Sponsored by:
Elaine Galinson and Herb Solomon
In partnership with:
The Impact Paper is Here!
From 2023 to 2025, the Applied Research Center for Civility (Center for Civility), a partnership between the National Conflict Resolution Center (NCRC) and UC San Diego, conducted a national research effort focused on how higher education institutions prepare the next generation to lead across differences in an increasingly polarized world.
Through in-depth interviews with 70 leaders across more than 55 institutions, this study highlights the voices of students, faculty, nonprofit partners, and campus leaders who are actively cultivating skills for dialogue, empathy, collaboration, and civic leadership in diverse educational settings.
This research culminated in the publication of the Impact Paper, “Building Collaborative Leaders: Teaching and Learning Dialogue on College Campuses.” This paper synthesizes lessons learned from across the field and highlights promising practices, common challenges, and emerging strategies for equipping students to engage constructively amid differences and lead meaningful change.
The findings were unveiled at a national conference in San Diego, CA, convening educators, practitioners, funders, and institutional leaders from across the country. Together, participants reflected on what’s working, examined where efforts fall short, and co-created pathways forward to strengthen dialogue, education, and leadership development on college campuses.
Explore the resources on this page to learn about:
- How institutions are fostering inclusive leadership.
- Supporting student changemakers.
- Building the capacity to navigate disagreement and polarization with courage and care.
Conference Photos and Video
In October 2025, the Center for Civility hosted the Building Next-Gen Leaders Conference, which brought together a national community committed to advancing dialogue, collaboration, and leadership across differences in higher education.
We are deeply grateful to the student leaders, speakers, researchers, and partners whose contributions shaped a day rich with insight, reflection, and connection. The conference provided a shared space to engage with the findings of the Impact Paper and explore how these insights are being translated into practice on campuses across the country.
Scroll below to view photos from the Conference and a full recording of the Impact Paper presentation, delivered by the researchers who authored the study. If you were unable to attend or want to dive deeper into the research, this recording is an opportunity to hear directly from the research team and engage more fully with the findings.
Want to watch a quick recap of the conference? Click here!
Not ready to read the full Impact Paper? Click the points of the start to view excerpts from the Paper, which contain valuable insights and information!
Want resources about civil discourse and communications programs? Click below for a comprehensive list of programs at U.S. colleges and universities.
About The Applied Research Center For Civility
The National Conflict Resolution Center and UC San Diego together launched the Center for Civility to conduct research for action into the methods, dynamics, and best practices for addressing many of society’s most challenging social issues Using NCRC’s programming as a springboard, the Center for Civility designs studies, collects data and conducts quantitative analysis on how we can foster connection in divisive times. Findings will be reported in various formats, including white paper reports, conference proceedings, and academic journal publications.
Questions? Contact Holly Sullivan-Gonzalez at hsullivan@ncrconline.com.
