Searching for civility after a campus's annus horribilis

In our "Reflections From the Classroom" series, seasoned teachers talk about their experiences walking with students and guiding their learning.

Anti-feminist sentiment, misbehaving athletes, racist images, and student safety concerns all manifested themselves in one way or another during the 2014–2015 academic year at the University of Mary Washington. Now that the annus horribilis is over, new challenges present themselves. President Rick Hurley recently announced recommendations, including a series of discussions on civility. 

That’s a good start, but we need to do even more to address the polarization and ad hominem attacks we saw last year. In a climate that rewards vitriol and character assassination, we need to teach our students how to temper their rhetoric even as they work to change the campus and the world.