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2018 Civil Discourse Symposium

Over 200 Grand Valley faculty, staff, students, and community members participated in the 5th Annual Padnos/Sarosik Civil Discourse Symposium: Civil Conversations on Climate Change on October 25 at the L.V. Eberhard Center. Elizabeth Arnold, associate professor of anthropology and the current Padnos/Sarosik endowed professor of civil discourse, selected this year's topic of climate change and facilitated the event. Three panelists representing various views on climate change were Jordan Chrispell, West Michigan Clean Energy Organizer for the Sierra Club's Michigan Chapter, Steve Goreham, author and Executive Director of the Climate Science Coalition of America, and Kelly Parker, professor of philosophy and Director of the Environmental Studies program at GVSU. Attendees were then invited to practice civil discourse in roundtable discussions which were facilitated by hosts and focused on a unique climate change issue.

Housed within the Brook College of Interdisciplinary Studies, the Padnos/Sarosik Endowed Professorship of Civil Discourse was founded in 2013 through a generous gift from longtime university supporters, Shelley Padnos and Carol Sarosik with the mission to prepare GVSU students to be leaders in advancing respectful, informed dialogue around vital social issues in their communities.


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