Deliberative Citizenship Initiative

Building Democracy One Conversation at a Time

Graham Bullock

All in for DCI!

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Luna and Dr. Bullock at All in for Davidson, Dr. Bullock has cream on his face.

For the past 12 years, the Davidson campus has celebrated the impact of every gift made to the college on its All in for Davidson day. There are parties and performances across campus, and students have the opportunity to pie faculty and staff in the name of philanthropy. This year, Graham Bullock was invited to participate in this celebration, and he had the good fortune to get pied by several Davidson students, including DCI Fellow Luna Noguchi ’25 (above) and DCI D Team participant, Madeline O’Leary ’27 (below).

 

If you’d also like to be “All in for DCI” and like what the DCI has been doing to support more productive public discourse at Davidson, then you are welcome to make a financial contribution to the initiative. Simply click on the link below, select Other under “I want to support” and type in “Deliberative Citizenship Initiative,” and proceed from there. Any amount would help us continue to do the work of bringing people together to discuss the challenging and contentious topics facing our society.

Give a Gift to the DCI

DCI Program Coordinator Application is Open!

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Image of "job opportunity" with DCI logo

The Deliberative Citizenship Initiative is hiring a new Program Coordinator. We are seeking an energetic and hard-working person to join our team and coordinate the implementation of the initiative’s programs. These include our efforts to create opportunities for productive dialogue and deliberation in diverse classroom settings, outside of the classroom, and in the community. 

Responsibilities include organizing the logistics of the Initiative’s meetings, programs, and events; maintaining and updating the initiative’s website and social media presence; and managing the data collected by the DCI about its programs. The position is also responsible for managing and tracking the expenses and budget of the Initiative and working on special projects related to the mission of the DCI.

Visit the Davidson website to learn more about the position and the application process.

Event Recap: Deliberative Forum on Freedom of Expression at Davidson

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Ike Bailey speaking to the audience.

On April 23, the Deliberative Citizenship Initiative hosted a Deliberative Forum on “Free Expression at Davidson: Rights and Responsibilities during an Uncertain Time.” The forum was the last DCI event to be held in the Lilly Gallery before it is transformed into a study space for the next two years while the library is renovated. A total of 144 people attended the event; 61 in-person and 83 online.

Jim Martin speaking to the audience.
Jacquie Pffeffer Merrill at the podium.

Like most past DCI forums, this event included both expert speakers and an opportunity for the audience to engage with one another on the topic. But instead of a panel or roundtable discussion, this time the speakers spoke sequentially to freely express their thoughts about free expression.

Stacey Riemer at the podium.

The speakers included Melissa Gonzalez (Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies, Gender & Sexuality Studies and Latin American Studies), Dan Layman (Associate Professor of Philosophy), Jim Martin ’57 (Former Davidson Associate Professor of Chemistry and Former Governor of North Carolina), Ike Bailey ’95 (Professor of the Practice in Communication Studies), Jacqueline Pfeffer Merrill (Director of the Campus Free Expression Project, Council of Independent Colleges) and Stacey Riemer (Interim Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students). The event was moderated by Graham Bullock, Associate Professor of Political Science and Faculty Director of the DCI.

Melissa Gonzalez speaking to the audience.

Following the speakers’ remarks, audience members began talking with each other around roundtables in person and in breakout rooms online. Following the DCI’s deliberation guide written for this forum (provided below) and guided by the DCI’s trained facilitators, the discussions explored three related themes and questions:

  1. The Nature and Importance of Freedom of Expression: Why do we value it in a democratic society and in higher education?
  2. The Nature of Responsible Freedom of Expression: What are reasonable limits on our right to “free speech?”
  3. Davidson College’s Approach to Freedom of Expression and the Student Code of Responsibility: How does and how should the College respond to concerns about the expression of particular viewpoints on campus?

Feedback from the event was very positive. 92% of respondents to the post-event survey left either somewhat or very hopeful that we can identify at least some areas of agreement on the importance of free expression and reasonable limits on free speech, 94% reported being satisfied or very satisfied with their small group discussion and likely to participate in another Deliberative Forum in the future, and 97% stated they were likely or highly likely to recommend participating in a Deliberative Forum to a friend.

deliberators sitting around tables.

