Each academic year, the Office of the Provost identifies a theme that unites the University of Pittsburgh community. The Office of the Provost designated 2023-24 as the Year of Discourse and Dialogue and has extended the focus on this theme through the 2024-25 academic year. Our support for discourse and dialogue on our campus and our commitments to free speech are now even more in focus as we aim to engage across students, staff, and faculty on each of Pitt campuses. See video highlights from our 2023-24 Year of Discourse and Dialogue Pitt-wide event focused on "Developing Discourse and Dialogue Across Our Campuses."
Historically, higher education has been at the center of engagement around diverse viewpoints. At Pitt, we are part of a scholarly community in which we can all challenge ideas, seek truth, create new knowledge, and examine our assumptions. Our classrooms, residence halls, conference rooms, libraries, and all spaces welcome myriad political viewpoints, and array of religious and spiritual beliefs, theoretical assumptions, and philosophical stances.
To remain true to our commitments to civic discourse, freedom of expression, and critical inquiry, it is essential that we continue building our capacity for this work. Our ability to engage in good faith and with compassion, listen to understand, interrogate our own bias, and seek common good will strengthen all of us. Every one of us at Pitt has a role to play in living into our commitments to advance discourse, offer spaces for debate, and bring people together.
The Year of Discourse and Dialogue offers an opportunity to engage collectively on a broad range of ideas, programs, experiences, and opportunities to leverage the unique capacities of our University and advance learning. There is much that we can learn, share, and build together as we continue this work in the coming year that will support not just our university, but also contribute to conversations and actions well beyond.
