SDCN empowers students by helping them build stronger and more inclusive campus communities.  The SD process helps students to take ownership of the challenging task of improving strained relationships and transforming the climates on their campuses.  Through facilitated dialogue between diverse community members, students can create a safe space for others to take on the tough topics and improve relations among campus groups.  Ultimately, this helps student leaders and those around them to become change agents in increasingly diverse campus and global communities. 

What does an SD Program Look Like?

Consistent Dialogue Meetings
Students are asked to meet regularly and explore topics of their choice with individuals who they wouldn't have otherwise had any space to interact. These discussions are held frequently; some groups meet twice a month, others meet once a week.

Sustained Participation
Each SD group consists of 8-15 participants who are asked to repeatedly meet with each other. This group is most well-suited for SD when it is reflective of community diversity. We help campuses form as many groups as possible each year, engaging hundreds of students.

Run by Students
Two students, trained by SDCN, moderate each groups' dialogue meetings, not professors or outside facilitators.  SD student leaders organize the dialogues and the tasks surrounding creating an active student group on campus.

Purposeful Content
Dialogues focus on probing a particular subject that divides the community, especially those that are often ignored or seen as normal.  Each group of students works towards a collective action designed to engage others and address these problems in the larger campus community.

Student-created Events and Action
Dialogue participants and SD student leaders both organize events aimed at turning their dialogue content into useful changes in the university community. Some groups choose to make recommendations to administrators, some choose to hold well-publicized, awareness-building events, others choose to hold film screenings, forums, and town-hall meetings. The resulting action is created with the input of the diverse members of dialogue groups.