Highlights

  • UCF was selected among the U.S. Department of Education 麻豆精品 S檚 historic number of applications for grant funding from the department 麻豆精品 S檚 Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE).

  • 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 priority with this $3.4 million grant is to intentionally embed civil discourse and constructive communication skills into the everyday experience at the university through four main strategies involving faculty learning communities, student-centric initiatives and co-curricular activities.

  • At the end of the four years, UCF will take everything we have learned and implemented and host two symposiums. The symposiums will invite Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 State University System institutions and state colleges to learn strategies on institutionalizing civil discourse in curricular and co-curricular student experiences.

UCF is the only institution in the state of Florida selected to address the U.S. Department of Education 麻豆精品 S檚 civil discourse priority as part of its Fund for Improvement of Postsecondary Education initiative.

The department from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE). Following a record number of applicants, UCF was among the honorees with a four-year $3.4 million grant for our proposal 麻豆精品 S� Civil Interactions and Viewpoints for Interpersonal Competence (CIVIC): A Campuswide Model 麻豆精品 S� which seeks to protect and promote civil discourse on campuses.

麻豆精品 S淭he future demands graduates who can collaborate effectively, navigate complex conversations and lead with integrity within varied professional environments, even when they don 麻豆精品 S檛 always agree. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Andrea Guzm谩n, UCF vice president for access and community engagement

麻豆精品 S淭he future demands graduates who can collaborate effectively, navigate complex conversations and lead with integrity within varied professional environments, even when they don 麻豆精品 S檛 always agree, 麻豆精品 S� says Andrea Guzm谩n, UCF vice president for access and community engagement and CIVIC principal investigator. 麻豆精品 S淭his grant allows us to prepare students not just academically, but to be thoughtful citizens and professionals. By integrating civil discourse skills throughout curricular and co-curricular experiences, we are helping students develop the communication and critical thinking skills that employers, communities and our democracy depend on. 麻豆精品 S�

What is the Fund for Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)?

FIPSE is a discretionary grant initiative that supports innovative projects to address urgent national needs in postsecondary education. The funds awarded from this specific program competition empower institutions to develop and scale solutions that improve educational outcomes, strengthen institutional capacity and align education with workforce demands.

In November, the Department of Education announced four FY 2025 competition priorities focused on expanding innovative teaching and student success initiatives, promoting civil discourse on campuses, advancing accreditation reform, and building capacity for high 麻豆精品 S憅uality, workforce 麻豆精品 S慳ligned short 麻豆精品 S憈erm academic programs eligible for Workforce Pell Grants.

While UCF was Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 lone representative selected for the civil discourse priority, the state saw Florida A&M, Florida Atlantic University, and its Commission for Public Higher Education, Inc. earn grants in accreditation. Hillsborough Community College earned funding for AI.

Two male students and two female students sit at a table with microphones on a stage and a screen projection of the Ginsburg Center in the background.
Several students participate in the 2024 Student Success Conference panel: 麻豆精品 S淒ifferent Journeys, Different Views: Student Perspectives on the Value of Education.”

What is civil discourse?

鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 defines civil discourse as constructive conversation or dialogue which intends to enhance understanding, be productive and requires taking responsibility for truly listening and talking about important local, national and global topics/issues.

麻豆精品 S淐ivil discourse is about understanding the other person 麻豆精品 S檚 viewpoint so you can come together to make thoughtful decisions in spite of having different viewpoints, 麻豆精品 S� Guzm谩n says.

Guzm谩n says she often hears students today are hesitant to share their own perspectives. She hopes that through this intentional framework, students will begin to feel more confident engaging civilly with those around them.

麻豆精品 S淲hether students are in the classroom or just having a conversation with a peer, we want them to have the skillset and emotional intelligence needed for constructive conversations, 麻豆精品 S� Guzm谩n says. 麻豆精品 S淭hey should still be able to walk away and respectfully say, 麻豆精品 S業 still don 麻豆精品 S檛 agree with you, but let 麻豆精品 S檚 go get a burger and fries afterward. 麻豆精品 S� Too often, we 麻豆精品 S檝e seen relationships fracture because the skill of civil discourse has been lost. 麻豆精品 S�

How will UCF use these funds?

鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 priority with this $3.4 million grant is to intentionally embed civil discourse and constructive communication skills into the everyday experience at the university through four main strategies.

Brunette woman with her hair in a ponytail, black glasses and a white business coat smiles
Haley Winston 麻豆精品 S�17贰诲顿&苍产蝉辫;serves as UCF’s Director of Civil Discourse.

Strategy 1: Faculty Learning Communities

The first strategy is geared toward . UCF Director of Civil Discourse and Engagement Haley Winston 麻豆精品 S�17贰诲顿 and a faculty fellow, yet to be named, will partner to create a curriculum to offer paid learning experiences via faculty learning communities each semester and a track at the Summer Faculty Development Institute. This curriculum will inform faculty on strategies and methodologies for building civil discourse opportunities into their classes. There are also plans to develop and implement civil discourse modules in new faculty orientation.

Eventually, 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 course catalogue will recognize classes 麻豆精品 S� much like it does now with service-learning courses 麻豆精品 S� with a civil discourse designation.

Strategies 2 and 3: Student Orientation and Training

Two additional strategies are student-focused. One will collaborate with 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 to include civil discourse modules at orientation.

麻豆精品 S淔rom the very start of a student 麻豆精品 S檚 journey at UCF, we set the expectation that we are an institution where people can express their views freely and constructively, in a respectful way, 麻豆精品 S� Guzm谩n says.

The other will partner with to offer civil discourse training for both student employee onboarding training as well as a supervisor-specific training via its , preparing students to carry on these skills into the workforce after graduation.

Strategy 4: Mini-grants for Learning Opportunities

The fourth strategy is geared toward expanding co-curricular opportunities through the UCF Ginsburg Center 麻豆精品 S� Office of Civil Discourse and Engagement. Mini-grants will be offered to units and colleges who want to offer learning opportunities within their department or classrooms.

麻豆精品 S淭his grant builds on work already underway at UCF and allows us to scale it intentionally. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S� Andrea Guzm谩n

麻豆精品 S淭his grant builds on work already underway at UCF and allows us to scale it intentionally. It also enables the development of a pilot program designed to be replicated across the state university system, 麻豆精品 S� Guzm谩n says. 麻豆精品 S淭he reason we are choosing to bolster programs like orientation and faculty learning communities are because these are existing infrastructures that almost every institution will have and can seamlessly incorporate. 麻豆精品 S�

Six male and femal students sit at a round table
麻豆精品 S淔rom the very start of a student 麻豆精品 S檚 journey at UCF, we set the expectation that we are an institution where people can express their views freely and constructively, in a respectful way, 麻豆精品 S� Andrea Guzm谩n says.

What happens next?

The funding takes effect immediately. UCF will invite faculty applications for the faculty fellow position during the Spring 2026 semester, with the appointment beginning in August.

鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 will also organize an internal implementation team to confirm year-one priorities, which includes aligning timelines, refining deliverables and establishing the infrastructure needed to support the work.

麻豆精品 S淲ith every project we implement, we think about scale and long-term impact. The goal is always for meaningful, transformative work to live on beyond the grant, 麻豆精品 S� says Cyndia Morales Mu帽iz 麻豆精品 S�13EdD, senior director of grant initiatives and partnerships, and CIVIC project director.

In addition to Mu帽iz, Guzm谩n and Winston, the project includes activity coordinators Joel Cramer, interim vice provost for Faculty Excellence; Chanda Torres 麻豆精品 S�98 麻豆精品 S�00MA 麻豆精品 S�08EdD, assistant vice president of the Dixon Career Development Center; and Ryan Goodwin, assistant vice president for Strategic Initiatives.

In years three and four of the grant, UCF will develop and host two symposiums for Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 State University System institutions and state colleges to share implementation strategies and lessons learned, providing a model that can be replicated at their own campuses.

麻豆精品 S淭his is yet another example of UCF leading the way to best serve our students and faculty and we look forward to getting started, 麻豆精品 S� Mu帽iz says.

 

Note: 100% of 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 Civil Interactions and Viewpoints for Interpersonal Competence (CIVIC): A Campuswide Model is being financed with this federal funding and 0% of the program is being financed with non-federal funding.