Constitution Day Dialogue: Affirming Our Commitment to Diversity and Democracy

Join fellow Terps for an afternoon of dialogue about the recent Supreme Court decisions relating to race-conscious considerations for higher education admissions. The Maryland Democracy Initiative invites you to engage in discussion about how we can best move forward to affirm and ensure the University of Maryland attracts, supports, serves, and prepares all Maryland students for life, work, and participation in our shared democracy.

Registration is required for this event. It is open to current UMD students, faculty, and staff.  We encourage you to register soon as we anticipate the event will reach capacity quickly.

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Date/Time: September 18, 2023 | 1:00 - 3:30 p.m. 
Location: Prince George’s Room, Adele H. Stamp Student Union
Check-in: 12:30 p.m. (Please plan to arrive with enough time to check in.)
Program: 1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. (The event will start promptly at 1:00 p.m.)

• Welcome and Introduction to the Maryland Democracy Initiative and the Goals for this Dialogue
• Overview of Recent Supreme Court Cases Related to Race-conscious Considerations for Higher Education Admissions
• Moderated Conversation - University and College Leadership
• Community Dialogue with All Attendees in Small Groups
• Community Reporting and Q&A
• Closing and Refreshments 

Refreshments: 3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

The organizers of this event believe it will benefit from a diverse, dynamic, welcoming, and respectful community. We recognize that respect looks different for each community and individual, so we would like to share with event participants what we mean by “respect.” Please review the following discussion norms and guidelines. By registering for this event, you affirm that you will adhere to them. If you have any questions or concerns before or during the event, please contact us. 

• We encourage all participants to speak from their own experiences.
• We will collectively explore and question each other's ideas, not each other’s identities.
• We will be mindful of how much space we take up individually (the length and frequency of our comments) and invite others to share space to ensure that all voices feel included and heard.
• We will listen to understand first rather than respond. We will be present and avoid interrupting others. 
• When we find that we disagree, we’ll ask questions to better understand our different perspectives.

Event speakers:

• Antoine Jevon Banks, Professor and Interim Chair of the Department of Government and Politics, College of Behavioral & Social Sciences, Director of the Government and Politics Research Lab, and Maryland Democracy Initiative team member
• Paul Edmund Brown, Associate Clinical Professor and Director, Civic Innovation Center in the School of Public Policy and Maryland Democracy Initiative team member 
• Kimberly A. Griffin, Ph.D., Dean and Professor, College of Education 
• Rafael Lorente, Dean and Professor of the Practice, Philip Merrill College of Journalism and Maryland Democracy Initiative team member
• Sarah Oates, Professor and Senior Scholar, Philip Merrill College of Journalism and Maryland Democracy Initiative team member 
• Robert C. Orr, Dean, School of Public Policy
• Jennifer King Rice, Ph.D., Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost  
• Susan M. Rivera, Ph.D., Dean, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences 
• Lena Morreale Scott, Director of the Civic Education & Engagement Initiative, College of Education and Principal Investigator, Maryland Democracy Initiative
• Janelle Wong, Ph.D., Professor in the Departments of Government and Politics and American Studies and Director of the Asian American Studies Program in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences

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We would like to thank our campus partners in the Words of Engagement: Intergroup Dialogue Program of the Office of Diversity & Inclusion, Diversity Training & Education for their assistance in shaping this event.