This February, the Diversity and Unity Initiative will usher in A Different Dialogue, a pilot program that will provide a platform for discussions on race and sexuality.

According to Dennis Williams, director and associate dean of students at CMEA, A Different Dialogue was built on the belief that dialogue should not consist solely of debates or open forums. Rather, the program seeks to provide students with an arena in which they can share their perspectives on certain issues as well as listen to other viewpoints. The focus is on understanding the perspective of fellow students instead of arguing or defending a certain point of view. Throughout the eight-week series, program-trained staff facilitators will be leading the dialogue.

“In mind with [University President John J.] DeGioia’s [Diversity and Unity] Initiative, we wanted to create a safe space for students to really challenge themselves and one another. A Different Dialogue will encourage students to think about their own identities and learn from different students,” said Aeriel Anderson, program coordinator for the Center for Multicultural Equity and Access.

Anderson stressed that it is not a CMEA program, but a division-wide project that was conceived by the student life working group of DeGioia’s Diversity and Unity Initiative, launched last spring.

A Different Dialogue will be split into separate groups of 14 to 15 students to discuss race and sexuality. The hope is that participants will build close relationships with each other and the dialogue will facilitate an environment of trust.

According to Anderson, the program is unlike other campus groups because it is funded by the university and facilitated by program staff members.

William Huff, area coordinator of Southwest Quad and Kennedy Hall, will be a race co-facilitator, along with Anderson. Stephen Quaye, a faculty member at the University of Maryland, College Park, is the primary coordinator for the dialogue. He will also be the co-facilitator for the dialogue on sexual orientation with Kevin Stensberg, assistant director of Resident Staff Life.

Quaye had been contacted about the program by Todd Olson, vice president of student affairs.

“I expect [A Different Dialogue] to be challenging for students,” Quaye said.

He said that students usually do not have opportunities to talk about race or sexual orientation, and that often when these issues are brought up in college classes, it is difficult for all students to express their views.

“A Different Dialogue is not like the more informal student dialogues, which have been very good. It’s a different model that’s been developed on other campuses. Similar programs have been offered as courses for credits in some schools. It has more structure,” Williams said. “It’s an ongoing dialogue as opposed to a town hall discussion.”

Quaye stressed that A Different Dialogue is open to students of all backgrounds. He said that the dialogue will be enhanced by such a diverse group.

“[A Different Dialogue] brings people over an extended period of time, they get to know each other really well, establish that trust, and get over those superficial boundaries,” Anderson said.”