Ospreys Talk - Deliberative Dialogue at Stockton
Constructive or deliberative dialogue is not new – but it may be a new skill for many of our students, and one we should all practice in our daily lives. In constructive or deliberative dialogue, we shift away from debate to discussion that centers on identifying common ground and shared values, and working together to find the best course of action.
Through Ospreys Talk, we are seeking to:
- Provide our campus community opportunities to build skills in communication and dialogue and improve how we interact with each other on campus, including in the classroom, the workplace, and our broader communities.
- Offer skills-based training and recognition for student leaders willing to train in deliberative or constructive dialogue.
- Support the university’s new strategic priorities, specifically to cultivate a community of care and empower student success.
Opportunities to be a part of Ospreys Talk:
Students can join our Ospreys Talk for Student Leaders cohort where they will meet three times during the semester to practice dialogue skills with their peers
Students can apply to join us this spring to develop skills in constructive dialogue and be recognized for successfully completing this program on your resume! This cohort is open to any new or experienced student leader seeking to build skills that are valued in the workplace, and in our community.
What is required? This program consists of six online modules (completed on your own time) and three required hour-long sessions for students to earn recognition for achieving proficiency in constructive dialogue skills. These valuable skills can be highlighted in a resume. Snacks will be provided.
Do you have to attend all three sessions? Yes! Only students able to attend all three sessions will be accepted.
Dates & Location
- Thursday February 5th, 4:30 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.
- Thursday March 26th, 4:30 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.
- Thursday April 16th, 4:30 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.
All sessions will take place in the Hughes Center Conference Room in L-212. Please bring your laptop to each workshop.
Faculty can integrate the Perspectives curriculum into their Spring 2026 courses.
Why should you consider teaching dialogue skills in your course? You may already teach dialogue skills, so for some, this will be a natural fit. If not, this may give you a vehicle through which to deliver content, or have students work through debates in the field, issues that you study, or anything else about your content that warrants discussion and where people typically struggle to hear each other.
In spring 2026, you can incorporate the Perspectives program, including six (6) online lessons, with three (3) in-person dialogue opportunities to practice new dialogue skills in the classroom. Each online module takes around 20 minutes to complete, and students can complete them in class or in advance. The dialogue practice sessions can take 20-30 minutes, though you can expand on them with additional class content.
Interested in learning more about how Ospreys Talk can be part of your spring 2026 course? Faculty can join virtual training sessions to learn about the program and gain access to materials they can use in class. We will give all faculty who attend full access to the Perspectives online program and instructor guide. We are available to help you roll out any portion of the dialogue program in your classroom.
Want to talk more about how to incorporate constructive dialogue in your class? Sign up for an office hours appointment with Claire Abernathy, Associate Professor of Political Science and Hughes Public Policy Center Assistant Director - Civic Engagement.
Join us at one of these virtual sessions to learn more:
Join us for Ospreys Talk at Work, a brown bag lunch series for faculty and staff. The format is similar to that for students, except the program is tailored to the workplace. You will learn and apply skills in dialogue, and gain practice with real-world workplace issues.
We ask you to commit to attend three hour-long sessions. Can you drop in for a single session? Yes, although we will ask you to catch up on the online modules, so you can fully participate.
Once you commit, please join us for all 3 sessions:
Dialogue training is not about turning everyone into a robot!
We are humans, and emotions matter just as much in our interactions as our thought process - let’s be real, emotions often matter the most. Our approach to dialogue incorporates emotional intelligence skills, acknowledging that emotions are often at the core of difficult conversations and more effective dialogue. To have more constructive dialogue and succeed with difficult conversations, we need to practice the dance of managing our own emotions while giving the emotions of ourselves and others enough space at the same time. How do we achieve that? Building skills in deliberative or constructive dialogue is a good start. Constructive dialogue isn’t a magical pathway to solve all our issues, but it can go a long way to help us work through challenges and better understand and respect each other. Which then creates more opportunities to collaborate and work together to achieve our goals – it's also just more fun to work with others when we can better manage our differences, problems, and issues.
