SAMPLE DIALOGUE ONE

Topic: Students and the Public Good: A dialogue on student involvement in public life

Goal or Objective: To introduce students to dialogues, explore the connection between service and activism and to discuss the support of the college for student public life

Day, Date, Time, Duration: (approximately two 2 hour sessions or two separate dialogues)

Format:

Participants:

Audio-Visual Needs: Copies of Narratives, Tape recorder or newsprint and easel

Refreshments:

Agenda:

Introduction - Students across the country are participating in discussions like this to better understand how students are involved in public life. By “public life”, we mean actions that people take that address the quality of life of others beyond their immediate circle of family or friends. To some it might mean tutoring a child, protesting for living wages of employees on campus, or creating a socially responsible investing option with university endowments.

This dialogue is not to argue those causes although we will attempt to identify them. What we hope to understand is how and why you are drawn to do what we will refer to as “civic engagement” and how you see that work having an effect.

We will also spend some time talking about how (name of your college or university) supports you or hinders you in the work you have chosen to be involved in and what it might do to be more supportive.

Handout: One copy per participant (click here for pdf version for printing)

Narratives – It is clear that there are many different positions on involvement in public life ranging from non-involvement to those who would radically change the very nature of our social, political or economic structures. The purpose of using these narratives is not to see the full range of student engagement but only to get the conversation started. As you listen to these descriptions, try to identify which of them comes closest to capturing your attitude or position about engagement in public life. If none of them do, think of how you would briefly capture your position. (Read each of the brief narratives below without comment.)

Donald - “I grew up poor so I know all about the problems and causes first hand. My contribution to public life is to do well in school, get a job, eventually own my own business, hire others, pay taxes and buy a lot of goods and services. I think I can do good by doing well and leave the social causes to the do-gooders and the politics to the politicians.”

Shawna – “There have always been problems, there will always be problems. I don’t feel that I can get the truth from the biased press. I know I can’t trust the politicians. The government is only out for my money no matter who is in office. I have no interest in public life. I don’t think my participation is important and have better things to do with my time.”

Tran – “I think students are like apprentices in a democracy. We are learning to become effective citizens. While I don’t think my work helping as a tutor to two third grade boys will change the world, I think it is helping Miguel and Ricky. At the same time it is teaching me a lot about things like urban education, the issues immigrant children face and the web of problems families must deal with in poor communities. I think that knowledge will help me be a more effective citizen in the future.”

Marcia – “I have been very involved in working with local unions and their battles with local employers including the college. Until we address some of the basic economic inequalities in society, the problems associated with poverty will continue. Currently I am working to get Yolanda Brown elected as our congressional representative. Yolanda is pro-labor and will be a strong voice in Washington for better working conditions and fair pay.”

Jeremy – “Last year I began working at a homeless shelter/soup kitchen in my community. Working with the people in the shelter exposed me to a long list of reasons why people become homeless. One main reason is the housing crisis in our city. Housing is not affordable for many people, even those working at minimum wage. My work at the shelter motivated me to get involved in an affordable housing campaign with a community group committed to ending homelessness. I have called the governor and other elected officials and attended numerous protests at the state house. I have also become involved with a group fighting for a living wage for the maintenance workers at my university. I have actually seen some of these cleaners and their families eating at the soup kitchen.”

Discussion I – Your own narratives – (You may want to conduct this session as a “Quaker dialogue” in which you go around the circle and give each participant a chance to briefly tell their story with no questions or comments. Those not willing to speak or wanting a bit more time can simply pass. Explain that you wish to leave a few seconds of silence after each speaker to give people a chance to reflect briefly on what they have heard. The facilitator may want to begin to model the response and to give participants a bit more opportunity to think through their response.)

Prompt – The facilitator might say something like: “After giving us your name, year in school and major, please tell us which of these selections best represents your attitude toward public life? In what ways did you agree with the narrative and in which ways did you disagree? Use examples from your own life that tell us a bit more about your position? If you think none of these stories represents your position, describe your position as clearly and briefly as possible.”

Activity – Critical Issues Listing (The simplest way of conducting this activity is to ask students to list out the public issues that they have found most engaging without inviting the details of their involvement. You may want to invite clarifying questions that help participants better understand the issues or problem. For example, if someone offers an issue like “language”, a brief conversation may be necessary to understand language as a public issue.)

Prompt – The facilitator might say something like: “ In listening to the kinds of issues you are involved with, we can begin to make a list of what you believe to be critical issues. Let’s add to that list. What public issues do you feel most strongly about and invest time in attempting to address? In what ways do you go about addressing these issues?”

Activity– Solving Problems in the Public Domain (You may want to take an issue that seems to engage several different participants perhaps involved in different ways and focus initially on that issue. “Education” is frequently a good choice. Let students describe how they see their own work addressing the problem and allow a free flowing conversation, attempting to insure that people are respectful of one another’s position and that everyone desiring to speak has an opportunity to do so.)

Prompt - The facilitator might say something like: “How do see your own work on these issues contributing to a “solution” of problems?”

Activity –Service and Politics (Again, at least initially, you may wish to return to the Quaker Dialogue format for this discussion to insure that every voice is heard again. After phrasing the question, give everyone a few seconds to frame his or her answer before beginning. After hearing from everyone, open the discussion for deeper dialogue.)

Prompt - The facilitator might say something like: “Many in our society are concerned that students are disengaged from civic issues because we do not vote in large numbers and are not very involved in traditional political campaigns. What connection, if any, do you see between the service that you do and traditional ideas of politics such as voting, campaigning and letter writing? Do you believe that voting and other forms of political participation are effective ways of addressing public issues?”

Activity – The Role of Higher Education in Civic Engagement (This is probably best structured as a free and open discussion with perhaps someone capturing thoughts on sheets of paper or a blackboard so that participants can build on ideas already offered.)

Prompt - The facilitator might say something like: “How does your college or university help support the student civic engagement and foster student voice on your campus? How does your college or university hinder student civic engagement and stifle student voice on your campus?

Note: You may wish to use a flip chart paper or a black board and scribe people’s comments in two columns, such as:

You may then ask a follow up question, such as “If you wanted to make a change on campus, how would you go about doing so?”


Wrap Up / Action

Summarize the flow of conversation, the major points made and suggest that you will contact participants once you and your organizing team has had a chance to reflect on the dialogue. Pass out the evaluation form and express your appreciation for the group’s time and attention.

Analyze the comments form students and think about how to best present to university administrators a summary of the work students are doing and how students perceive that the university helps and hinders them in their work.

Or

Focus on one obstacle that students identified in common and meet with university administrators to examine the problem.