History

The Campus Conversations program evolved from the work of the Program for Deliberative Democracy which is housed at Carnegie Mellon University and is a joint venture between the Center for the Advancement of Applied Ethics and Political Philosophy (CAAEPP) at Carnegie Mellon and Pittsburgh's Coro Center for Civic Leadership. From its inception, the program has received administrative and financial support at the department, college, and university levels due to its ability to bring together a diverse group of students, faculty, staff and alumni to discuss issues of relevance to the community and when possible, inform policy and decision making.

At the conclusion of the spring 2008 semester, responsibility for the Campus Conversations program shifted into a collaborative effort between the academic unit within the CAAEPP and the division of student affairs. This partnership reflects a commitment from the CAAEPP to an interdisciplinary, theoretically grounded approach to applied philosophy and a commitment from student affairs to cultivate a “comprehensive, holistic, transformative activity that integrates academic learning and student development, processes that have often been considered separate and even independent of each other” (National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) and American College Personnel Association (ACPA), 2004, p. 2). The two entities collaborated on the orchestration of the program with a professional staff member in the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs serving as project manager. Ultimately, the goal of this collaboration was to institutionalize the Campus Conversations program beyond a singular academic department, engage more students in the practice of deliberative democracy, and encourage students to cultivate their skills in ways that promote a sense of social responsibility and assist in their preparation for a life of leadership and impact.

Currently, the Campus Conversations program is orchestrated by the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs with support from the CAAEPP. For additional information about the program or upcoming deliberative events, please contact Joanna Dickert in the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs via email or at 412-268-2075.

References

National Association of Student Personnel Administrators and American College Personnel Association (2002). Learning reconsidered: A campus-wide focus on the student experience. Washington, D.C.: National Association of Student Personnel Administrators and American College Personnel Association.