Education Dialogue Series

In today’s world, it may seem impossible to bridge vast differences in philosophies and values. The goal of dialogue is to bring together divergent voices in order to understand how multiple perspectives and experiences come to be, and–more importantly–come to be bridged in order to create a more connected, democratic society.

The goal of the Education Dialogue Series is to enhance the ability of the NC State community to engage in-depth conversations on important educational issues. Students, faculty, and staff are invited to participate in our Spring 2020 courses and events around the topic: Is College for Everyone?

College has been viewed as the solution to many of society’s problems, but is it meant for everyone? In this semester, we will explore several questions related to higher education in the United States and the world: Who goes to what kinds of institutions and why? What kinds of experiences do different groups have in college? Who finishes

college? Who benefits from a college education? The goal of our conversations is not to actually answer the question of whether college is for everyone—instead, we will explore many different perspectives and come to a greater understanding of how the question (and its answer) are influenced by our individual and collective identities and experiences.

Fall 2019 Events

  • Dessert with Democracy
    • November 13 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm, Friday Institute for Educational Innovation
    • Join us for an evening to engage in discussions about contemporary issues facing the American public. Participants will be guided through facilitated, roundtable activities that will allow them to do something fairly rare in today’s political culture: engage in an open discussion about our differences. In addition to the NC State University community, we are inviting area middle and high school students, teachers, parents and community members. All are welcome.
    • This event is co-hosted by Dr. Paula McAvoy
    • Register Here
  • Introduction to Education Dialogue
    • November 22 1:00pm-2:00pm, Poe Hall Room 112
    • Join us to learn more about the series and get a preview of our dialogue topic: Is College for Everyone?

 

Spring 2020 Courses and Events

  • ECI 509 002: Education Dialogue
    • Meets Tuesdays 4:30-6:20pm
    • In this 1-unit course, students will engage in open and constructive dialogue with peers on the topic: Is College for Everyone? Students will also complete a weekly reflection and final a group project. The course will require no more than 3 hours of work per week (on average). Undergraduate and graduate students are welcome to enroll.
    • Syllabus
  • ECI 509 001: Teaching about Identities, Diversity, and Equity in K-12 and Higher Education (aka the Diversity Teaching Lab)
    • Meets Tuesdays 1:30-4:15pm
    • This 3-unit course is designed for instructors interested in learning about and practicing strategies for teaching about topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. “Instructors” is broadly defined and can include current or future teachers/professors, teaching assistants, and workshop leaders. Using the Education Dialogue as a case study, instructors will explore how to design and lead activities in ways that promote productive engagement and reduce resistance. As part of the course, instructors will contribute to research and a handbook on diversity teaching. Previous coursework or training in issues of diversity will serve as a foundation for productive engagement.
    • Faculty and other outside instructors are invited to apply to lead a class session and receive feedback on their teaching. Each outside instructor will be paired with a student in the class who will meet with them before their session and then summarize the feedback from the rest of the class.
    • Syllabus
  • Note: Both courses are listed in the official course schedule as ECI 509 Special Problems in Curriculum and Instruction. Contact Dr. Byrd if you have any trouble enrolling. 
  • Day of Dialogue
    • Date TBD
    • Education Dialogue and Diversity Teaching Lab students will attend a special event at Franklinton Center at Bricks, a historical retreat center in rural North Carolina, to dialogue with community members about the value of education.
  • Dessert with Democracy
    • Date TBD
    • This event will be open to the public. Students in the Education Dialogue course will lead small group discussions on college access and equity.

Questions?

Contact Christy Byrd at christy_byrd@ncsu.edu for more information or to get involved!