The Edge: Colleges should model — and teach — a commitment to pluralism

In this “molten moment” on campuses, the founder of Interfaith America urges colleges to prepare students to be leaders in our diverse democracy. ADVERTISEMENT [The Edge Logo]( You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. Or, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, [unsubscribe](. Hello and Happy New Year. I’m Goldie Blumenstyk, a senior writer at The Chronicle covering innovation in and around higher ed. This week I report on an interfaith leader’s proposal to remake the DEI movement to better reflect the needs of our pluralistic democracy. I also share an update on a project that maps colleges’ proximity to transit, and I highlight your favorite newsletter topics from last year. Also, see below for details on applying to be a contestant at our Shark Tank: Edu Edition in March at SXSW EDU. ADVERTISEMENT SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to essential news, analysis, and advice. Teaching skills for living in a diverse democracy I’m kicking off 2024 with some thoughts on recent testimony to the U.S. Congress concerning antisemitism on campus. No, not [that testimony]( by three college presidents. My focus is on some far-less-publicized but potentially more productive testimony, [submitted by Eboo Patel]( the founder and president of Interfaith America. Patel says that the best way for colleges to respond to the divisions on their campuses — and in society — is to model a commitment to pluralism and then ensure that students are taught the skills to live and work in our diverse nation. “There should be a class at every university called ‘How to Build a Diverse Democracy,’’’ Patel told me when we caught up by phone last month. And, he added, “Universities should make a promise to the public: ‘In a deeply polarized country, our graduates can bridge divides.’” That’s a big ask, and an even bigger promise to deliver on. But it’s those kinds of big, openhearted ideas that first drew me to Patel’s work more than 10 years ago, when I spent time [learning about him and his organization]( formerly called Interfaith Youth Core. And of course Patel has been a frequent contributor to The Chronicle, including this most-recent piece that [laments the obsession with “power, privilege, and oppression”]( in the movement to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. In his testimony and in our conversation, Patel doubled down on this critique, noting that while there’s value in calling out the impact of systemic oppression, there are too many important things that such a paradigm doesn’t explain. For one, as Patel noted, in its current configurations, DEI efforts typically exclude attention to religion and religious discrimination. Often, it doesn’t acknowledge antisemitism. Most diversity work “is inadequate to the challenge of the day,” he told me. A focus on pluralism, however, offers a wider lens, and a more relevant response to this “molten moment” for colleges. It’s also a natural for Interfaith America, Patel said, noting that some of the earliest American writings on pluralism focused on religious freedom. But what does it mean to teach the skills of living in a pluralistic democracy? For one, as Patel notes in his testimony, it could involve drawing on a formidable and growing canon that includes historic writings on the dangers of factionalism by James Madison and modern-day books like [Talking to Strangers]( by Danielle Allen (whose other work on repairing American democracy I’ve described in a [past newsletter](. It could also involve classroom exercises like making a presentation to a room full of people who voted differently, or teaching students how to listen to people with whom they disagree, with an intentional focus on acknowledging and then bridging differences. If you’re attending the annual meeting of the American Association of Colleges and Universities in D.C. later this month, you’ll likely hear a more expansive version of this idea in [Patel’s plenary speech.]( (Allen will be speaking there too, in an earlier session, plus she’ll be part of a panel discussion that includes my colleague Len Gutkin.) Realistically, I don’t expect colleges to create Patel’s proposed course tomorrow — if ever. But I’d love to see more institutions consciously take up this mantle in some form. Patel’s testimony highlights a few that already have. As he wrote, “it’s a start but hardly enough.” And to be clear, Patel isn’t jumping aboard the “dismantle DEI” train, and neither am I. But it’s time to reframe the conversation. In fact, considering the intensifying attacks on DEI work, there’s a growing urgency for that reframing. Last Shabbat, I was reminded by my rabbi’s sermon that the United States is one of the few truly pluralistic democratic nations in the world, and certainly the sole superpower with that multicultural population and political tradition. As a nation, we have a special obligation to ensure both continue to flourish. The alternative would be disastrous. And I think Patel is