Cultivate Civic and Social Skills in the Classroom
Equip faculty with practical strategies to foster meaningful dialogue and critical thinking to prepare for engaged citizenship.
Foster Thoughtful Communication in Polarizing Times
As public discourse grows more polarized, students must learn to communicate thoughtfully, develop reasoned viewpoints, and engage constructively across differences.
Yet many faculty report discomfort with facilitating conversations on contentious issues, moderating conflict, and balancing student voices to ensure multiple perspectives are represented. With structured pedagogical approaches, faculty can gain the confidence to guide meaningful dialogue while strengthening students’ communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills—deepening learning and preparing students for engaged citizenship.
The Rising Importance of Critical Thinking and Informed Engagement
87%
of faculty say it is difficult to have open and honest conversations about divisive topics.
67%
of students report self-censoring in the classroom, limiting valuable educational conversations on campus.
54%
of faculty say they teach critical thinking, yet students report these skills are often taught implicitly rather than through structured instruction.
Participation Through Structured Engagement
ACUE’s Endorsement in Cultivating Civic and Social Skills recognizes applied expertise in fostering critical thinking and meaningful dialogue to prepare students for engaged citizenship and productive interactions.
Through Quick Studies, expert-led events, and curated resources, faculty gain practical strategies to strengthen students’ analytical thinking, media literacy, and reasoning while supporting productive communication and learning.
How Faculty Earn ACUE Endorsements
ACUE Endorsements are earned exclusively through ACUE Commons, our community of practice that supports institutions in sustaining faculty growth through ongoing learning, collaboration, and professional development on timely topics in higher education.
Faculty earn points toward an Endorsement by engaging in Quick Studies—one-hour, self-paced courses—along with expert-led events, and curated resources. The recognition is valid for one year, encouraging faculty to stay current as practices and conversations evolve.
This Endorsement prepares faculty to:
Cultivate critical thinking skills by teaching students to question assumptions, evaluate evidence, and solve complex problems.
Implement deliberative dialogue using structured frameworks to help students engage deeply with complex, multifaceted issues and explore multiple stances through thoughtful preparation.
Enhance media literacy by giving students the tools to verify information, assess sources, and reflect on their media consumption.
Build teamwork skills to strengthen collaboration and problem-solving
Foster constructive dialogue by developing guidelines and teaching active listening to ensure productive conversations.
Facilitate and assess engagement in deliberative dialogue by managing discussion challenges and using debriefing strategies to reinforce learning.
Ready to Get Started with ACUE Commons?
New to ACUE?
Connect with ACUE to explore institution-wide access to ACUE Commons and support your faculty and campus leaders.
Have Commons?
Encourage your faculty to start the Cultivating Civic and Social Skills Quick Study series to begin working toward their endorsement!
About ACUE
The Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) is dedicated to student success through high-quality instruction. In partnership with higher education institutions, we offer the only nationally recognized Effective Teaching certification, endorsed by the American Council on Education (ACE), supported by a vibrant online community of practice focused on advancing teaching excellence.
