Contact Us
Vice President, Office of Transformational and Inclusive Excellence
Hanna House
513-529-1715
vpDiversity@MiamiOH.edu
Constructive Dialogue is a helpful learning tool that supports ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs' development of their dialogue skills across differences. , our partner in this initiative, uses cutting-edge behavioral science research to inform their educational tools, resources, and frameworks. Their focus is on equipping schools, universities, and workplaces with a shared language, and a practical set of skills to build inclusive cultures and engage constructively across differences. The organization has over 50,000 learners, 900+ institutions involved, and are active in 48 states.
The Constructive Dialogue Program has two educational options: Track 1 or Full Perspectives. The program is currently being offered in some UNV101 courses (Oxford and Regionals), living learning communities, internships, and much more. There are many ways you may engage with this program through your coursework at Miami or through your leadership development programs outside of the classroom.
If you are interested in participating but have not been able to do so yet, please see the opportunities below. We also offer dialogue-based events throughout the year for ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs to come together and practice their dialogue skills to discuss various hot topics.
In addition to reviewing the information below, we encourage ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs who are interested in staying up to date on our offerings and opportunities to sign up for our to get email updates of opportunities on campus.
Classes
Academic Departments and Divisional Partners
Event information coming soon! To learn more about our programming
If there is a dialogue-based event you are interested in collaborating on, we invite you to reach out to OTIE@MiamiOH.edu so we can connect and discuss opportunities for collaboration.
Constructive Dialogue uses a blended learning approach, which includes both online courses and in-person peer-to-peer conversations to practice what has been learned. At Miami, we have Track 1 and Full Perspectives as options for ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs to participate in constructive dialogue. The online courses are all housed on the Constructive Dialogue Institute website, in which faculty partners are provided an account and information on how to navigate it as an instructor.
Constructive Dialogue at Miami has two options: Track 1 or Full Perspectives. Track 1 primarily centers behavioral science concepts that help ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs to understand the necessary mindset for constructive dialogue across differences. This program is shorter and only entails a 1.5 hour time commitment. Full Perspectives is a robust offering that explores psychological concepts to understand how the brain processes information during conflict and learn practical skills for engaging in dialogue, while using real-life scenarios and interactive activities. This option is a 4.5 hour time commitment but provides a stronger foundation for developing dialogue skills. Students who complete the Full Perspectives option (i.e. 6 online courses, 3 peer-to-peer conversations) will receive a certificate at the end of the semester (fall and spring). There is also a Graduate Student Constructive Dialogue Certificate, with similar parameters for completion. The breakdown of components for both options is outlined below:
In July 2023, Constructive Dialogue Institute launched a new initiative - Faculty/Staff Constructive Dialogue Certificate - to support campus partners, like ºÚÁÏÉçÇø, in its capacity-building efforts. The certificate program includes six online courses that cover the major concepts and strategies developed by constructive dialogue, with faculty and staff in mind through real-life scenarios and interactive activities. If you are interested in participating, you can join this new opportunity by creating an account and completing all the courses - .
Current Partners
As part of the Office of Transformational and Inclusive Excellence (OTIE) strategy for embedding Constructive Dialogue at Miami, there has been intentional thought put into partnering with faculty. Faculty are at the forefront of developing ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs’ communication skills and career-readiness at Miami. The pre-built content in Constructive Dialogue can be a valuable tool in the classroom, to provide common language and easily accessible virtual content for ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs. The tools and strategies provided through the program can be leveraged by faculty to facilitate difficult conversations, provide ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs with skills they can use in their internships/practicums, and develop leadership skills for the rest of their life. Constructive Dialogue also supports our ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs’ career-readiness skills based on the : communication, critical thinking, equity & inclusion, leadership, professionalism, and teamwork.
If you would like to incorporate Constructive Dialogue into your course, we invite you to fill out our to share some points of information so we can begin the process of working with you. Once the form is submitted, within 3-4 business days you will receive an email from an OTIE staff member with more information on next steps and how to navigate the Constructive Dialogue Institute platform as an instructor.
Faculty are also encouraged to schedule an , with OTIE, if you would like to learn more about the program and explore ways of embedding it into your curriculum or co-curricularly. Consultations can be 15-30 minutes, and offer faculty a space to strategize with an OTIE staff member in considering the best ways of leveraging constructive dialogue content and resources.
For 2024-2025, the Office of Transformational and Inclusive Excellence (OTIE) has partnered with the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) to support faculty engagement with Constructive Dialogue through the Faculty Learning Community (FLC), “Teaching and Learning Across Differences” to support Miami faculty in incorporating Constructive Dialogue skills in classes.
M. Cristina Alcalde, Ph.D. (she/her), Vice President for Transformational and Inclusive Excellence and Professor of Global and Intercultural Studies
Cristina Alcalde is Vice President for the Office of Transformational and Inclusive Excellence. She also holds an appointment as professor of global and intercultural studies. In her role as vice president, she provides strategic vision and leadership for a holistic, coordinated approach to inclusive excellence for faculty, staff, and ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs. Prior to joining Miami, she served as Associate Dean of Inclusion and Internationalization in the College of Arts and Sciences and Marie Rich Endowed Professor in Gender and Women’s Studies at the University of Kentucky, where she also designed and directed the Online Graduate Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion. As a scholar-practitioner, she has published widely and speaks nationally and internationally on inclusion, race and racialization, gender violence, migration, exclusion, belonging, and leadership. In addition to journal articles and chapters, her books include (2022); (2022); (2022); (2018); (2015); (2014); and (2010). Recent shorter pieces on,, and have appeared in Inside Higher Ed and Ms. Magazine. She is co-editor of the and Editorial Board Member of the Political and Legal Anthropology Review. When not working, she enjoys spending time with her family and their two cats.
Dana Cox, Ph.D. (she/her), Professor of Mathematics, College of Arts and Science
I am a Professor of Mathematics Education at ºÚÁÏÉçÇø in the Department of Mathematics. My work in mathematics education is centered on documenting the mathematics of others and writing curriculum to expose the mathematical thinking of ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs and teachers for use in instruction. I am an advocate for the use of empathetic methodologies, such as Narrative Inquiry, that give voice to research participants, document lived experiences, and provoke us all to question what we have previously believed to be true. Most of all, I work to position teachers as knowledge generators and people from whom we can learn.
Our mission is to empower each ºÚÁÏÉçÇø, staff, and faculty member to promote and become engaged citizens who use their acquired knowledge and skills with integrity and compassion to improve the future of the community and the world.
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