How Insight Debate & Dialogue Can Help
We Improve Educational Experiences and Outcomes
New Student Orientation
Like other observers, we have noted that the single most important moment in setting new campus norms is right when the students first set foot on campus. Within the first 3-5 days, they will assess “how things are done” in their new community. We offer soup-to-nuts support in designing, planning, and executing new student orientation that signals to students that their new campus is a place where the free exchange of ideas is not just an idea, but a reality.
EXAMPLE
University of Denver,
2024 New Student Orientation
Insight Trainings
We offer a suite of trainings tailored to students, faculty, and staff, respectively, to address challenges and to help them build a culture of rigorous, authentic dialogue. Some trainings are custom designed for a particular institution; others apply across institutional types and levels.
EXAMPLE
How to Counteract Speech,
Student Affairs Staff and Student Leaders at the University of Pittsburgh
Facilitator Training and Certification
True institutional change must occur at scale and over time. To accomplish this we embed the needed attitudes and abilities in faculty, staff, and student leaders who transmit these across campus and to incoming classes. Following the launch year we remain in contact for assistance and support in subsequent years.
EXAMPLE
Vanderbilt University,
Debate Chair Boot Camp
Strategy Consultation
We work with university leadership to help them craft an approach to transforming their campus culture into one that encourages open, rigorous thought and effective dialogue.
We have helped several leading universities begin to transform their campuses from adversarial and silencing environments into ones open to diverse perspectives, thereby exhibiting the highest ideals of liberal arts education.
EXAMPLE
Vanderbilt University,
Chancellor’s Office
Evaluations
We provide robust evaluations suitable to any program you implement. Program success and support rely on effective ongoing assessment. Insight has developed a sophisticated yet convenient suite of assessment tools that allow for intra-institutional evaluation and improvement as well as inter-institutional benchmarking and best practices development.
EXAMPLE
University of Denver,
Debate Across the Curriculum
Implementation Consultation
We work with the university members who “get their hands dirty” with the actual execution of the work. (Yes, we will help you figure out venues, advertising, and who should order the pizza!) We enjoy getting in the weeds with you to figure out exactly what should happen when and how to maximize your impact.
EXAMPLE
Vanderbilt University,
Civil Discourse Lab
Insight Debates
We work directly with students to craft debate topics that reflect their first-hand experience and current interests. The topics can range from national political debates to hot-button local issues to university policies, but the priority is to encourage engagement and ownership on the part of the students. The debates provide students an opportunity to speak their minds and listen to others, often more powerfully than they have thus far in their collegiate experience.
EXAMPLE
The College Preparatory School,
AI Debate
Insight Dialogues
We work directly with students to craft thoughtful questions that can shape a conversation that is less formal than a debate but structured to support effective exchange. The dialogues provide students an opportunity to explore a difficult topic in a way that enables them to share complex opinions and personal experiences.
EXAMPLE
Vanderbilt University,
Post-Election Dialogue on the Future of the Nation
Real-life results
Faculty & Students enthusiastically embrace our program
“The Inside Debate session with Dialogue Vanderbilt Civil Discourse Lab was beneficial in encouraging my students to voice their opinions and participate actively. The facilitation strategies used during the session taught students to differentiate between people and their positions, enabling them to maintain a more neutral perspective when listening to and engaging with diverse viewpoints. As a result, I observed increased student participation compared to a typical class discussion on a Monday morning. I also noticed that even for students who did not participate as a speaker, they were also willing to share what they learned during the debriefing.”
Rong Wang, Ph.D.
Vanderbilt Assistant Professor, Department of Human and Organizational Development
“I found chairing an insight debate to be a deeply insightful experience. Being a chair challenged me to simply sit and listen, rather than plan what I would say during my speech. I particularly enjoyed seeing the energy and passion of the group grow throughout our discussion, and I appreciated being able to use the reflection section to improve my chairing abilities. Overall, being a chair is an incredibly fun experience that I would highly recommend to people of all viewpoints, ages, and levels of experience with dialogue!”
Jason Vandos
Vanderbilt Student, Insight Debate Chair
