‘We are thrilled:’ Miami student leaders first for Constructive Dialogue certification
Program expected to be offered around the country after inaugural effort at Miami
•
Published
Miami University partnered with the Constructive Dialogue Institute for the recent Student Leader Dialogue Certification program.
‘We are thrilled:’ Miami student leaders first for Constructive Dialogue certification
•
Published
More than 30 Miami University student leaders participated in the inaugural Student Leader Dialogue Certification program, a joint effort from the Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI) and Miami’s Office of Transformational and Inclusive Excellence (OTIE) at the end of February.
The program was made possible with the support of two grants from the Ohio Department of Higher Education – “Dialogue Across Differences Leadership Initiative” and “Leveraging Dialogue to Strengthen Ohio’s Future Leaders.” OTIE’s campus partners included ASPIRE, Government Relations Network, Scholar Leaders, College Democrats, College Republicans, Pi Sigma Epsilon, the Janus Forum, the Honors College, and the Menard Family Center for Democracy.
A total of 33 students, represented from OTIE’s campus partners as well as from the College of Engineering and Computing, took part in a two-day retreat for the certification co-led by Jake Fay of CDI and Hiram Ramirez of OTIE.
"Co-facilitating with Jake from CDI was lots of fun,” said Ramirez, who serves as assistant vice president for inclusive excellence and strategic initiatives. “We didn't have much time to prepare due to the quick turnaround time, but we were able to pivot quickly and we worked well together onsite. We were able to take silent cues from each other, and I think the students enjoyed our different facilitation styles as they explored their own approaches during the certification program.”
Constructive Dialogue helps students navigate challenging conversations and gain confidence in their communication skills. More than 100 Miami students participated in last year’s Constructive Dialogue pilot program on campus, which helped prepare students to engage in productive discussions with people from different backgrounds.
Over 1,800 students completed a Constructive Dialogue program during the university wide launch this past fall semester.
“The certification retreat provided Miami student leaders with a unique opportunity to gain valuable skills to both model and facilitate dialogues across differences in perspectives,” said Cristina Alcalde, vice president for OTIE. “This is an increasingly valuable skill for personal and professional success, and we are thrilled that Miami student leaders were the first nationally to go through this student leader certification from the Constructive Dialogue Institute.”
Alcalde said that, as a next step, Miami’s newly certified student leader dialogue facilitators will organize with their student organizations to participate in Constructive Dialogue’s Perspectives online curriculum, which is free and accessible to all Miami students. This is part of OTIE’s comprehensive and coordinated approach to embed Constructive Dialogue across Miami. The initiative is also offered to Miami faculty and staff members.
CDI’s Student Leader Dialogue Facilitation Certification expands on current faculty and staff certification programs. As trained facilitators, student leaders will be instrumental in transforming potentially tense discussions into meaningful learning experiences.
“It was inspiring and exciting to see Miami students so engaged with each other and the material during the weekend retreat,” Alcalde said. “Their willingness to dive in, to dedicate their weekend to learning and practicing these skills together, and to lead difficult conversations is a testament to their leadership.”
While Miami served as the initial site for certification, CDI plans to expand the program to other institutions nationwide.
"I think students enjoyed themselves,” Ramirez said. “There was a good balance between students being challenged but also having resources to support their growth as facilitators. I am excited to see how we can engage these student leaders more on campus to embed Constructive Dialogue in our student organizations.”
The program was made possible with the support of two grants from the Ohio Department of Higher Education – “Dialogue Across Differences Leadership Initiative” and “Leveraging Dialogue to Strengthen Ohio’s Future Leaders.” OTIE’s campus partners included ASPIRE, Government Relations Network, Scholar Leaders, College Democrats, College Republicans, Pi Sigma Epsilon, the Janus Forum, the Honors College, and the Menard Family Center for Democracy.
A total of 33 students, represented from OTIE’s campus partners as well as from the College of Engineering and Computing, took part in a two-day retreat for the certification co-led by Jake Fay of CDI and Hiram Ramirez of OTIE.
"Co-facilitating with Jake from CDI was lots of fun,” said Ramirez, who serves as assistant vice president for inclusive excellence and strategic initiatives. “We didn't have much time to prepare due to the quick turnaround time, but we were able to pivot quickly and we worked well together onsite. We were able to take silent cues from each other, and I think the students enjoyed our different facilitation styles as they explored their own approaches during the certification program.”
Constructive Dialogue helps students navigate challenging conversations and gain confidence in their communication skills. More than 100 Miami students participated in last year’s Constructive Dialogue pilot program on campus, which helped prepare students to engage in productive discussions with people from different backgrounds.
Over 1,800 students completed a Constructive Dialogue program during the university wide launch this past fall semester.
“The certification retreat provided Miami student leaders with a unique opportunity to gain valuable skills to both model and facilitate dialogues across differences in perspectives,” said Cristina Alcalde, vice president for OTIE. “This is an increasingly valuable skill for personal and professional success, and we are thrilled that Miami student leaders were the first nationally to go through this student leader certification from the Constructive Dialogue Institute.”
Alcalde said that, as a next step, Miami’s newly certified student leader dialogue facilitators will organize with their student organizations to participate in Constructive Dialogue’s Perspectives online curriculum, which is free and accessible to all Miami students. This is part of OTIE’s comprehensive and coordinated approach to embed Constructive Dialogue across Miami. The initiative is also offered to Miami faculty and staff members.
CDI’s Student Leader Dialogue Facilitation Certification expands on current faculty and staff certification programs. As trained facilitators, student leaders will be instrumental in transforming potentially tense discussions into meaningful learning experiences.
“It was inspiring and exciting to see Miami students so engaged with each other and the material during the weekend retreat,” Alcalde said. “Their willingness to dive in, to dedicate their weekend to learning and practicing these skills together, and to lead difficult conversations is a testament to their leadership.”
While Miami served as the initial site for certification, CDI plans to expand the program to other institutions nationwide.
"I think students enjoyed themselves,” Ramirez said. “There was a good balance between students being challenged but also having resources to support their growth as facilitators. I am excited to see how we can engage these student leaders more on campus to embed Constructive Dialogue in our student organizations.”
Established in 1809, Miami University is located in Oxford, Ohio, with regional campuses in Hamilton and Middletown, a learning center in West Chester, and a European study center in Luxembourg. Interested in learning more about the Office of Transformational and Inclusive Excellence? Visit the website for more information.
