Dartmouth cultivates campus debate to boost reputation
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Dartmouth College in New Hampshire began a program called Dartmouth Dialogues to encourage students to discuss difficult topics and improved its standing as a campus that supports free speech.
In 2019, faculty and administrators noticed a decline in classroom discussion and began planning an initiative to address it. The program officially launched in 2024, offering dialogue training to incoming students and workshops for faculty and campus leaders.
Dartmouth Dialogues aims to equip students with the skills to engage respectfully with opposing viewpoints, rather than shutting down conversation. Faculty members like Jonathan Smolin noticed a shift in student behaviour, with more willingness to engage with challenging material, reversing a trend from the 2010s. The university hosted panels with speakers holding diverse perspectives, including discussions about the Middle East and U.S. foreign policy, and encouraged constructive dialogue even on deeply divisive issues.
The program has attracted financial support from alumni, raising at least $29 million, including a $25 million endowment. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression ranked Dartmouth 35th among 257 colleges for free speech in 2024, a significant rise from its 189th-place ranking two years prior. Dartmouth intends to expand the program with additional speakers and research into the neuroscience of difficult conversations.
