A sustainable, statewide model for civil dialogue is blossoming at public universities across North Carolina, thanks to a series of generous gifts from the Barnes Family Foundation.
Sparked by an initial seed grant bestowed in 2023, the College Debates and Discourse (CD&D) Alliance has since expanded its programming with the foundation’s continuing support, engaging more than 3,000 students at 11 institutions in the University of North Carolina (UNC) System—including 1,278 students in the spring 2025 semester alone. This initiative is helping us cultivate a new generation of student leaders committed to free expression and civil discourse.
Central to the program’s success is the Lee Barnes Campus Debate Fellowship, a model that brings student and faculty fellows together with the CD&D Alliance team to launch Braver Angels debates and dialogues at their schools. Specially selected student and faculty fellows work together to organize debates and workshops on civil dialogue for the entire campus community. Students are mentored by CD&D staff and develop valuable skills in leadership, communication, event coordination, marketing, and public speaking.
At the University of North Carolina–Pembroke, Ciara Smith reflects on the personal growth she has experienced as a student fellow:
“This fellowship has definitely helped me learn to collaborate with more people… Talking to people, listening to their opinions, hearing how they think, and learning how to communicate with all different kinds of people is a big part of this role. I’ve also learned a lot about conflict management through this experience.”
Karl Kircher, a student fellow at the University of North Carolina–Greensboro, shares how the debate program has impacted his campus community:
“My work with CD&D has been the highlight of my academic journey. These events have fostered discussions of very difficult and nuanced topics, inside and outside of our event spaces. I often get stopped on campus by students who attended our events and want to talk more. I’ve seen the impact first-hand. It’s changed how people communicate here.”
As they support student fellows in organizing campuswide debates, faculty fellows also bring debates and workshops to their own classrooms. Utilizing the CD&D Curricular Toolkit, they teach students across myriad disciplines the skills of thoughtful and respectful dialogue.
Some of our faculty fellows in North Carolina are also advancing the program through research and professional development efforts. At UNC–Wilmington, Dr. Ann Rotchford and Dr. Nadine Gibson are conducting research to examine how CD&D programming can affect students’ perceptions of political polarization and their willingness to engage with peers who hold differing viewpoints.
At UNC–Pembroke, faculty fellow Dr. Melanie Escue has begun hosting faculty training workshops to deepen the program’s reach across campus. Dr. Sandra Watts at UNC–Charlotte also plans to hold faculty training sessions in the fall. Their efforts expand the community of educators committed to helping students develop the skills needed for meaningful participation in civic life.
Together, student and faculty fellows form the foundation of what we call a “Community of Practice”—a self-sustaining campus environment where students, faculty, and staff regularly engage in open, respectful dialogue and work collaboratively to address divisive social and political issues. To this end, both student and faculty fellows complete the Braver Angels Debate Chair Training Program, equipping them to facilitate debates independently and thus expand the reach of the program. To date, 15 student and faculty fellows in North Carolina have completed formal training, with more joining them every semester.
The Barnes Family Foundation has also enabled the CD&D Alliance to launch programming at several historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), which represent a significant portion of the UNC System. The program has taken root at Winston-Salem State University, where faculty fellow Dr. Zagros Madjd-Sadjadi has incorporated debates into his economics classes over the past two semesters. Dr. Madjd-Sadjadi and student fellow Courtney Gadson expanded the program’s reach fourfold in Spring 2025 through campus and classroom debates. Similar efforts are underway at Elizabeth City State University; and in the fall, we will recruit and hire fellows at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Fayetteville State University, and North Carolina Central University (all HBCUs).
With gratitude for the support of the Barnes Family Foundation, the CD&D Alliance is preparing the next generation of leaders to carry the values of free expression and civil discourse into every corner of society in North Carolina and beyond. Together, we are building stronger campus communities where civil discourse thrives, viewpoint diversity is valued, and students are inspired to listen openly, engage thoughtfully, and respect one another as people—despite their profound social and political differences.
Kayla Johnston is Program Coordinator for the College Debates and Discourse Alliance in North Carolina.
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