Common Ground discussion program at UMD hosts talks between students

The Common Ground Multicultural Dialogue Program at the University of Maryland features talks between students about difficult topics (Vecteezy)

The Common Ground Multicultural Dialogue Program was created 20 years ago in hopes of making an environment where students could engage in difficult topics. This program is an important structure in the University’s curriculum because it encourages students to become critical thinkers in an attempt to understand the world and people that surround them.  

A 2008 study conducted by Rhondie L. Voorhees, who has a doctorate in philosophy, found that not only do discussion groups “promote and enhance cognitive development,” but also encourage the understanding of multiple perspectives. According to Voorhees, the groups provide “opportunities for experiential learning, and promote additional learning in the categories of knowledge acquisition, skill development, self-awareness, and integrated transferability.”

In a conversation with the coordinator of the Common Ground Program, Benjamin Jose Beltran, he said that the program’s main goal is to help students gain a diverse perspective on opinions that they may not agree with. Each dialogue is centered around a complex issue regarding politics and race. Some topics, like abortion and immigration law, are reused because they remain relevant while others are changed depending on “what is going on in the world around us.”

Applying to be part of this program is not tedious and selective, Beltran states. The main goal of the application process is to understand a student's perspective so that they can be placed into a discussion group that is programmed to their preferred dialogue topics. 

“From this, we are able to identify topics that a student cares about and ensure that there is a diversity of identities and perspectives,” Beltran said. 

The dialogue groups are made up of approximately 12 to 16 participants led by two trained undergraduate peer dialogue leaders, Beltran said. The groups are led by fellow students to create an environment that is secure and welcoming for everyone to engage authentically, Beltran said. 

Traditionally, the dialogue groups are composed of four sessions that are completed over the course of four weeks. However, Beltran stated that there are bigger and better things coming. The dialogue program has been given the opportunity to be a one credit course that can be completed over the course of seven weeks. 

At the end of every dialogue program, students have the opportunity to give feedback about their experience within the program, what was beneficial and what can be improved. According to Beltran, students usually report an “increase in confidence to engage in conversations on controversial or difficult topics with people that they might disagree with,” which shows the impact this program has had on students and why it is important on a college campus.