CRED fellow to open dialogue between students, administrators about hate bias incidents

Fellows of the Study of Terrorism and Response to Terrorism (START) Community Resilience, Engagement and Dialogue (CRED) initiative will discuss more than a year of research into responses to hate bias incidents at the University of Maryland at a “Dialogue Dinner” planned for Wednesday.

As part of long-term CRED efforts to counter violent extremism and enhance community resilience programs, fellows have identified a communication gap between university administrators, faculty, and students when it comes to hate bias incidents.

“The culmination of our experience and research really revolves around the idea that not everybody has the right answer, but having a conversation about this issue is the most important part,” Samuel Koralnik, a CRED fellow, said.

Research indicates that faculty members want to discuss these issues with students but often don’t feel they have access to appropriate channels. Students, meanwhile, reported little knowledge about resources available on the campus to discuss or respond to hate bias issues.

In an effort to close the communication gap, CRED fellows scheduled the Dialogue Dinner on Wednesday as a forum for faculty and students to discuss issues impact the campus. Participants will be broken into groups and will run through hypothetical hate-bias scenarios to discuss appropriate responses, concerns, and hesitations.

The goals of Wednesday’s event is to open a dialogue between students and administrators and to promote awareness of resources that are currently available to students, faculty, and administrators.