Max Reinhart at The Detroit News
Following a series of politically motivated crimes targeting University of Michigan officials, its president on Monday announced plans to establish an Institute for Civil Discourse to “strengthen debate and dialog” both on and off campus.
Details on the institute were sparse in a press release Monday but the university said it won’t be located in a single school or college, but rather “stand alone and serve as a resource for the Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint campuses.”
“We learn by confronting different arguments and different perspectives,” said President Santa J. Ono at the December Board of Regents meeting where the institute was announced. “Michigan is the place to do this — to show our community and nation that civil discourse is not just possible, it is the very best way to learn and to solve problems. It is fundamental to our democracy.”