Civility Initiative

The Civility Initiative promotes dialogue across differences. We host speakers, convene panels, and sponsor workshops about communal engagement and healthy disagreement.

It is no secret that people are not getting along. We are living in a world where the loudest voices often drown out differing points of view and make productive debate difficult. 

The Civility Initiative at the College of Charleston was created to foster real change. The initiative highlights the value of mutual respect when sharing opposing ideas and how conversations can help to bridge political divides.

We Work in Two Areas

Fight:    Polarization  |  Bigotry  |  Violence  |  Rage  |  Cancellation

Flight:   Withdrawal  |  Isolation  |  Silence  |  Loneliness/Echo chambers

The Civility Initiative at the College of Charleston was created to foster real change; it's about fostering connections across all lines of difference, political and otherwise. The initiative highlights the value of mutual respect when sharing opposing ideas and how conversations can help to bridge political divides. If you would like to join our efforts, please consider a gift to support the initiative's vital work.

Unique Opportunity:
Free Expression Student Fellows

The Free Expression Student Fellows program empowers high-impact student leaders to serve as campus ambassadors for open inquiry, equipping them with advanced skills in conflict transformation, dialogue, and debate. These Fellows hope for a campus and a wider culture based on humility, curiosity, and connection.

Workshops and Trainings

• Civility in the classroom
• How to debate
• How to have a difficult conversation
• How to be persuasive/ tell a good story
• What is healthy conflict?
• Hearing, listening, and empathy
• Media literacy

Programming

View the fall 2026 calendar of events for the Civility Initiative: https://calendar.charleston.edu/department/the_civility_initiative.Read below to discover the initiative's programming over the years:

• Sensational News, Examined
• Democracy, Free Speech, and Civility: How Should We Live Together?
• Healthy Conflict in Personal Relationships
• Christian Nationalism & Democratic Crisis
• How Divided Are We?
• Trustworthy film, Q&A with documentary producer
• Creating Safe Environments: A Public Health Discussion
• Banned Together documentary and Q&A
• Undivide Us documentary and Q&A
• Panel Discussion: Spot BS like a Scientist
• The Authenticity Industries Discussion
• An Evening with Journalist Carl Bernstein
• American Conspiracy Theories Discussion
• The U.S./Mexico Border: Perception vs. Reality
• Building Bridges Across Time and Race
• Finding Common Ground in a Divided World
• Attention Wars: Winning Against Distraction
• Congress to Campus: Bipartisanship Ideals