About the Center
At a moment when disagreement has become synonymous with division, the Center for Civic Discourse and Debate exists to change that. We teach people how to engage across differences—not what to think, but how to think together. Through argumentation, dialogue facilitation and conflict resolution, we equip students, faculty and community members with skills that travel: into careers, communities and conversations that matter.
Operating outside traditional departmental structures, we serve as a neutral convener, partnering across the ideological spectrum and extending our reach well beyond campus through programs like the Refugee Debate League and the John R. Park Public Debates. Built on the University of Utah’s 150-year legacy in debate and an established Conflict Resolution Certificate Program, we carry a distinguished tradition forward, and show how research institutions can strengthen the civic culture we all depend on.
Mission
The Center for Civic Discourse and Debate teaches people how to disagree constructively—equipping students, faculty and community members with the skills to engage across differences through argumentation, dialogue facilitation and conflict resolution.
Vision
We are a center where multiple viewpoints are understood as a civic strength, and where the skills to navigate disagreement are fundamental to education.