The Role of Universities in Shaping Democratic Values

Posted by Chronicle of Higher Education on August 20, 2024

Montclair State University President Jonathan Koppell shares how to cultivate democracy and discourse in higher education.

After the tumultuous academic year just completed, there’s not a university leadership in the country that isn’t using the relative quiet of summer to evaluate all policies and procedures related to expression and protest. This makes good sense. Many institutions did seem flat-footed in the face of unprecedented activity and scrutiny. And now comes a fall semester with a high-stakes divisive election added to the already combustible mix.

We are doing the same thing here at Montclair State University, New Jersey’s second-largest higher education institution. But like many colleges, we are also trying to do more than gird ourselves for the coming storm. There is an opportunity – and a real need – to encourage constructive engagement and not just minimize risk. Universities have a key role to play at what feels like an inflection point for American democracy. Let’s try to channel the passion of our students into democracy-building action. This is not easy, of course. We are deeply divided as a country, and that extends to many campus communities.

Even more profoundly, we confront evolving cultural norms that favor disagreement over discourse and are, in some cases, simply anti-democratic in the treatment of dissent or fact. The divisiveness is perpetuated and amplified by social media, political operatives, and advocacy groups. That’s exactly why it’s on us, as higher education leaders, to intentionally build the muscle memory of an engaged campus culture built around a shared aspiration to advance the common good. We have the ability and resources – unique from almost any other institution in society – to cultivate an environment where people from different backgrounds can respectfully co-exist, interact, and collaborate. So, if we’re not the ones attempting to foster a spirit of positive civic engagement – who will?

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