Campuses are dealing with tensions from the Middle East and election-related conflicts. This session builds on a Campus Compact Community of Practice group that examined these issues. We asked questions and explored answers related to stakeholder roles; messages conveyed to campus and community; bridge building practices; the threshold for determining appropriate actions to support free speech while ensuring safety, and more. The bottom line was the common goal of moving toward constructive conversations in higher education settings, which can only happen if the “expert model” of higher ed is turned upside-down, moving toward co-created learning opportunities by prioritizing collective voice through dialogue, deliberation, and other civic and community engaged learning opportunities. Participants will explore topics and resources through interactive activities.