Dialogue Vanderbilt

Americans overwhelmingly feel that their political systems do not represent them, including compromise on abortion, and they are not confident the American political system accurately reflects their will, according to the latest quarterly Vanderbilt Unity Poll measuring Americans’ unity and beliefs on government and democracy. Read More

In just over a year, generative AI has emerged from a niche curiosity to a driving force in many of Vanderbilt’s classrooms. The Office of Faculty Affairs and Professional Education has launched several resources and programs related to generative AI, including an updated academic affairs policy, an online resource hub, a new teaching award and a pilot program for a secure, proprietary alternative to ChatGPT. These updates reflect AI becoming an established tool in classrooms and labs across the campus and give faculty ways to help equip students to best use generative AI for new lines of inquiry and scholarship.  Read More

The tournament, scheduled for Dec. 26 to Jan. 5, is recognized as the largest college debate competition in the world, attracting more than 400 teams from educational institutions across the globe. This is the third time Vanderbilt Debate will participate in face-to-face debates at the WUDC, having previously represented the university in 2019 in Bangkok, Thailand, and in 2022 in Madrid, Spain. The team’s participation underscores Vanderbilt’s commitment to fostering intellectual rigor and global engagement through the art of debate.  Read More

As part of Dialogue Vanderbilt, the debate team hosted an online event with the Rwandan National Debate Team on Nov. 29. Read More

Vanderbilt student Daniel Ardity earned a place on the U.S. Debate Team this year, an accomplishment that has allowed him to travel around the world while also continuing to hone his debate skills closer at home. Read More

Members of Vanderbilt Debate share how their participation on the team has contributed to a meaningful undergraduate experience. Read More

Launched this fall, the Open Dialogue Visiting Fellows program is a series to equip students for engaged and informed citizenship in a fractured world. The 12 student ambassadors will work closely with faculty and campus visitors to design programs for their peers, host visiting speakers and serve as representatives of the program to the Vanderbilt community. Read More

Thandeka Tutu-Gxashe and Rev. Naomi Nontombi Tutu, daughters of famed human right activist Desmond Tutu, will be on campus for 'Lunch & Learn: International Development and Global Peacemaking' to share their experiences and answer attendees’ questions about their work. The event will take place from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., and registration is open to all members of the Vanderbitl community. Read More

A feature program about The Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy will make its Nashville Public Television debut on Thursday, Nov. 16, at 8:30 p.m. CT and will be available afterward on the PBS app. Directly following the premiere, at 9:30 p.m., Vanderbilt professor John Geer and Unity Project co-chairs Bill Haslam and Samar Ali will discuss what they’ve learned in the two years since the project’s inception.  Read More

Faculty from across the institution participated in an inaugural faculty advocacy workshop to inform participants on how Vanderbilt currently advocates on behalf of the university and share best practices to help faculty members who want to advocate on topics of interest. Read More

The former U.S. ambassador to Panama will headline the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy’s latest Lunch & Learn covering the “State of Democracy in the Western Hemisphere” on Thursday afternoon.  Co-sponsored by the Program in American Studies and Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx… Read More

Vanderbilt celebrated its “bedrock principle” of free speech through a series of panels and discussions Oct. 10–17 during the university’s inaugural celebration of national Free Speech Week. Read More

A free screening of Trustworthy, a new documentary chronicling a 5,300-mile journey across America to explore citizens' search for common ground amidst growing media skepticism, will be co-hosted by the Vanderbilt Project on Unity & American Democracy on Tuesday, Oct. 24, at the Belcourt Theatre from 3 to 6 p.m. CT.   Read More

Vanderbilt faculty members Jad Abumrad, one of the pioneers of podcasting, and Jacob Mchangama, a leading expert on free speech, will take part in a thought-provoking discussion Nov. 2 as part of the Dialogue Vanderbilt initiative. “Freedom or Foolishness: Are Our Digital Lives Making Society Better or Worse?” is presented by the Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries and the Wild Bunch Lecture Fund. Read More

Vanderbilt Debate will host an open house, public debate and alumni reunion on Friday, Nov. 3. This event series is an opportunity to reflect on the history of debate at Vanderbilt, connect with alumni, explore the new debate space and hear about where Vanderbilt Debate is headed next. The event is open to the public, and attendance from past and present Vanderbilt Debate students is strongly encouraged.  Read More

Hosted by Chancellor Daniel Diermeier as part of the his Dialogue Vanderbilt initiative and Vanderbilt’s first-ever Free Speech Week, well-known journalist, editor and columnist Bret Stephens will join Samar Ali, research professor of political science and law, for a debate centered around the value of free expression, open debate and civil discourse through the lens of some of the most pressing issues we face today. There will be an audience Q&A at the end of the discussion. Read More

Vanderbilt University and the Freedom Forum will expand their longstanding relationship, and the John Seigenthaler Center on the university’s campus will serve as the physical home of the Dialogue Vanderbilt initiative—including The Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy, The Future of Free Speech Project and the Open Dialogue Visiting Fellows Program. Read More

Join Chancellor Daniel Diermeier, Provost C. Cybele Raver and other university leaders for a conversation about the university with opportunities to ask questions and gain a greater understanding of Vanderbilt's priorities, including the Dialogue Vanderbilt initiative. Read More

Hosted by Vanderbilt Chancellor Diermeier, Bret Stephens, a well-known journalist, editor and columnist will join Samar Ali, research professor of political science and law, for a discussion centered around the value of free expression, open debate and civil discourse through the lens of some of the most pressing issues we face today. Read More

Jenn Carlson will lead a discussion on the shifting role of guns on college campuses. Dr. Carlson is a 2022 MacArthur Fellow and an NRA-certified gun instructor as well as an ethnographer of gun carriers, trainers and advocates. Read More