TDI is a national network of multidisciplinary scholars, campus leaders, and civic leaders in the fields of democratic dialogue, public deliberation, and democracy-building.

Our mission is to strengthen public life and democracy in and through higher education.

Our mission has changed! We dropped “deliberative” from our tag line and mission statement. To learn why, click here

Upcoming Events

A New England conference, Higher Education and the Greater Good
When: April 13-14, 2010
Where: Burlington VT
Host: New England Campus Compact

Conference: Agents and Architects of Democracy: Moving from Rhetoric to Reality
When & Where: June 17-19, 2010 in Providence, RI
For more information, click hereCall for proposals due Feb. 8, 2010... More»

Webcast Preparing for Citizenship or a Career - a False Choice
When: April 29, 3 pm
Where: On your campus – beam it in!
Sponsor: The American Democracy Project, AASCU

2nd Annual Summer Institute for Civic Studies
When: July 12-22
Where: Tufts University
Sponsor: the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service and CIRCLE, Tufts University

The Future of Community Engagement in Higher Education: A Summer Research Institute
When: June 25-27
Where: Boston University
Sponsor: Merrimack College

Facing the Divides: Diversity, Learning, and Pathways to Inclusive Excellence
When: October 21-23
Where: Houston, TX
Sponsor: Association of American Colleges and Universities

Make a Note of This

Ever wonder about the other organizations in higher education that are doing civic education and democracy work? We often draw your attention to two in particular: the University Network for Collaborative Government and AASCU’s American Democracy Project. Learn More »

TDI board member Peter Levine has done it again, this time with a contemporary look at literature, ethics, and history as he makes the case for the humanities as a foundation for moral development. Reforming the Humanities Literature and Ethics from Dante through Modern Times. Palgrave MacMillan Press (2009)

Most of us never got a chance to take this life-changing course at Harvard, so here’s the next best thing (the course was available on line for a while too): Michael J. Sandel (2009) Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do? New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux Press.

We're excited about a new web-based initiative, a call for stories about community-university engagement. When you visit the site, tell your community-partnership story and then tell us so we can send a notice out to our other members. Learn More »

The American Prospect Special Issue
The American Prospect has a new special report dedicated to revitalizing American democracy. You can read the six lead articles including one on deliberative democracy here. More »

Get Involved

TDI is experimenting with small, short-term, virtual working groups on topics proposed by our members. There's no cost, of course. We just want to make the most of your best thinking and ideas. Right now, you can sign up for working groups. Learn More»

Read about and contribute to the resources linked to the No Better Time conference.

Contribute to the Syllabi Repository
TDI is embarking on an ambitious project to develop a deliberative democracy syllabi repository. Learn how you can contribute! More »