As a university instructor, do you find leading discussions about charged topics challenging? Have you ever felt you were losing control of a discussion when it took an unanticipated direction and became heated? Have you been concerned about students’ misconceptions regarding free speech in your classroom? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you’re not alone! In the current moment, many instructors have concerns about maintaining a productive and civil learning environment.   

At this open house, we invite instructors to drop in to the Center for the Advancement of Teaching, Learning and Online Education and bring questions and concerns about civil discourse in your classroom. We will explore your questions and make sure you leave with concrete strategies to ensure productive classroom discussions. Pop in any time between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. for conversation along with coffee, tea and snacks! 

Getting there:

If you are walking to our office, stand in front of the Main Library, facing the library. Turn right and walk around the side of the library. As you turn the corner, you will see a sunken courtyard to your right. Take the stairs down that courtyard and then, underneath the stairs you just descended, you will see double doors. Walk through those doors and then you will be standing in front of our office suite.

If you are a person who has mobility issues, take the podium elevator to the mezzanine level. When you leave the elevator, go toward the library stairs. You will go through the glass door that leads to those stairs and make a right in front of the stairs to go toward the EOP entrance. Enter through the doors to the EOP offices, and take your first left. At the end of the hall you will turn right. Go through the doors at the end of that hallway and you will find our office suite on your right.

If you need assistance or an escort, please connect with the contact listed for this event or call 518-442-5521.

UAlbany’s Constitution Day and Great Dane Dialogue features a week of panels on navigating civil discourse in a divided society. Students will hear from journalists, advocates, and elected officials as they share perspectives on negotiation, collaboration, and civic engagement—offering real-world insights into building understanding, finding compromise, and strengthening democracy. 

Co-Sponsored by the Offices of Communications and Marketing, Inclusive Excellence, Student Affairs, First Year Experience, CATLOE, OGCR/Leading Questions, Rockefeller College, Interfaith Center, University Libraries and the New York State Writers Institute.

For a complete schedule of events, visit Great Dane Dialogue.