Talking the Talk

An Equity-Minded Dialogue Series for Faculty and Staff

Hosted by the Office for Institutional Equity & Inclusion and the Faculty Hub


In today’s environment of escalating political and social divisiveness and shrinking opportunities for building community, it is imperative to develop and practice "skills for engaging in dialogue across differences of experiences and perspectives." As a university, we are also committed to “preparing students to contribute to, and succeed in, a complex world.” In pursuit of these important areas of the University’s strategic plan and vision, we offer this new dialogue series as a forum to share, discuss, and practice equity-minded skills for navigating difficult discussions. During these dialogues, we will explore complex topics using equity-minded practices to better equip us and our students to contribute to this complex world, both in and out of the classroom. 

While the series centers the perspective of faculty and staff who may lead student discussions, the dialogues are open to any University employee who would find value in practicing these skills. Dialogues will take place two to three times a semester. Additional sessions may be convened in the event of a campus crisis.

This series will:

  • Provide time and space for sharing, discussing, and practicing skills for leading equity-minded dialogues on challenging or controversial topics;
  • Cultivate mutual support among participants, drawing on the group’s collective wisdom and personal experiences; and
  • Provide resources related to individual dialogue topics that can be accessed after the forum.

Fall Topics & Dates


On Leading Values-Based Dialogues
Monday, Sept. 25, 12-1:15 p.m.  

What role can dialogue play in today’s environment of escalating    political and social divisiveness and shrinking opportunities for building community? What might we hope that dialogue can do? What values can best guide efforts to dialogue?
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Disentangling Abuse, Harm, Critique, Contradiction, and Misunderstanding
Monday, Nov. 6, 12-1:15 p.m.   

Not all tensions in a dialogue are the same. This discussion differentiates among types of tension and the different sorts of attention they require.
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How to Say the Wrong Thing . . . and Survive
Monday, Jan. 29, 12-1:15 p.m.

We have all had moments when we say something that creates tension, harm, or misunderstanding, regardless of our intentions. How might we learn from these moments? Join us for a dialogue to explore these questions.
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