Wayne State University kicked off its inaugural Year of Focus on Thursday, Sept. 12, with an opening symposium centered around the theme "Dialogue and Discourse in Divisive Times." The event was the first in a yearlong conversation and exploration of constructive discourse and dialogue, aimed at deepening campus engagement and enhancing academic and extracurricular experiences.
The opening symposium featured a talk by legal scholar and professor John Inazu, author of Learning to Disagree: The Surprising Path to Navigating Differences with Empathy and Respect, a panel discussion and interactive participant engagement. A series of workshops, seminars and interactive events are planned throughout the academic year around the theme, and a host of external resources are available to further the conversation.
Year of Focus, which will be a recurring initiative, seeks to integrate various aspects of university life—academic, cultural and social—into a cohesive focus around a different timely theme each year. This year’s theme emphasizes the vital role of constructive discourse and dialogue on college campuses and higher education’s mission to promote critical thinking, foster understanding, and create space for diverse perspectives to be heard and respected. With the Year of Focus, Wayne State is embracing its responsibility to further discourse and dialogue, which is especially important during times of uncertainty, social unrest and ideological conflict.
“Our students learn, and our faculty and staff work, in very challenging times. The conversations are often polarizing and divisive, and they really discount the communalities that we all share that make our pluralistic campus so special. The Year of Focus is our way of trying to bring these together to the forefront to underscore and highlight our shared commitment to learning, listening, and considering information and perspectives held by others of different backgrounds than ourselves,” said President Kimberly Andrews Espy, Ph.D. “That's what distinguishes the educational experience here at Wayne State, where I oftentimes say students learn as much about themselves here as they do from each other.”
The Year of Focus initiative is led by the Division of Academic Affairs and co-chaired by Denise Taliaferro Baszile, Ph.D., College of Education dean, and Jonathan Weinberg, J.D., distinguished professor of law. University leaders believe that the initiative will not only enrich students' educational journeys but also strengthen the sense of belonging and support within the Wayne State community.
“We are a diverse community at Wayne State. It really is in this incredible, urban setting rooted in the heart of Detroit where diversity in viewpoints on any number of issues are certain to exist,” said Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Laurie Lauzon Clabo, Ph.D. “That is what we intend to explore through the Year of Focus. The enthusiasm around this initiative demonstrates the shared commitment to our vision of inclusive excellence at Wayne State and becoming the destination of choice for people from diverse cultural, social and educational backgrounds to study, to live and to work in a safe, inclusive, equitable and supportive environment.”
This year’s selected theme is intended to spark meaningful conversations on campus, while remaining true to the principles of intellectual curiosity, diversity of thought and the free exchange of ideas, which are highlighted in Wayne State’s resources and guidelines for expression and engagement on campus.