H"Hard conversations" are having a moment. Under banners like Dialogue Across Difference, Brave Conversations, and Think Again, colleges across the country are trying to help students with different views navigate tricky discussions on fraught topics. These efforts are a response to the belief that some students — especially conservative students — aren’t given a fair shake to express their views, so they either self-censor or risk getting canceled. These initiatives also attempt to address polarization in the country, which is fueling polarization on campuses. It doesn’t hurt that the one form of diversity the Trump administration favors is “viewpoint” diversity, and these programs are like raising your hand to say: “We like that, too!” These efforts are well-intentioned, and their goals are laudable. When I served as a dean and a university president, I encouraged and supported them. But the more I’ve watched them unfold, the more skeptical I have become. They do both too little and too much. They do too little because they are typically voluntary extracurricular activities, often organized and led by self-appointed experts. Despite the headlines touting these programs, they only reach a small, self-selected, and self-motivated group of students.

Citation
James E. Ryan, Beware the Civility Industrial Complex, Chronicle of Higher Education (June 3, 2026).
UVA Law Faculty Affiliations
James E. Ryan
Education Rights Institute
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