spot on in calling on higher ed to step up to this challenge of promoting pluralism. “Campuses need to model this,” he told me. “Universities are spaces of formation,” he said. Students come to them to learn things. People will continue to have “divergent identities and different ideologies,” Patel noted, but the trick is to teach skills that allow “cooperation across differences.” An effort that maps colleges’ proximity to transit gets a new home Two years ago, I described a project that was highlighting colleges’ accessibility — or all too often, their inaccessibility — to public transit. That mapping effort, which initially focused only on community and technical colleges, has since expanded to include Head Start sites. Now the project, the Civic Mapping Initiative, has been [acquired by the National League of Cities](. The former director of that project will move to the league to continue the work there. Your favorite newsletter topics from last year I love looking at stats to see which topics resonated most with you. Usually over the course of a year, it’s an eclectic mix. In 2023, one area clearly stood out: credentials. Four newsletters covering new approaches to credentials were among your top 10, including one about [a promising alternative-credential program that bit the dust](. The other three dug into the new [Credential As You Go movement]( the big [push into alt-credentials by the University of Texas]( and [a primer on microcredentials](. Another newsletter [on the impact of artificial intelligence]( which also included an item on ways of measuring the value of credentials, was also in the top 10. This year’s list of most-read newsletters — developed by my colleague Andrew Otis — was based on two calculations, the emails with the highest open rates and the online versions of the newsletter with the most minutes of reader engagement. Several of your favorites from 2023 were also some of mine, including [this dispatch]( from the University of California at Irvine on how it’s using data to measure learning, a check-in with [the wonk turned president at Adams State University]( and my profile of [the fits and starts of Calbright College](. One of the joys of doing this newsletter in 2023 was the chance to get back to conferences and campuses in person — not just UC-Irvine but also [Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colo.,]( and [several community colleges in Maine.]( I hope to continue that trend in 2024, starting in March with a trip to Austin, Tex. Which reminds me: Are you thinking about attending SXSW EDU? Got an idea or a venture you’d like to pitch at The Chronicle’s “Shark Tank: Edu Edition” there on March 5? Please see [my previous newsletter]( for more details. Or just use [this form]( to submit your proposed pitch for consideration. This year, all contestants will receive free registration to the full SXSW EDU. Got a tip you’d like to share or a question you’d like me to answer? Let me know, at goldie@chronicle.com. If you have been forwarded this newsletter and would like to see past issues, [find them here](. To receive your own copy, free, register [here](. If you want to follow me on the site formerly known as Twitter, [@GoldieStandard]( is my handle. Or find me on BlueSky Social, which I just joined with [the same handle](. NEWSLETTER [Sign Up for the Teaching Newsletter]( Find insights to improve teaching and learning across your campus. Delivered on Thursdays. To read this newsletter as soon as it sends, [sign up]( to receive it in your email inbox. Goldie's Picks ROUNDUP [A Chancellor Is Fired for Porn Videos, 2 More Colleges Under Investigation, and Other News From the Break]( [STORY IMAGE]( The top story comes from the University of Wisconsin system, which fired the longtime leader of its La Crosse campus. The now-former chancellor says his free-speech rights were violated. 'A FIVE-ALARM FIRE' [Can Colleges Protect Jewish Students?]( By Katherine Mangan and Maggie Hicks [STORY IMAGE]( Administrators, advocates, and students are at odds over how to define and effectively fight antisemitism. LOOKING AHEAD [5 Data Points to Watch in 2024]( By Audrey Williams June [STORY IMAGE]( Some of the biggest higher-ed issues from 2023 will continue to cast a shadow. JOB OPPORTUNITIES [New administrative job openings]( [Search all Administrative job openings]( on The Chronicle's job board and [create job alerts]( so you never miss new opportunities. ADVERTISEMENT FROM THE CHRONICLE STORE [Fostering Students' Free Expression - Buy Now]( [Fostering Students' Free Expression]( Many colleges are trying to expose students to views and ideas that challenge their own thinking. [Order your copy]( to explore how professors and administrators are cultivating environments that encourage discussion of difficult topics — in the classroom and beyond. NEWSLETTER FEEDBACK [Please let us know what you thought of today's newsletter in this three-question survey](. This newsletter was sent to {EMAIL}. [Read this newsletter on the web](. 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