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Teaching Endorsement on Ethical Disagreement and Civil Discourse

Teaching Endorsement on Ethical Disagreement and Civil Discourse

 

4Cs

Register now for Spring 2026!

An Interactive Training for Instructors and Group Leaders

In Spring 2026, CEHV is again offering its Ethical Disagreement and Civil Discourse teaching endorsement program, in partnership with the Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning. 

Over three semesters, 61 instructors and student program directors have fully completed the program. They have come from all corners of Ohio State University, including ten of Ohio State's fifteen colleges:

  • College of Arts and Sciences
  • College of Dentistry
  • College of Education and Human Ecology
  • College of Engineering
  • College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences
  • College of Pharmacy
  • College of Nursing
  • College of Social Work
  • Fisher College of Business
  • John Glenn College of Public Affairs
  • Office of International Affairs
  • Office of Undergraduate Education
  • Office of Student Life
  • Wexner Medical Center - The James

Together, they participated in four workshops focused on fostering civil discourse and navigating ethical disagreements, in addition to completing CEHV’s online course entitled “The 4Cs: Virtues of Civil Discourse.” 

Through active learning exercises, this endorsement provides instructors and group leaders with tools and strategies to navigate contentious ethical disagreements and foster civil discourse in their classrooms or programs. The endorsement is led by a team of PhD trained ethicists and political philosophers at the Center for Ethics and Human Values with extensive experience in the classroom and leading dialogue facilitation with students.

Sample comments from participants:

“. . . a great semester—the conversations were both informative and helped me reflect on my own teaching and discourse, on and off campus.”

“This was a most thought-provoking series of discussions.”

“I surely learned a lot that I will apply both inside and outside the classroom going forward.”

“I very much appreciated our conversations and explorations.”

HOW TO REGISTER 

This endorsement is open to faculty, postdocs, graduate students, and staff members at Ohio State University. Fill out this registration form by February 2 to enroll. 

The endorsement is built around four workshops + an asynchronous Carmen Canvas course that introduces principles of civil discourse. Participants will also have up to two hours of homework during the course of the endorsement program.

All elements of the program are required for successful completion:

  1. Workshop: Challenges for Civil Discourse in the Classroom
  2. Carmen Canvas course: The 4Cs of Civil Discourse (Be Curious, Be Charitable, Be Conscientious, Be Constructive)
  3. Workshop: Practicing Civil Discourse in the Classroom
  4. Workshop: Dialogue Facilitation + Skill-Building
  5. Workshop: Reflecting and Applying the Tools 

Successful completion of the program will make you eligible to apply for an official teaching endorsement from Ohio State's Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning.

Note: completion of the endorsement program requires attendance at all 4 workshops and the associated online Carmen Canvas course. Workshop dates for Spring 2026 are: February 10, February 24, March 10, March 24. All workshops will be held on OSU Main Campus from 4-5:45pm. 

This endorsement is open only to faculty, postdocs, graduate students, and staff members at Ohio State University. 

If you have questions, please contact CEHV Civil Discourse Program Director, Dr. Kathryn Joyce (.173).