Session 103: Beyond the Echo Chamber: Navigating Polarization in Campus Discourse

Time: 9:30 AM – 10:45 AM

Location: Main campus location to be published here on January 5

Presenters: Marylin Rodriguez (Deputy Director of Training and Partnership Development, SPA | PERIL Institute) & Kristen Wall (Curriculum and Training Manager, SPA | PERIL Institute)

Session Description: 

Campus polarization can increase student self-censorship and disengagement from contentious conversations. This interactive workshop, based on PERIL’s evidence-based guide “Building Resilient & Inclusive Communities of Knowledge”, equips participants with strategies to create spaces where students engage authentically across ideological differences. Participants will explore concrete tools for designing classroom activities, campus programming, and institutional frameworks that strengthen civic pluralism.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Identify online dynamics and campus climate factors that amplify polarization and self-censorship in educational settings
2. Apply facilitation techniques to navigate contentious conversations while maintaining psychological safety and intellectual rigor
3. Design classroom activities and campus programs that promote constructive engagement across ideological differences