Nine students selected for Intercollegiate Civil Disagreement Partnership

Students learn how to navigate political conversations amid high polarization

By California State University, Bakersfield

November 21^st, 2024

Nine students from California State University, Bakersfield have been selected to participate in the Intercollegiate Civil Disagreement Partnership (ICDP) this year.

ICDP is a consortium of five colleges and universities that trains students on how to navigate challenging political and cultural conversations and reduce political polarization through civil dialogue.

Representing CSUB for the 2024-25 academic year are: Kira Beaudin, Joseph Blake, Guadalupe Herrera, Liesha Henderson, Jessica Killmer, Anthonio Reyes as well as three returning senior fellows: Dylan Jones, Abigail Rodela and Carmen Tomshack.

The fellows each received a $1,000 honorarium for their participation in the program, a collaboration between CSUB’s Kegley Institute of Ethics (KIE), Stanford University, Harvard University in Massachusetts, St. Philip’s College in Texas and Santa Fe College in Florida.

“The Kegley Institute of Ethics is happy to welcome a diverse, committed group of six new and three continuing ICDP fellows at a time when dialogue across political and social differences has never been more important,” said KIE Interim Director Dr. Nate Olson. “At its core, ICDP is built around the notion of building community across academic institutions and political and social divides. Our fellows are working to build bridges in partnership with students across the country.”

The fellowship kicked off with a week-long retreat this past August at the Prindle Institute of Ethics at DePauw University in Indiana. The fellows were able to develop their skills and interact with students from the other schools that are part of the ICDP. Dr. Olson and ICDP faculty coordinator Dr. Mark Evans joined with coordinators from the other campuses to lead the retreat.

Herrera, a history major and transfer student from Bakersfield College, said she was excited about participating in ICDP for the first time this year.

“I look forward to meeting a variety of different people and learning more about them,” she said. “I also hope to become a better communicator and to become more politically involved with the knowledge I gain from it.”

Reyes is a music education major who is currently serving as the vice president of legislative affairs for Associated Students Inc. He said ICDP fit well with his interests in policy advocacy. He hopes the program will help him become a better campus leader.

“My aim is to foster dialogue on campus about universal issues and promote civic engagement among students,” he said. “Personally, I look forward to growing as a leader and contributing positively to my community.”

Henderson, who is double majoring in communications and religious studies, said programs such as ICDP are important because they help people learn how to accept and appreciate individuals with different perspectives.

“We are all different, this indeed is true, but we all need to value love and respect and understanding to be empathetic and have constructive communication,” she said.