UW–Madison Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin announced a new initiative called the Wisconsin Exchange: Pluralism in Practice, to strengthen civil dialogue across the university.
“Learning happens best when people with different beliefs, experiences and backgrounds come together and when we, as a campus, create opportunities for people to share their perspectives and listen to, understand, grow and collaborate through meaningful dialogue across their differences,” chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin said in a statement.
“The Wisconsin Exchange brings these goals to life — uniting existing efforts and exploring new approaches that turn civil dialogue into a part of everyday life on campus.”
The Wisconsin Exchange comes at a time when national surveys show that Americans are polarized and friendships across political parties are rare. On campuses around the country, nearly half of students surveyed say they would not “dorm across the aisle,” or date someone who voted differently in the last presidential election.
A UW-Madison survey from 2023 found 43% of students believed speakers with offensive views should, at least in some circumstances, be disinvited from campus. Most students also reported that the diverse viewpoints were essential to their education.
The Wisconsin Exchange will continue to expand over the next several years through the Exchange in Action collaborative, where the steering committee will discuss challenges and solutions to civil dialogue. A speaker series will also launch in the spring with speakers like Greg Lukianoff, CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, and a new postdoctoral fellowship program set to launch in fall 2026 will support scholars working to engage pluralism across disciplines like social sciences and public health.
The Wisconsin Exchange will collaborate with Citizens & Scholars to allow UW–Madison students to pilot a new AI-powered civil discourse tool that helps users rehearse real-world conversations and receive real-time feedback.
And in the spring, UW–Madison will work with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute’s Center for Civility and Democracy to host a Common Ground Forum, featuring a conversation on bipartisanship.
“Our students come to campus with energy and conviction,” interim provost John Zumbrunnen said in a statement. “But many arrive having had few chances to interact with people who don’t share their background or views. Our task is to help them build skills and then give them opportunities to grow into the thoughtful leaders and citizens our democracy, and our world, needs.”
