UNC Pembroke Expands Civil Discourse Through College Debates & Discourse Alliance

At a time when national conversations often grow louder and more divided, UNC Pembroke is creating space for something different — structured, student-led debates where listening matters as much as speaking.

Recently, approximately 40 students gathered in Upchurch Auditorium for a Braver Angels–style debate on the timely topic: “ Does federal enforcement lead to safer communities? ” The discussion comes amid national debate over federal law enforcement practices following fatal shootings involving federal immigration agents in Minneapolis and the widespread protests that followed.

But this isn't the first time UNCP students have tackled a hot topic of debate. Since launching in fall 2024, UNCP's College Debates & Discourse Alliance (CD&D) initiative has transformed campus conversations by creating structured, respectful spaces for students, faculty and staff to engage in meaningful dialogue on today's most complex issues.

Unlike traditional debates, CD&D Alliance events are not about winning arguments. Instead, they focus on understanding opposing viewpoints, clarifying differences, identifying shared concerns and modeling civil disagreement.

“Our civil debates are open to faculty, staff and students in a flattened-hierarchy style where all voices are invited, respected and heard,” said Dr. Melanie Escue, assistant professor of sociology and faculty fellow for UNCP's CD&D Alliance team. “The primary goal is to teach students how to engage respectfully with viewpoints they may disagree with. Those skills make them more marketable in the workplace and help them build stronger relationships throughout life.”

The CD&D Alliance is a national, nonpartisan organization that promotes healthy dialogue on college campuses. Now in its second year at UNCP, the program has hosted six campus-wide debates and launched more than a dozen faculty professional development workshops, classroom debates and dialogues. This semester alone, nine classroom debates are scheduled across disciplines, enriching discussions in sociology, political science, business and computer science classrooms.

Our mission is to depolarize college campuses by bringing everyone together in a collective search for truth on topics selected by and for our campus community.

Students drive the experience by selecting the debate topics, which have ranged from artificial intelligence in higher education and abortion rights to gender-affirming care for minors, DEI policies and whether government assistance sustains intergenerational poverty. A previous DEI debate drew more than 60 attendees.

“The greatest part of the program is that we don't pick the topic — the students do,” Escue said. “Students are thinking about these issues because they are impacting them. Providing a structured space allows them to discuss these topics productively instead of letting conversations devolve into chaos.”

The initiative also offers paid student fellowships, giving participants leadership experience and professional development. Student fellows Ronnie Williams and Blossom Okorie help organize and market events and are training to moderate debates themselves.

Senior Quintez Shipman, a double major in psychology and criminal justice, has participated twice.

“It improves critical thinking and public speaking skills,” Shipman said. “I like hearing both sides of an argument, staying neutral and seeing how it plays out. The battle of ideas intrigues me. We need more opportunities like this. The way these debates are set up keeps everything calm, even when topics could get out of control.”

For junior criminal justice major Synia Evans, the experience meant speaking publicly in a debate for the first time.

“These debates teach you to have empathy and an open mind,” Evans said. “It allows you to put yourself out there and convey your ideas without fear of being attacked. It gives me something to think about when I get home — especially my beliefs about the government and current events. It makes me feel that my voice matters.”

Evans plans to pursue a career as a forensic psychologist after graduation and says the experience has strengthened both her confidence and communication skills.

Faculty and administrators also participate. Dr. Ben Kehrwald, director of Online Learning, joined the recent discussion, reflecting the program's campus-wide engagement model.

Looking ahead, CD&D Alliance leaders hope to expand both campus-wide debates — currently held twice per semester — and classroom-based discussions across additional departments, creating what Escue calls a civil discourse “community of practice.”

“Our mission is to depolarize college campuses by bringing everyone together in a collective search for truth on topics selected by and for our campus community,” Escue said. “We are setting that foundation here at UNCP.”

For more information about upcoming debates or how to get involved, you are encouraged to email Dr. Melanie Escue at melanie.escue@uncp.edu .