Top 5 Civility Initiative Events Happening This Spring
This spring, the College of Charleston’s Civility Initiative is hosting a series of events that bring leading voices to campus to explore how we can engage with respect and understanding.
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This spring, the College of Charleston’s Civility Initiative is hosting a series of events that bring leading voices to campus to explore how we can engage with respect and understanding. From pandemic politics and lessons learned to practical strategies for overcoming polarization, these sessions offer insights and tools for navigating today’s most pressing challenges.
Whether you want to deepen your perspective on free speech or learn how to find common ground, these programs are designed to spark meaningful dialogue and strengthen our shared commitment to civility.
Pandemic Politics: Lessons We Didn’t Learn and Why That Matters
Jan. 21, 2026, 1-2 p.m.
Tate Center, Room 202
Frances Lee, professor of Politics and Public Affairs at Princeton University will lead a discussion on her recent book In Covid’s Wake: How Our Politics Failed Us.
What did COVID reveal about how America really governs in a crisis? Lee examines how emergency decision-making, partisan incentives and institutional breakdowns shaped the nation’s pandemic response in her book. Moving beyond hindsight blame, Lee asks a harder question: Why did so many well-intentioned policies fail to adapt as evidence changed?
Interactive Workshop on Finding Common Ground
Feb. 4, 2026, 12-1 p.m.
Tate Center, Room 202
Lara Schwartz, senior professorial lecturer at American University and author of Try to Love the Questions, will lead this interactive workshop on skill-building around finding common ground, overcoming difference, conflict de-escalation and managing difficult conversations. This is a great opportunity to gain insights and enhance your skills in navigating meaningful conversations.
Terms of Respect: How Colleges Get Free Speech Right
Feb. 17, 2026, 3-4:15 p.m.
Wells Fargo Auditorium
Christopher L. Eisgruber, constitutional scholar and Princeton University president, will lead a discussion on his recent book, Terms of Respect: How Colleges Get Free Speech Right.
Eisgruber defends free speech on college campuses and discusses how universities can foster civil discourse amid societal polarization. Colleges are teaching today’s students how to navigate the balance between free expression and mutual respect.
The Art of Disagreement: Rebuilding Trust Through Debate
March 18, 3:30-5 p.m.
Robert Scott Smalls, 235 Auditorium
Join us for a Q&A moderated by Michael Lee, director of the Civility Initiative, and featuring Sam Tanenhaus, former editor of The New York Times Book Review and author of Buckley: The Life and the Revolution that Changed America, and Randy Boyagoda, a novelist whose books include Dante’s Indiana and Original Prin. The authors will expand on the roles of debate and civic dialogue in a polarized world.
“Life, Liberty… and Then What?” 250 Years of Debates about the Declaration of Independence
April 8, 12-1:15 p.m.
Robert Scott Smalls, 235 Auditorium
“Life, Liberty… and Then What?” marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence by exploring its role as both a founding document and an ongoing source of debate. Moderated by Michael Lee, director of the College of Charleston Civility Initiative, the panel features scholars Mary Stuckey of Penn State and Brandon Inabinet of Furman University, who examine how generations of Americans have interpreted, challenged and reclaimed the Declaration as well as why it continues to unite and divide the nation.
