Miami University partners with the Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI) to launch the Student Leader Dialogue Facilitation Certification.
OXFORD, Ohio, March 6, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI) is proud to announce the successful completion of its inaugural Student Leader Dialogue Facilitation Certification program, held at Miami University last month. CDI developed the Student Leader Dialogue Facilitation Certification to provide structured support and training for student leaders who are at the center of many crucial campus conversations.
Miami University has been at the forefront of student-led discourse programs, having previously trained over 100 student leaders across various campus organizations in constructive dialogue. The new Certification effort builds upon this foundation and reinforces the university's vision of fostering a campus culture where every student has the skills to engage in meaningful conversations across divides. It also aligns with the university's goal of developing a "common language" for leadership through constructive dialogue. By creating a distributed network of peer facilitators, the university is deepening its commitment to student-centered leadership development.
"We were thrilled to partner with CDI to launch and pilot this innovative initiative," says Cristina Alcalde, Miami University's Vice President for Transformational and Inclusive Excellence. "As part of a student-centered university that supports students as leaders and their career readiness, the team in Miami's Office of Transformational and Inclusive Excellence (OTIE) approached this as an opportunity to leverage our expertise and collaborative leadership to better equip student leaders. Moving forward, we are excited to see how our student leaders use this certification to continue to innovate to expand opportunities for their peers."
The Student Leader Dialogue Facilitation Certification expands on CDI's existing faculty and staff certification programs. As trained facilitators, student leaders will be instrumental in transforming potentially tense discussions into meaningful learning experiences.
Reflecting on the significance of this initiative, Jake Fay, CDI's Director of Education says, "Students aren't just participants in difficult campus conversations; they're often the ones creating the space for them. By equipping student leaders with professional facilitation skills, we're addressing their immediate campus needs while preparing them for future career success."
CDI and Miami University see this Certification as a critical step toward strengthening a campus culture built on civic discourse and long-term leadership skills. CDI plans to expand this program to other institutions to improve discourse on campuses across the country.
For more information about the Student Leader Dialogue Facilitation Certification and CDI's broader efforts in constructive dialogue, visit CDI's website or contact Jake Fay ([email protected], 888-814-0006).
For more information about the constructive dialogue initiative at Miami University, visit the university's website or contact Alecia Lipton ([email protected], 513-284-0978).
About the Constructive Dialogue Institute:
The Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI) is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to equipping individuals and institutions with the tools to engage across differences and navigate complex conversations productively. Through research-backed programs and training, CDI works with colleges, universities, workplaces, and community organizations to foster environments that support constructive engagement and civic culture. For more information, visit ConstructiveDialogue.org
Media Contact:
Jake Fay
Director of Education
Constructive Dialogue Institute
About Miami University:
Established in 1809, Miami University is consistently ranked among the top 50 national public universities by U.S. News & World Report for providing students with an Ivy League-quality education at a public school price. Located in quintessential college town Oxford, Ohio—with regional campuses in Hamilton and Middletown, a learning center in West Chester, and a European study center in Luxembourg—Miami serves more than 21,600 undergraduates across 120 areas of study, and more than 2,500 graduate students through 70 master's and doctoral degree programs. At this comprehensive research university, students engage and conduct research with premiere teacher-scholars. Miami adds $2.3 billion each year to Ohio's economy through innovative partnerships and job creation. Miami is a NCAA Division I school, serving more than 500 student-athletes across 19 varsity sports. For more information, visit MiamiOH.edu.
Media Contact:
Alecia Lipton
Miami University
Media Contact
Jake Fay, Constructive Dialogue Institute, 1 888-814-0006, [email protected], https://constructivedialogue.org/leadership-institute-details/
Alecia Lipton, Miami University, 1 513-284-0978, [email protected], https://miamioh.edu/
SOURCE Constructive Dialogue Institute
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