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Respectful Discourse Initiative

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The President’s Initiative on Respectful Discourse establishes a framework to provide the UTSA community with the knowledge, tools and skills to engage in serious and productive exchanges of views. Integrating legal, cultural, political and philosophical issues tied to free speech, this initiative promotes graduating world-engaged civic leaders of tomorrow, and creating an institutional culture built upon respect for others.

This initiative will lead the campus to address discourse, whether written or spoken, as not only a matter of rights, but of responsibilities and values. Curricular integration, co-curricular programming, faculty and staff training and community outreach will better equip the UTSA community to:

  • Undertake more thoughtful exchanges of viewpoints;
  • Engage in more productive and appropriate debates;
  • Focus on the issues rather than on the individuals supporting them;
  • Support interpretations using verified information;
  • Listen more thoughtfully to what others say;
  • Seek sources of disagreement and points of common purpose;
  • Embody open-mindedness and a willingness change minds;
  • Assume a need to compromise and a willingness to do so;
  • Treat the expressions and ideas of others with respect;
  • Understand the legal aspects of free speech and their applications on the university campus;
  • Avoid escalation to verbal, emotional or physical harm.

View the Initiative Brief

The President’s Initiative on Respectful Discourse establishes a framework to provide the UTSA community with the knowledge, tools and skills to engage in serious and productive exchanges of views. Integrating legal, cultural, political and philosophical issues tied to free speech, this initiative promotes graduating world-engaged civic leaders of tomorrow, and creating an institutional culture built upon respect for others.

Strategic Plan Midpoint Update (Fall 2022)

The work associated with UTSA’s Respectful Discourse initiative remains ongoing as the Steering Committee develops the framework to provide the UTSA community with the knowledge, tools and skills to engage in serious and productive exchanges of views.

Taking a brief pause to address the urgent needs facing the UTSA community during the pandemic, to date, the group has been instrumental in UTSA achieving the following:

  • Completing an inventory of initiatives, programs, and resources related to respectful discourses across colleges and units
  • Launching task forces related to curricular integration, co-curricular programming, and faculty and staff training
  • UTSA’s Expressive Activities Response Team launched a new website and education series, including seminars for students such as Free Speech 101 and Free Speech vs. Hate Speech
  • Select faculty, staff, student organizations, and advisors received additional training about expressive activities on campus. Student Activities aims to expand training and discussion opportunities this summer and beyond.

This Initiative Supports Strategic Destinations

Destination One: Model for Student Success 

Destination Two: Great Public Research University

Destination Three: Exemplar for Strategic Growth and Innovative Excellence

Chair: Dean Hendrix, Dean of Libraries

The Respectful Discourse Steering Committee will foster a culture of rigorous inquiry, commitment to integrity and compassion by creating opportunities and infrastructure in teaching and learning, student life, research and outreach.

» Membership
The Curricular Integration Task Force will develop and recommend strategies to integrate respectful discourse principles into UTSA’s curricula with the goal of developing students able to address diverse ideas and experiences with integrity, rigor and respect.  Initially, the task force will assess best practices across the country, and recommend strategies for the university to implement. The task force will work closely with the University College, Faculty Senate, and curriculum committees across the university.
Membership to be determined
The Co-Curricular Programming Task Force will recommend, develop and implement a coordinated campus plan for respectful discourse programming for all UTSA faculty, staff and students. Programming may include guest speaker events, workshops, teach-ins, point-of-need tools, and learning communities on topics such as the 1st Amendment, active listening, information analysis, negotiation and public speaking. The task force will work closely with the University College, Faculty Senate, and Student Affairs.
Membership to be determined
The Faculty and Staff Training Task Force, in coordination with the Provost’s 21st Century Learning Environments Task Force, will provide faculty and staff the knowledge and tools to create learning environments aligned with respectful discourse principles.
Membership to be determined