Executive Dean of Creativity and the Arts @ Shenandoah U | Finder of Mischief Makers | Community Builder | Author & Concert Artist
Helpful, but oversimplifies. In this latest dialogue about campus conflicts, the author focuses on promoting more conversation. While initiating dialogue is a positive step, it’s essential to recognize where it falls short and what the discussion here misses. First, the complexities of identity and historical injustices often go deeper than what dialogue alone can resolve. When students bring their whole selves—rooted in diverse, often painful histories—into these conversations, we need more than just a space to talk. We need mechanisms that genuinely address and do not inadvertently deepen these wounds. Secondly, universities themselves play a critical role. It’s not enough to encourage student-led initiatives without examining how institutional policies and practices either calm or fan these flames. Are universities truly neutral arenas, or are there embedded biases that need to be addressed? Moreover, external societal pressures significantly shape campus climates. Political rhetoric, social injustices, and economic inequalities that seep onto campuses can’t be untangled through dialogue alone. This broader context needs to be a central part of the conversation. Lastly, while promoting understanding across divides is noble, we must ensure these dialogues are safe and truly inclusive, especially for those from marginalized communities. Are we creating spaces where everyone can speak and be heard, or are we asking some to defend their very existence? Encouraging rich dialogue can be helpful, but let’s be clear about its limitations and the critical work still needed to make our campuses just and safe for everyone.
Opinion: How do we prevent the anger and outrage we're seeing at Columbia University? Author Manu Meel, a rising star in the nonprofit world, warns that this week's volatile clashes at the university are a taste of what's to come in the fall; within a month, the Israel-Hamas War will cross into its second year and the combustible presidential campaign will reach its conclusion. Philanthropy, he notes, has a window of opportunity to act proactively to help create a culture where hate and extremism don't thrive. Meel, not even four years out of college, leads BridgeUSA, through which he and other alumni of the University of California, Berkeley hope to build a student movement for pluralism in high schools and higher education. https://bit.ly/49PthVa #TheCommons
