments that are so vital to the resilience of our democracy. Mending these divisions is not only a challenge of policy and politics. It is an educational imperative.

Our campuses and our words are enriched, our communities become more equitable and we develop open-minded leaders when we explore and are open to discussing and debating a range of ideas and perspectives, freely expressed, while understanding these ideals within the context of the historical experiences of diverse communities.