The Dialogue Facilitation Lab is a professional learning experience for faculty, staff and graduate employees looking to grow as a dialogue facilitator and integrate dialogue practices in their professional responsibilities related to teaching, research, leadership, or service.  

Program Structure

The Dialogue Facilitation Lab is a cohort-based applied learning experience.

  • Each cohort consists of 12-16 participants that include perspectives from diverse roles and disciplines.
  • The program consists of a brief asynchronous orientation followed by 11 weekly 2-hour zoom sessions.
  • During weekly sessions, participants will have the opportunity to practice dialogue facilitation skills and receive feedback from their peers.

Program Goals

The Dialogue Facilitation Lab aims to: 

  • Raise confidence and capacity of faculty, staff, and graduate employees to facilitate dialogue on topics that are intellectually and emotionally complex.
  • Dynamically train facilitators to support strategic diversity efforts and respond to emerging community needs.
  • Increase the occurrence of dialogue in teaching, research, leadership, and service contexts.

Participant Outcomes

The Dialogue Facilitation Lab is designed to develop participants ability to:

  • Create space for different perspectives on a contentious topic.  
  • Stimulate complex thinking on a contentious topic. 
  • Foster connection among polarized dialogue participants. 
  • Demonstrate patience and understanding. 
  • Model courage and vulnerability.  
  • Affirm diverse points of view. 
  • Establish confidence and credibility with dialogue participants.  
  • Develop illustrative and relevant examples. 
  • Address participant questions effectively. 

Application

Applications are currently closed.

The Dialogue Facilitation Lab is held twice each year during the winter and spring terms.

  • Upcoming cohorts:
    • Summer 2024: Tuesdays, 2 to 4 p.m., June 25 - August 3
    • Winter 2025: Wednesdays 2 to 4 p.m., January 8 - March 19
    • Summer 2025: Wednesdays 2 to 4 p.m., June 25 - September 3