UWEC students learning civil dialogue skills

UW-Eau Claire has undertaken initiatives based on the research of Dr. April Bleske-Rechek, professor of psychology, to help students overcome communication apprehension that may prevent them from participating fully in potentially controversial discussions. The proactive efforts are focused on helping students acquire the skills to fully participate in controversial discussions for a lifetime of civic engagement.

Bleske-Rechek’s research and the university’s initiatives have been recognized in a story in “The Leaflet,” a publication of The Higher Learning Commission. The publication lauded UW-Eau Claire’s leadership on First Amendment issues and civil dialogue as a model for other institutions to consider.

“Helping students discover and grow their communication and critical thinking skills is a foundational aspect of UW-Eau Claire’s mission,” says Chancellor James Schmidt. “When students realize their capacity to engage in reasoned, civil dialogue on even the most complicated and controversial of topics, they are empowered to continue learning about the complexities of the world. And that is exactly the kind of self-confidence I hope all our graduates have when they cross the commencement stage.”

Bleske-Rechek was lead author of a survey of students across the Universities of Wisconsin about their perceptions of free expression on college campuses. The 2022 study found students felt significant apprehension about speaking up on controversial topics.

Bleske-Rechek also wanted better data to understand the impact of specific interventions on students’ attitudes toward civil dialogue.

“Evidence across the nation suggests that students feel unwilling to share their views or are apathetic toward engaging with those who view the world differently from them,” Bleske-Rechek says.

With support from the UW-Eau Claire Foundation, Bleske-Rechek administered a pilot study in the fall of 2023 to gather data on the effectiveness of the Unify America College Bowl, which pairs students with different political beliefs for an hourlong guided conversation, as a learning experience. More than half of the students who participated in the study reported that after the conversation, they placed more value on viewpoints different than their own.

A follow-up randomized controlled trial conducted by Bleske-Rechek in spring 2024 indicated that students likely would not engage in civil dialogue unless required to, but students who do actively choose to engage can have a change in attitude, at least in the short-term.

The findings, Bleske-Rechek reported, “support the possibility that a guided civil dialogue… can enhance students’ attitudes toward expressing their views and their evaluations of those with political views different than their own.”

UW-Eau Claire student Parker Anderson, a senior psychology major from Jamestown, Tennessee, discussed gun violence and taxes during his College Bowl conversation.

“I realized that I may have more in common with people who have different beliefs than I thought,” Anderson says. “I don't often seek out people with different beliefs to have conversations with, so I feel like the College Bowl experience helped me to get more comfortable having civil discussions with people who may disagree with me.”

Students form local chapter of BridgeUSA

In October 2023, the Menard Center for Constitutional Studies and Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership brought leaders from Unify America and BridgeUSA to UW-Eau Claire to discuss civil discourse and depolarization on college campuses. A packed lecture hall of students, faculty and staff learned about the two organizations’ philosophies and approaches for addressing the widespread anxiety U.S. college students feel about engaging with their peers on controversial topics.

Since the panel, Dr. Adam Kunz, assistant professor of political science, has become advisor to a UW-Eau Claire student chapter of BridgeUSA, called BridgeEauClaire. BridgeUSA’s model establishes norms of discussion that champion “understanding, empathy, open-mindedness and a willingness to engage” with people who perceive the world differently, per their website.

Kunz says the chancellor has given the campus a mandate to ensure that every voice at UW-Eau Claire matters, and BridgeEauClaire “is one pillar in that effort.”

“The club is the ‘anti-debate’ club, in that the goal is not to win in a fight over polarized topics but to understand other perspectives and constructively share opinions,” Kunz says. “BridgeEauClaire has allowed students to discuss important topics without feeling the pressure of putting a partisan label on their beliefs.”

Kunz says he has nothing but admiration for the Gen Z population after seeing the kinds of positive conversations that take place among BridgeEauClaire students.”

“If more faculty and administrators can encourage their students to participate in these activities, UWEC can be a Universities of Wisconsin leader in helping students break out of echo chambers and algorithmic, profit-driven partisan traps,” Kunz says.

The BridgeEauClaire student chapter has convened workshops discussing topics such as politics of education, the border crisis, international relations and executive orders where students could explore different viewpoints in a constructive way, says Grace Schnabl, chapter president.

“The discussions have been full of diverse perspectives, and it’s clear that people are eager to engage with topics that affect society today,” Schnabl says. “Whether we were talking about navigating the political climate or dissecting the implications of different policies, there was a genuine effort to listen and understand each other, which is so important in today's polarized environment.”

Fostering an environment of open dialogue

The Menard Center for Constitutional Studies is involved with a wide variety of programming on both free speech and civil dialogue to help students understand their First Amendment rights and responsibilities on a public university campus. The center plans to expand First Amendment lectures, guest speakers, workshops and reading groups, and multiple faculty members plan to implement civil dialogue experiences in their courses.

The First Amendment protects a wide variety of speech in various contexts, including some expression that people may find offensive, says Dr. Eric Kasper, professor of political science and director of the Menard Center for Constitutional Studies.

“It is vital that our students learn the protections for this type of speech and understand that they will encounter expression like this in public forums,” Kasper says. “However, it is also essential that our students are taught the value of civil dialogue and how to engage in civil dialogue in an open, democratic society.”

Chancellor Schmidt says he is proud of faculty leaders’ work to help today’s students fully participate in the university experience. Having grown up in a world dominated by social media algorithms, entering the university environment – where class discussions and debates are a critical component of the learning process – is an even greater contrast for today’s Blugolds than it was 20 years ago.

“UW-Eau Claire has a long tradition of bringing national and international thought leaders to campus so our community can engage with the most pressing topics of the time,” Schmidt says. “New experiences, like participation in the Unify America College Bowl or a BridgeEauClaire event, may help more of today’s students develop the skills and confidence needed to engage in respectful discussions even when they know their classmates may hold different beliefs.”