College classrooms increasingly bring together students with different backgrounds, experiences, beliefs, and perspectives. Those differences can create rich opportunities for learning, but they can also make faculty hesitant to engage controversial topics or facilitate conversations where disagreement is likely. This interactive workshop explores how faculty can intentionally build classroom communities where students feel comfortable asking questions, expressing differing viewpoints, challenging ideas, and engaging constructively across differences. 

Grounded in principles of free speech, civil discourse, and viewpoint diversity, the workshop will move beyond theory to focus on practical strategies faculty can use in their own classrooms. Participants will examine the role of the First Amendment and academic freedom in higher education, consider the distinction between discomfort and disruption, and explore ways to establish classroom norms that encourage both intellectual openness and respectful engagement. Through discussion and realistic classroom scenarios, participants will practice responding to difficult moments without shutting down dialogue or sacrificing the learning environment. 

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to: 

1. Explain how principles of free speech, academic freedom, and viewpoint diversity contribute to an open and intellectually engaged classroom. 
2. Establish classroom norms that encourage students to engage respectfully across differences. 
3. Apply practical strategies for facilitating difficult or controversial conversations.
4. Distinguish between disagreement, discomfort, incivility, and behavior that meaningfully disrupts the learning environment. 
5. Respond to challenging classroom moments in ways that preserve dialogue while maintaining appropriate boundaries. 
6. Identify at least one strategy they can incorporate into their own teaching to strengthen classroom community and constructive engagement.

If you’re interested in building a culture of open inquiry in your classroom, this workshop is for you.

Space is limited for this members-only workshop on October 21 at 2-3pm ET — Register today to join the discussion!