Purpose
“A willingness to address difficult societal issues with honesty, civility,
and practicality. We are a community that values respect, integrity, innovation,
openness, justice, and responsibility.” (University of Vermont, Strategic
Action Plan 2004).
In keeping with the core values of the University of Vermont the Intergroup
Dialogue Program (IDP) located in the Center for Student Ethics & Standards
is deeply committed to dialogue which leads to social change. The purpose of
the program is to enable its participants to develop comfort with and skill
for discourse on difficult topics toward the end of fostering positive, meaningful,
and sustained cross-group relationships as it relates to campus climate.
IDP Goals for students:
to reflect on one’s own identity and communicate it to others
to explore similarities and differences among and across groups
to be active participants in their own learning
to interact with diverse peers in a comfortable setting
to understand history of conflict or potential conflict between social
identity groups
to recognize, negotiate and learn from intergroup conflicts
to advance students' understanding of and respect for diversity and social
justice issues and to augment students' skills in responding to intergroup differences
and conflicts.
Intergroup Dialogue Program Approach
The IDP accomplishes its work thru campus programming, Dialogue Peer Facilitators
and web based discussions which are coordinated by one of the facilitators.
Each facet of the program supports the other through creating and fostering
spaces for dialogue about the myriad of ways each of us sees and experiences
the world around us.
Borrowing from models at the University of Michigan and Arizona State University
the Intergroup Dialogue Program at the University of Vermont will focus on
“intergroup” relations which is defined as the “interaction,
both positive and negative, that develops between groups of people. These dynamics
include ingroup bias, cooperation, identity development, friendships, conflict,
privilege, discrimination, stereotyping, prejudice, and other intergroup processes”
(GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES OF THE INTERGROUP RELATIONS CENTER, Arizona
State University).
Towards this end, one facet of the IDP is to have Intergroup Dialogue Peer
Facilitators whom may be graduate students, staff members and undergraduate
students who have completed some form of leadership or exhibit a strong interest
in facilitating social change. Each Peer Facilitator will be trained in facilitation
skills, program logistics, curriculum elements, and afforded helpful exercises
and resources.
