The Office for Equity and Diversity will host a systemwide book club focused on Try to Love the Questions: From Debate to Dialogue on Campus and in Life (2024). This text provides students, faculty and staff with a framework and strategies for fostering and engaging in free expression, academic freedom, and academic dialogue. 

Book club meetings will be co-facilitated by staff members of the Office for Equity and Diversity and the Center for Educational Innovation, and will focus on the questions posed within the book.

September 27, October 24, and November 22
Noon-1:00 p.m.
Register to receive the Zoom link

The University of Minnesota values civic engagement and its long history of students striving for effective change. Join us for one, two, or all three of the workshops to engage in productive conversations. Preregistration is requested.
 

The Gopher Effect: Introduction to Civic Engagement
October 15, 4:00–5:30 p.m.
Beacon Room, RecWell 

The Gopher Effect: Strategies for Effective Change
October 30, 4:00–5:30 p.m.
Location: Bruininks 432

For more information, contact us at 612-625-1289 or [email protected].

As election day approaches, the presidential contest remains unpredictable. Joe Biden’s unexpected decision to drop out of the race and pass the torch to Kamala Harris has energized the Democrats, but will it be enough to lead them to victory, or will Donald Trump make a return to the Oval Office? Democratic campaign strategist Rebecca Pearcey and Republican consultant Kirsten Kukowski analyze the high-stakes strategies and challenges each party faces in the 2024 election.

October 9, Noon
Register to join the webinar

Presentation by Dr. Dan Myers 
October 14, 4:00–5:00 p.m.
Blegen Hall Room 120
 

As the fall election approaches, hear from important leaders in relevant fields, including: 

• Dr. Kathyrn Pearson (Associate Professor of Political Science, UMN College of Liberal Arts)
• Judy Zaunbrecher (Co-Chair of Voter Services, League of Women Voters - Minneapolis)
• Arianna Genis (Founder, The Movida Initiative: A Democracy School for Latino Agency)
• Linda Lelis-Her (Executive Director, Asian American Organizing Project)
• Jenna Monday (Public Health and Prevention Chair, UMN Undergraduate Student Government)

October 16, Noon–1:30 pm.
Register to attend the virtual event

What does civic engagement mean to you? What does it look like when you and your community face an issue together? Individuals’ collective actions and interactions affect societal change and support your personal wellbeing. Learn more about the past, present, and future of civic engagement, and discover resources to support your community involvement in this free webinar series.

• October 21, 8:30–9:00 a.m. - What is civic engagement anyway, and what does that have to do with me?
• October 22, 8:30–9:00 a.m. - Civic engagement: A brief history in scholarship and community
• October 23, 8:30–9:00 a.m. - Engaging today, part I: The current civic landscape
• October 24, 8:30–9:00 a.m. - Engaging today, part II: Reclaiming your civic spaces
• October 25, 8:30–9:00 a.m. - The future of civic engagement: Where do we go from here?

Register to receive the Zoom link

Through the "World Cafe Method," explore how to engage in effective conversations and meaningful dialogues around complex topics. 

October 23, 5:00–7:00 p.m.
Mississippi Room, CMU
RSVP requested

Explore how misinformation and political ideology influence voter decision-making and consumer behaviors with Akshay Rao, the General Mills Chair in Marketing at the Carlson School of Management. Rao, who is working on several research and consulting projects, including communicating quality to uninformed consumers, the role of political ideology on consumer behavior, and misinformation (“fake news”), will discuss research findings and offer insights on the intersection of elections and marketing.

October 30, Noon–1:00 p.m.
Register to attend the virtual event

The webinar, presented by the Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing, is intended to inspire and equip participants to become effective collaborative problem-solvers in their personal, professional, community, and public lives. A key focus of the webinar will be the mindsets that not only make us more likely to collaborate rather than clash over our disagreements, but also make us more successful in doing so. The webinar will also reinforce the value of preparing our own "inner selves" for success in collaborative problem-solving. This starts with finding ways to be as centered as possible, focused on listening well, and having the capacity not to be overly reactive to people and ideas we find disagreeable.

October 21, Noon–1:00 p.m.
Register to receive the link to attend

Find information about who can vote, where to vote, and other important information about voting. 

Students are invited to come together and process the outcomes of the election. No RSVP required, just stop by as you're able.

November 6, 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
November 7, noon –4:00 p.m.

President's Room, CMU

Contact [email protected] with questions.
 

The rural-urban conversation is much more complex than we are led to believe. To prosper together, we will need to better understand how rural and urban communities are connected, to be each other’s allies, to learn from each other, and to work together to meet today’s biggest challenges.

Join University of Minnesota Extension host Ellen Wolter as she explores the interdependent relationship between rural and urban spaces and talks with guests including Heidi Heitkamp, Tuleah Palmer, RT Rybak, Julie Tesch, Jake Loesch, Rhymefest, Tony Pipa, Brian Dabson, and Brigid Tuck about why this complex and necessary relationship matters.

Listen now