Below are some of the comments that participants shared about their experience at the forum:

  • “I am really proud to know my alma matter is thinking about this and proactively encouraging discussion. I am proud to be a Davidson Alumni.” Conservative Female Participant
  • “I applaud you for including an ideologically diverse panel. Though I did not agree with one of the members, it was such a great model of civil discourse! Thank you to Dr. Bailey for his inspiring message to us all!! The event was fantastic, and our small group deliberation was a joy. Thank you to the DCI for this Deliberative Forum! Thanks to the deliberation guide, panel, and small group deliberation, I learned much about the topic, as well as how to deliberate together. Deliberative Forums are a very worthy investment in time personally and for our communities and society.” Liberal Female Participant
  • “It’s refreshing and encouraging to see an institution of higher learning actively solicit opinions from and engage with a diverse group of students, faculty, alumni, parents, and friends.  It speaks to the philosophy of the College…a philosophy from which many other institutions could stand to learn.” Moderate Male Participant
  • “I enjoyed participating with other thoughtful, intelligent people of varying ages as they discussed a difficult topic.” Conservative Male Participant
  • “Thank you for hosting this important event, and for the broad range of speakers on the panel.  Our small group was well-facilitated by a current student, who set clear parameters, included everyone, and kept the conversation moving.  The advance reading provided a good foundation while also being an accessible length. Institutions of higher learning have a powerful opportunity and responsibility right now to protect freedom of speech and it is heartening to know how Davidson is striving to stand up for free speech in our current cultural climate. It was refreshing to reconnect with Davidson by learning about the topic of free speech from faculty, staff, and alumni who offered a broad range of perspectives.  I am encouraged to see how carefully this topic is being considered on campus and appreciate the opportunity to connect with others in the structured small group discussion.”  Moderate Female Participant
  • “I thought our moderator was excellent and mature for a sophomore. The organization of the subject matter was great. The diversity of the panel was better than I expected. Being a conservative I did not expect my views to be heard or accepted. I was pleasantly surprised and considered the opposition well formed. I would have enjoyed further discussion.” Conservative Male Participant
  • “How we do anything matters as much as what we do. The DCI brings people together and teaches us how to be deliberative and how to be an effectively engaged citizen, skills that have application across a wide spectrum of critical issues. While I (as a Davidson parent) benefit personally from the wealth of information and opportunities the DCI offers, what I most appreciate is this opportunity for students. The DCI is supporting Davidson’s statement of purpose in countless way, both directly and indirectly.” Liberal Female Participant

Participants were also invited to like to share any other comments, suggestions, or questions about free expression at Davidson that they would like the College to take into consideration in its approach to managing the tensions around protecting freedom of expression and promoting belong and mutual respect. Responses to this question are included in the document below.

DCI-Forum-on-Free-Expression-Participant-Responses

Check out the recording of the speakers’ remarks, deliberation guide, pathways guide and more photos from the event below.

DCI Deliberation Guide on Free Expression at Davidson

DCI-Free-Expression-Deliberation-Guide

Deliberators deliberating around tables.

DCI Pathways Guide on Free Expression at Davidson

DCI-Free-Expression-At-Davidson-Pathways-Guide

Three tables of deliberators.

“Take an Opinion, Leave an Opinion:” An On-the-Street Deliberative Video Series

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Image of face speaking some words flyer

Every spring, DCI Fellows implement their own personal deliberation project on a topic of their choice. DCI Fellow Fatima Mukasa ’28 wanted to use her project to reach a wide group of people who may not know much about deliberation or the DCI. She called her project, Take an Opinion, Leave an Opinion, and it was inspired by the Tiktok page, “Read a Secret, Leave a Secret.”

