About this Institute
The Scaling Discourse in Higher Education Summer Institute is a two-day, interactive convening designed to support colleges and universities in developing, strengthening, and scaling public discourse efforts across their campuses.
This institute is intended for both those newer to this work and those with existing initiatives seeking strategies to deepen and expand their impact. Participants may attend individually or as part of a team and will explore practical approaches for integrating discourse practices into teaching, curriculum, and broader campus initiatives.
Sessions will be facilitated by Campus Compact’s Scaling Discourse in Higher Education Project Fellows, who bring experience from a range of institutional contexts, including faculty, staff, and administrative roles.
Participants may register for Day 1 only or join for both Day 1 and Day 2 to engage in the full experience:
- Day 1 will focus on evidence-informed practices, reflective inquiry, and core frameworks for public discourse.
- Day 2 will offer more specialized sessions for institutions with existing discourse efforts, with an emphasis on deepening assessment and strengthening connections across curricular and co-curricular contexts.
Participants will leave with practical tools and strategies to advance public discourse on their campuses, as well as a network of peers for continued collaboration during the 2026-2027 academic year.
Who should attend?
This event is open to Campus Compact members and non-members.
This institute is designed for faculty, staff, and administrators at colleges and universities who are new to public discourse work and those with existing efforts looking to strengthen or scale their impact on campus.
Both individuals and small teams from a single institution are encouraged to attend.
Campus Compact members and Massachusetts Public Institutions may attend for free. Non-Campus Compact institutions may attend for $40 for one day or $65 for both days
If you are unsure whether or not you are a Campus Compact member, you can look it up here:
Campus Compact members and Massachusetts Public Institutions may attend for free. Non-Campus Compact institutions may attend for $40 for one day or $65 for both days
Everything you need to know about the Summer Institute:
Sara A. Mehltretter
Scholar in Residence, Public Discourse Strategy at Campus Compact and Associate Professor of Rhetoric at Wabash College
Allison Briscoe-Smith
Senior Fellow at the Greater Good Science Center
Nick Longo
Director of the Rutgers Democracy Lab at the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University-New Brunswick
Lisa-Marie Napoli
Director of Political and Civic Engagement (PACE) and Voices for Democracy and Constructive Conversations at Indiana University
Rachel Rains Winslow
Director of Faculty Development and Associate Professor of History and Politics at George Fox University
Attendees may park in Lot L or Lot K (denoted on the campus map below). Parking is free and no pass is required. The event will be held in the Student Center (Building 12 on the map). Two accessible parking spaces are available directly outside the building entrance.
The following meals will be provided during the event:
Day 1 - Monday, June 1st
- Breakfast 8:30-9:30 am
- Lunch 12:00-1:00 pm
- Afternoon Coffee/Tea/Snacks 3:15-3:45 pm
Day 2 - Tuesday, June 2nd
- Breakfast 8:30-9:30 am
- Morning Coffee/Tea/Snacks 11:00-11:30 am
- Lunch 12:15-1:15 pm
Monday, June 1, 2026
- 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM: Registration & Breakfast
- 9:30 AM – 10:00 AM: Welcome & Introductions
- 10:00 AM – 10:30 AM: What Do We Mean by Better Discourse?
- 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM: What’s Your Archetype?
- 11:00 AM – 11:15 AM: Break
- 11:15 AM – 12:00 PM: Archetypes Workshop
- Track 1: Facilitators
- Track 2: Builders
- Track 3: Scalers
- 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM: Lunch
- 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM: Gaining Insights About Archetypes
- 1:40 PM - 3:20 PM: Self-Selected Modules
- Participants will have a chance to attend two modules of their choice
- 3:20 PM - 3:30 PM: Break
- 3:30 PM - 4:OO PM: Resource Sharing & Closing Reflections
Tuesday, June 2, 2026
- 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM: Registration & Breakfast
- 9:30 AM – 9:45 AM: Check-In & Reconnection
- 9:45 AM – 11:15 AM: Self-Selected Deep Dive Module
- These modules will extend skill based learning in discourse and capacity for building and scaling discourse efforts.
- 11:15 AM – 11:30 AM: Break
- 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM: Extended Action Planning for Programs and Campuses
- 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM: Working Lunch
- 1:30 PM – 2:00 PM: Accountability Partnerships & Closing
Thank you to our sponsors:
Questions? Get in touch with Katrina Hall at khall@compact.org