Democratic Pedagogy Institute
Morning Breakfast
Welcome Reception
Join your colleagues for coffee, fruit, and light pastries.
Time: 10:00 AM – 10:30 AM
This event is now complete.
Morning Workshop
Teaching for Democracy:
Cultivating Civic Outcomes in an Election Year
In this workshop, we will explore the opportunities an election year provides for developing the virtues of democratic citizenship. We’ll begin by identifying the knowledge, skills, and dispositions democracy demands and consider how these align with our course goals. We’ll then develop practical strategies for integrating these outcomes into our teaching both before and after the election. As we close, we will acknowledge potential challenges and concerns, setting the stage for the institute’s later sessions.
Time: 10:30 AM – 11:45 PM
This event is now complete.
Lunch Presentation
The Challenge of Pluralism:
Balancing Free Expression and Equal Respect
The success of both liberal democracy and higher education depends on balancing two core values: free expression and equal respect. Yet, pluralism—diverse worldviews, experiences, and identities—often pulls these values into conflict, as one person’s expression of ideas can erode another’s sense of being respected as an equal. We should aim to deliberate in ways that avoid these tensions, but when they do arise, we face a moral dilemma about how to prioritize competing values. In this presentation, we will share three different philosophical approaches to balancing these values in the classroom. Participants will then reflect on the merits of each approach and why reasonable people might disagree about the appropriate balance. In doing so, we’ll practice the kind of democratic deliberation we aim to foster in our classrooms—where active disagreement can lead to deeper reflection and shared growth.
Time: 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
This event is now complete.
Afternoon Workshop
“What Do I Say Now?”
Strategies for Facilitating Democratic Deliberation
In this session, we will reflect on hypothetical classroom scenarios that test our ability to balance candid, growth-oriented discussions with the need to support students who may feel harmed. We will review a collection of case studies, select those relevant to our specific concerns, and work with colleagues to develop strategies that help us prepare for these moments. We’ll also propose in-the-moment language to use when challenges arise, modeling a form of deliberation that balances the right to free expression with the right to be respected as an equal participant in the democratic process.
Time: 1:45 PM – 3:00 PM
This event is now complete.