Common Ground Dialogues

Hello!  My name is Maddie Prebil.   I am a sophomore Government and Politics Major completing a minor in Terrorism Studies, and am an Orientation Advisor for this upcoming summer!  I am also a Peer Dialogue Leader in the Common Ground Dialogue Program through the Department of Resident Life.

The University of Maryland is an incredibly diverse community.  The rich diversity and multiplicity of backgrounds, ethnicities, and individual experiences is certainly one of the university’s strengths. In an effort to maximize the benefits of our campus diversity and to broaden student’s perspectives, the Common Ground Dialogue Program was developed.

The Common Ground Dialogue Program allows groups of 12-14 students to engage in dialogue on current, controversial, multicultural issues.  Each group is assigned a topic to discuss based on each student’s individual preferences.  The program lasts four weeks, with each session one-week session lasting an hour and a half.  The goal of the program is for students with multiple and individual perspectives to enrich each other through civil dialogue.

The Common Ground program is also unique in that peers, not professors or graduate students, lead all dialogue groups.  This program is the only one in the nation in which undergraduate students at the university facilitate all sessions. This practice ensures that participants in the dialogue groups feel comfortable expressing opinions to their peers, not an authority figure.

The Common Ground Dialogue Program is a valuable and enriching experience.  The evening sessions fit conveniently into students’ schedules, while allowing them to gain new perspectives on contemporary and recent multicultural topics.  To set up a Common Ground Dialogue group, or apply to be a participant in an upcoming group, contact Dr. Rhondie Vorhees, the Program Coordinator, at rhondie@umd.edu.  Furthermore, contact Dr. Vorhees to express interest in becoming a Peer Dialogue Leader, and facilitating dialogue groups.