Designed to foster open dialogue and critical thinking, the project invited students and faculty to anonymously share their perspectives on thought-provoking topics, which others then read and responded to. These responses were recorded and will be shared online, creating a broader platform for engagement. By encouraging open-mindedness and empathetic communication, the project aims to cultivate a space where diverse viewpoints can be expressed without stigma and aims to strengthen the Davidson community’s ability to navigate complex discussions with curiosity and respect.

She set up a table and camera near the flagpole outside Chambers, the main classroom building on campus, and asked students passing by in between classes to share their perspective on a topic by writing it down on a piece of paper and leaving it on the table. They could also pick up an opinion that was left by someone else and respond to it — on camera for 30-60 seconds. Fatima then compiled these recordings into a short video that we’ve shared below and will also be shared on social media for the broader community to view and engage with. Fatima’s hope is that her project will foster a space where people feel as though they can share their opinions and can engage with other viewpoints, allowing them to be more open-minded, more engaged, and more effective communicators.

The topics that Fatima chose were the same topics being discussed by the DCI’s D Teams, and she hosted her table a week or so after each set of D Team discussions were completed. She and other DCI Fellows included some opinions that D Team participants raised (without attribution) on the table for her visitors to respond to, creating a nice connection between these two DCI programs. Students who were on a D Team could also stop by and share their perspectives that might have come up during their discussions.

Check out Fatima’s three “Take an Opinion, Leave an Opinion” videos below — the topics are the opioid epidemic, lessons learned from COVID, and healthcare reform, the compilations feature the voices of numerous Davidson students…

The Opioid Epidemic: A DCI “Take an Opinion, Leave an Opinion” Video Compilation

Lessons Learned from COVID: A DCI “Take an Opinion, Leave an Opinion” Video Compilation

Healthcare Reform: A DCI “Take an Opinion, Leave an Opinion” Video Compilation

A Deliberative Forum on Free Expression at Davidson

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In a recent email to students, faculty, staff, alumni, family, and friends of Davidson, President Hicks highlighted how “determining where the specific boundaries and tensions between the freedom to speak and the responsibilities associated with mutual respect is one of the hardest questions that we as a college community confront—in this moment and in all moments.” In order to identify, explore, and understand those boundaries and tensions, the Deliberative Citizenship Initiative is co-hosting a Deliberative Forum on “Free Expression at Davidson: Rights and Responsibilities during an Uncertain Time” (click here to register).

Planned for April 23 from 5 pm to 7 pm in the Lilly Gallery and online, the forum will begin with remarks by several speakers who will address this topic. The speakers include Ike Bailey ’95 (Professor of the Practice in Communication Studies), Melissa Gonzalez (Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies, Gender & Sexuality Studies and Latin American Studies), Dan Layman (Associate Professor of Philosophy), Jim Martin ’57 (Former Davidson Associate Professor of Chemistry and Former Governor of North Carolina), Jacqueline Pfeffer Merrill (Director of the Campus Free Expression Project, Council of Independent Colleges) and Stacey Riemer (Interim Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students). The event will be moderated by Graham Bullock, Associate Professor of Political Science and Faculty Director of the DCI.

The speakers will explore three related themes and questions:

  1. The Nature and Importance of Freedom of Expression: Why do we value it in a democratic society and in higher education?
  2. The Nature of Responsible Freedom of Expression: What are reasonable limits on our right to “free speech?”
  3. Davidson College’s Approach to Freedom of Expression and the Student Code of Responsibility: How does and how should the College respond to concerns about the expression of particular viewpoints on campus?

They will be followed by an opportunity for audience members to explore these topics with one another in roundtable and breakout room discussions, guided by the DCI’s trained facilitators and a deliberation guide developed for this event.

Food will be provided, and everyone is welcome to join. We only ask that participants stay for the full two hours and both listen to the speakers as well as participate in the audience conversations. Seats are limited so sign up today to reserve your spot and receive a copy of the deliberation guide in advance of the forum.

Register Here!

Freedom-of-Expression-Forum-Poster

Check out the Free Expression at Davidson Deliberation Guide that we have developed for this forum below:

DCI-Free-Expression-Deliberation-Guide