Sponsor annual debate on topic of political and social import
The ideal of an inclusive community is not one where everyone agrees with one another, but rather one where people have the skills to disagree with each other constructively and respectfully. Such skills are the hallmark of a liberal arts education. To exemplify their importance to our community, Dartmouth will sponsor an annual debate on a topic of political and/or social import. The debate will feature experts who bring a broad range of perspectives to the issue. Nominations for each year's topic will be solicited from faculty, staff, and students.
With encouragement from the Office of the President, several programming centers at Dartmouth have undertaken to host events on topics of social and political import in a debate format. In Spring 2019 alone there have been three such debates. Two have been co-hosted by the Political Economy Project and the Rockefeller Center for Public Policy, one on the question of "Is Capitalism Rigged?" and the other on "Has Liberalism Failed? An Exchange" held April 16 and April 23, respectively. On May 7, the Dickey Center for International Understanding hosted "America's Role in the World: A Debate" in conjunction with the Brookings Institution and Charles Koch Institute.
The Office of the President will continue to encourage and promote debates that meet the aims of inclusive excellence of fostering respectful dialogue across difference. Inquiries may be directed to: inclusive@dartmouth.edu.