MSU Dialogues

MSU Dialogues is an innovative series that provides a safe space for meaningful conversations about commonalities and differences.

Participating in MSU Dialogues prepares you to live, work and lead in a complex society. Here are a few key benefits:

• Enhanced communication skills: Learn to engage in difficult conversations with empathy and understanding.
• Greater cultural competence: Develop the skills needed to navigate and appreciate diverse environments.
• Leadership development: Equip yourself with the knowledge and tools to lead.

Cohort Groups

Undergraduates

MSU Dialogues is available as a 1-credit course under UGS 210: Big Ideas Seminar every spring and fall semester. This course offers students the chance to enhance their professional development and skill set around inclusive and productive dialogue.

Learn more

Customized experiences

If you would like to schedule a Dialogues cohort for your group, please email Patti Stewart (ps@msu.edu) to discuss your plan.

Graduate students

There are no MSU Dialogues cohorts scheduled for graduate students currently. Please check back for updates when new cohorts are announced.

Employees

There are no MSU Dialogues cohorts scheduled for staff and faculty currently. Please check back for updates when new cohorts are announced.

 

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Why participate in MSU Dialogues?

Past participants say...

"We each have our truths, which inform how we navigate the world, but those are not the only true experiences. Dialogues allows for the opportunity to find shared language for those truths and space to get to uncover some of the uncomfortable realities that come with them." —MSU Dialogues Graduate Intern

“Intercultural dialogue made me aware of huge gaps in my knowledge that I had as a result of growing up in a very segregated community. It not only taught me so much about myself and where I fit into society but also what I can do to help change society for the better.” —MSU Dialogues facilitator

“MSU Dialogues changed my life.” —MSU Dialogues participant

“We rarely take time for reflection of our own identity, biases, and/or ways to improve. If anything, this gives you the brave space to do this, confront them, and begin to grow. As a business student, understanding privilege, bias, and how you can interrupt them will be a critical way to make changes within the business world. This could span from breaking down bias and/or improving recruitment and development opportunities to include inclusion initiatives.” —MSU Dialogues participant

“In my experience as an African American woman, race is so often talked about that it gets tiring. However, being in a race dialogue is a special place. You get to know more about your own identity and also learn about the identities of your peers.” —MSU Dialogues facilitator

If you have any questions, email Patti Stewart at ps@msu.edu 

 

FAQs

• What are the benefits of participating in MSU Dialogues?
  • Build relationships across differences of race, gender, ethnicity, ability, class, nationality and additional identities
  • Develop life-long inclusive leadership skills to live and work in our diverse society
  • Learn about your own identities and the identities of your peers
  • Create positive change in our university and beyond!
  • Students: Put this experience on your My Spartan Story experience record
  • Faculty and staff: Strengthen your capacity to create inclusive, equitable learning environments inside and outside of the classroom
  • The research shows that Dialogues effectively meets our three primary goals:
    • Increasing personal awareness about identity
    • Building relationships across difference
    • Exploring ways of working together toward greater equity and justice
• Why do we need dialogues at MSU?

  Our society feels more divided now than in previous decades. MSU Dialogues allow you to:

  • Learn how to talk to people who have different ideas than you do
  • Develop diversity and inclusion skills that employers are looking for 
  • Develop the ability to listen generously, to challenge previously held assumptions, and to treat one another with dignity, especially when the topic is uncomfortable
• What are participants learning from MSU Dialogues?

  Participants say:

  "I have gained communication skills that allow me to talk about hard topics and interrupt bias as I hear it."

  "I realized how little interaction I have with people who are different from me. At the same time, I learned a lot about people are different from me. I also feel I am better able to discuss systems of privilege and oppression now."

  "This space provides a needed outlet for people of color and aspiring allies alike."

  "This is a transformative, self-reflective experience that helped me develop a greater sensitivity to the oppression that others may face due to their social identities."

   “As a person of color dialogue helped me learn how to be a better ally for others.  I honestly never thought about the work it takes to be a good ally.” 

• How can I support MSU Dialogues financially?

  Donations will go directly to training facilitators, materials to run dialogues, stipends for facilitators, and awards for participants: DONATE TO MSU DIALOGUES

  What your donation supports:

  • $10,000 - a faculty or staff dialogue for 20 people for a semester
  • $7,500 - an undergraduate or graduate student dialogue for a semester
  • $6,500 - a facilitated film series for a year
  • $5,000 - a facilitator training for one semester
  • $2,500 - a faculty facilitator for one semester
  • $1,000 - one facilitator's stipend
  • $ 500 - cost of one student to participate
  • $ 250 - training of one facilitator
  • $ 100 - materials for each facilitator
  • $ 25 - supplies for one participant for an entire dialogue semester
• Does MSU Dialogues facilitate workshops for groups on or off campus?

  Yes! Please fill out this registration form and we will be in touch shortly to schedule a time to meet with you and further discuss your group’s needs.