Listening Across Differences: Practicing constructive dialogue on campus

At the University of Utah, education goes beyond the traditional academic setting. College is also about being exposed to different views—sometimes familiar, sometimes deeper, and more challenging. To fully discover their passions, people, and purposes, students need to learn how to engage with differing viewpoints in ways that build understanding and community. That’s where the Campus Dialogue Program comes in.

Through the Campus Dialogue Program, housed in the Bennion Center, students explore constructive dialogue through programming and tools that strengthen their ability to listen with curiosity, engage with respect, and build meaningful community—even when perspectives clash.

These opportunities include:

• Perspectives: An interactive online course tool from the Constructive Dialogue Institute that trains and equips students to facilitate tough conversations.
• Brave Conversations: A co-hosted series with the Bennion Center and Student Leadership & Involvement, where trained student leaders guide dialogue on charged topics over a shared meal.

Why it matters: Constructive dialogue is more than conversation—it’s a core life skill. By participating in these programs, students are:

• Fostering resilience, empathy, and mutual respect, even in divisive climates.
• Practicing communication across differences in safe and supportive environments.
• Gaining skills that prepare them for future workplaces, communities, and civic life.

These skills are especially valuable for students who engage in student activism. Activism often grows from deeply held beliefs and the desire to create change. Constructive dialogue helps student activists channel that passion in ways that are heard, respected, and impactful—teaching them how to advocate while still holding space for differing perspectives. This not only strengthens their causes but also models healthier ways for communities to wrestle with complex issues.

“Constructive dialogue is a way of engaging with people whose perspectives differ from your own,” said Josh Shulruff, campus dialogue program manager. “We need to debate ideas and challenge our convictions—but only in a community willing to listen. Constructive dialogue doesn’t erase conflict, but it makes healthy conflict possible.”

The bottom line: Conflict on campus isn’t going away—and that’s not the goal. The goal is to prepare students to approach conflict with tools that make questioning, debating, and disagreeing a healthier part of learning. Constructive dialogue ensures that while ideas may clash, people remain connected as partners in a shared community