On March 5, Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Council of Trustees heard an update about IUP’s Center for Civil Discourse and Civic Life from codirectors Gwen Torges, Adam Jones, and Elise Glenn and from students Dominick Ditoro, Elizabeth Fox, and Monserrat Lopez Villagomez.
Torges is a professor of political science, Jones is dean of students, and Glenn is IUP’s chief diversity and inclusion officer and Title IX coordinator. Ditoro is a senior economics major from Pittsburgh, Fox is a senior political science-pre-law and economics major from Hilliards, and Lopez Villagomez is a senior political science and pre-law major from Kennett Square.
In January, IUP received $2,295,315 from the United States Department of Education to create the Center, which will serve as both a physical and intellectual headquarters for civil discourse innovation at IUP. The grant, which extends through December 2029, funds both the physical establishment of the Center, to be sited in current university facilities, and outreach activities.
“The ultimate goal of the project is to strengthen constructive engagement at IUP,” Torges told the Council.
Torges, who is the director of IUP’s Pre-Law program, led the development of the grant proposal. A Constitutional law scholar who was a key coordinator of IUP’s Free Speech project, she will provide oversight and leadership of the development of the project and provide scholarly subject matter expertise for all project activities.
“Disagreement is inherent in higher education; the issue is not conflict, it is how we manage it,” she said. “National trends show increasing polarization and declining trust, and institutions must equip students with dialogue skills,” Torges said.
The Center builds on established initiatives at IUP, including the Free Speech Project, Difficult Dialogues training, Constitution Day programming, Torges’s Civic Savvy course, and the Crimson Core Civic Readiness competency.
Students in the Civic Savvy course conducted structured peer interviews about the issue of civil discourse, Torges said, which helped to guide the goals of the Center: fair, moderated dialogue spaces; practical civic knowledge; accessible entry points; and the need for student leadership and co-creation.
The Center’s structure includes a partnership with the Constructive Dialogue Institute, faculty and staff training cohorts, creation of student dialogue fellows, and campus-wide programming.
Jones, who will work to advance the Civic Life project by embedding constructive dialogue practices into student services, community standards, and campus activities, discussed how the project will be integrated into student life, including training student leaders, collaborating with clubs and organizations, and connecting classroom learning to daily life dialogue. He presented a social change model, which involves group values, individual values, and societal values.
Glenn discussed her focus for the project, which is integrating constructive dialogue practices into campus processes for conflict resolution, bridging differences, and organizational effectiveness. She also talked about staff development for key partners, including the Care Team, Title IX, and the Community Response Team. Glenn focused on institutional capacity and conflict response, including a focus on restorative practices.
Part of the response practices will be alternative dispute resolution and skill development in conflict resolution, critical thinking and independent judgment, active listening, and leadership and advocacy, Glenn said.
The students, who were part of the Civic Savvy course, discussed the impact of the Civic Savvy class and the need for the Center.
“Before Civic Savvy, I really approached having civic conversations in the wrong way—it wasn’t respectful, it wasn’t empathetic,” Ditoro said. “Many of us aren’t taught in high school how to have these conversations effectively. It’s not because they lack intelligence; it’s because they have not been educated on how to have these conversations. This is what the Civic Savvy course did for me.
“What really stuck with me is when Dr. Torges brought up the idea of approaching things with empathy—this changed my outlook on conversations completely. I was beginning to understand why people care about what they do rather than trying to get them to stop doing what they do,” he said. “It has really impacted me in a way I never thought it would, it has changed the way that I approach conversations. I really think people my age need this type of development.”
“This class has been one of the most impactful experiences I have had at IUP, because it helped me build confidence in engaging in political conversations and encouraged me to step outside of my comfort zone,” Fox said. “The skills we developed, such as respectful civil discourse, collaboration, and thoughtful engagement, are ones I will carry with me long after college. I look forward to seeing how the Center for Civil Dialogue and Civic Life will benefit current and future IUP students. Thank you for supporting a space that empowers students not only to discuss civic engagement, but to actively shape it,” Fox said.
“One challenge that many students face when it comes to political conversations, there isn’t always a space where students feel comfortable having them,” Lopez Villagomez said.
“What feels missing on campus is a space where students know they can talk about civic issues without the fear of being judged or misunderstood, where conversation is encouraged instead of debate. In the Civic Savvy class, I strengthened my understanding of dialogue and the differences between dialogue, discussion, and debate,” Lopez Villagomez said. “A dedicated space for dialogue can give students a place where they know they can have these thoughtful conversations, learn from different perspectives, and practice communicating respectfully. Institutional support for dialogue and civic learning matters because universities are preparing students to enter a world where we need to navigate conflicts and civic conversations,” she said.
Courtney Leone, director of IUP’s School Psychology doctoral program, is the program evaluator.
“This initiative is student-centered, will be institutionally embedded, and sustainable,” Torges said. “It builds on IUP’s existing strengths, integrates across academic and cocurricular spaces, develops lifelong civic competencies, and is structured for sustainability beyond the grant,” she said.
Since its founding in 1875, IUP has evolved from a teacher-training institution into a doctoral research university recognized for its commitment to student success and achievement. As IUP celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2025 and through the Impact 150 comprehensive campaign, the university honors a legacy of educational excellence while looking to its next 150 years of student success, innovation, leadership in healthcare education, and public service.