Engaging Democracy: A Civil Discourse Experience in POL 290

In Dr. Liz Smith’s POL 290 course, students participated in a civil discourse experience with members of OLLI, where they delivered a 20-minute presentation highlighting what they had learned throughout the semester, centered around the course’s three primary guiding questions: 1) What is civility and why does it matter in a democracy? 2) Why do we disagree? Or, what are the origins of our incivility? 3) What are the tools and skills for civil discourse? 

Following their presentation to OLLI, the students took part in a deliberative discussion on immigration, using the National Issues Forum model. The conversation began with each participant sharing their personal connection to the topic—why it was important to them or how their own life experiences related to the issue. From there, the group explored different possible approaches to addressing immigration, weighing both the advantages and the potential drawbacks of each option.

Téa Adrian, a student enrolled in Dr. Smith’s class, reflected on her experience during the immigration deliberation with OLLI members, noting that “I was surprised at the similarities between their beliefs and those of my classmates. I had expected a harsher divide between our perspectives, but despite our age difference, we shared many common ideas. Their [OLLI members] personal stories reminded me that, although we often hear “immigration” and think of people coming from Latin American countries, many Americans—particularly older ones—have experiences with large waves of European immigration throughout American history.”

“It was a wonderful way for students to practice their skills of civil discourse with the OLLI participants. The deliberations were thoughtful, well-informed, and civil, lasting about an hour and a half… I think it was an especially fruitful event as we had the cross-generational perspectives being shared,” Dr. Smith mentioned. 

To close the experience, the students participated in a poll to assess which solutions or paths forward they believed were most important to pursue. The results revealed meaningful areas of common ground among the group.

“I walked away from the conversation feeling more educated about the immigration issue, more confident in my own beliefs, and more optimistic due to the common ground we reached as a relatively diverse group of people,” Adrian stated.

This experience captured the essence of the On Discourse Initiative, encouraging thoughtful conversations among individuals with diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Therefore, a valuable and engaging way to wrap up the academic year.