How Augustana University is encouraging 'curiosity, courage and civility' at election time

Augustana University is encouraging students, staff and the community to “cultivate curiosity, exhibit courage and practice civility during a polarizing season in America” as the 2024 election nears Nov. 5.

AU is doing that through a series of events, roundtable discussions with student leaders on campus and a colloquium leading up to and following the election that it hopes will encourage people to “celebrate their freedoms and responsibilities as citizens, tend to their mental health and better manage conflict during tense times,” allowing them to talk about politics and take breaks from it.

The university is also encouraging students and staff to sign a pledge that states they will “maintain civility while engaging in dialogue with others.”

There will be a voter registration table throughout September and October in the Mikkelsen Library on campus. The League of Women Voters will be on campus 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Sept. 17 helping people register to vote.

AU President Stephanie Herseth Sandlin will host a roundtable discussion with a yet-to-be-named special guest about bipartisanship, cooperation and compromise at a time and place yet to be determined on Oct. 28. There will also be three faculty-led forums in October, dates yet to be determined.

The month’s events will culminate in the second annual two-day “Critical Inquiry & Citizenship Colloquium,” with a keynote presentation at 7 p.m. in the Elmen Center on Nov. 13.

AU Student Association president Annie Johnston said in a press release that it’s a meaningful initiative she hopes all students and the AU community engage in.

“Many of us tend to vent in stifling online echo chambers, but the Election 2024 initiative offers an alternative: engaging with those who hold opposing views, listening carefully and respectfully, and cultivating curiosity rather than arrogance in our beliefs,” Johnston said.

Other events listed on the AU website include:

• Sept. 19: A faculty workshop, “Teaching Past Polarization,” will focus on strategies and assignments that help students move beyond social and political polarization to understanding and problem-solving. In the Fryxell Humanities Center, Room 201, at 3 p.m.
• Sept. 26, Oct. 24 and Nov. 7 at 10 a.m. in the Back Alley at Morrison Commons, there will be “Election Coffee & Conversation,” “an opportunity to have civil conversation during tense times.”
• At 10 a.m. each Tuesday in October and November in the Wagoner Hall Meditation Room there will be meditation and mindfulness sessions, “an opportunity to spend time in a quiet, contemplative space to help nurture and sustain you during the election season.”
• Oct. 7-11 will be “Choosing Civility Week” on campus, with opportunities throughout the week to exchange views.
• Oct. 21-25 is when AU will observe National Media Literacy Week and remind the community to support local and national journalism. “Being a subscriber helps organizations support investigative and ongoing reporting that allows for higher-quality news,” the AU website states .
• Campus green strolls will be held 10 a.m. Oct. 22 and Oct. 29 at the Morrison Commons patio as an opportunity to “release stress (and) tend to your physical self while taking in the presence of community and nature.”

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: How Augustana University is encouraging 'curiosity, courage and civility' at election time