Building curriculum around democracy and debate

The University of Michigan is launching a theme semester dedicated to Democracy & Debate, a unique opportunity for teaching and learning about free speech and the exchange of ideas, democratic engagement from a global perspective and what it means to be a member of a democratic society.

In this episode of Michigan Minds, Angela Dillard, Richard A. Meisler Collegiate Professor of Afroamerican & African Studies and in the Residential College, outlines the goals of the curriculum and how the Democracy & Debate Theme Semester will incorporate discussions about current events and social movements. 

She explains that the programming will integrate courses and special events seeking to collectively explore societal issues and generate solutions. More than 100 courses were selected to be part of the Theme Semester, and they span subject areas from humanities and the arts, to social and natural sciences and engineering, to urban planning, law, public health, and more. 

“This is Michigan at its best, and that means providing a platform and a framework to comfort the biggest, most pressing issues that will make or break our society,” Dillard says. 

Learn more in this episode of Michigan Minds.