Last week we asked students if they believe the American Dream is still a reality today. See what your fellow Dukes had to say!

We're hiring! Join the Madison Center staff as either a 2024-25 Democracy Fellow or a 2024 Facilitation Fellow. Apply at the link in our bio.

Thank you and good luck to all of our graduating Democracy Fellows! They have done amazing work this academic year and will do incredible things in the future. Apply to be a Democracy Fellow at the link in our bio.

Interim Executive Director Dr. Kara Dillard and Campus Vote Project Campus Vote Project Democracy Fellow Caroline Woodson at the AASCU's American Democracy Project AASCU ADP Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement conference June 5-7th. Swipe to learn about their presentations.

The Madison Center is proud to be the new home of The Good Society, an esteemed peer-reviewed journal featuring interdisciplinary research for understanding and enhancing civic society, published by Penn State Press.

Join the 2024-25 Facilitation Fellows cohort! Apply at the link in our bio and contact [email protected] – or dm us – for more information.

Join our interim Executive Director Dr. Kara Dillard as she and other experts in facilitation offer strategies for effectively engaging in challenging conversations in the college classroom. Register at the link in bio.

JMU deeply values freedom of speech and free expression, and all our incoming students will learn how to have difficult conversations with people who hold different values, beliefs, and opinions. Join us in having Better Conversations, Together. Learn more at the link in our bio.

"We want to produce students who can be active agents in their communities for the common good." Dr. Kara Dillard discusses The Madison Center's goal of developing civic dialogue skills in first year students: jmu.edu/news/2024/08/1…

As the institution named after the Father of the Constitution, the Madison Center joins the country in celebrating Constitution Day. Look for special voter registration events around campus this week.

We are honored to host Raj Vinnakota, president of the Institute for Citizens and Scholars, as our 2024 Constitution Day speaker. Join us on September 25th for a discussion on bridging our political divides and the role of democracy in higher education.

Join us in person or via the livestream tonight! Dr. Kara Dillard and I will be leading the fireside chat with Raj Vinnakota, discussing how we can bridge our political divides and develop skills in civil discourse for a stronger democracy.

Raj Vinnakota, President of Institute for Citizens & Scholars, led our 2024 Constitution Day program. He spoke with many students throughout his visit, including the Madison Center’s Democracy and Facilitation Fellows, about the importance of civil discourse in higher education.

Join us for our next Common Good Conversation with JMU alumnus Marcus Jones, city manager of Charlotte, NC on the challenges and strategies for managing cities in increasingly polarizing times. RSVP required at the link in bio.

The Madison Center for Civic Engagement invites applications for an associate director to begin in July 2025. Learn more about this position at the link in our bio.

Congratulations to Dr. Kara Dillard on her appointment as the Executive Director of the Madison Center for Civic Engagement! Dr. Dillard looks forward to continuing her successful leadership of the Center in addressing critical issues of civic participation and public discourse.

We are thrilled to announce the future home of the Madison Center, Alger Hall! Currently Spotswood Hall, this soon-to-be renovated residence hall will house the civic leadership living-learning community, including a dedicated entrance and meeting space for the Madison Center.

Join us on April 14th for Common Good in the Commonwealth, where two JMU alumni come together to prove that leading across political divides is possible. Don’t miss this powerful conversation on collaborating across the aisle to tackle Virginia’s biggest challenges!

Hear from JMU VP David C. Kirkpatrick as he shares about how training students as Facilitation Fellows moves the needle on college campus discourse. Interested in being a Facilitation Fellow? See link in bio to apply. collegepresidents.org/story/peer-fac…

Join the Madison Center and the Office of the President in Wilson Hall this Monday as JMU alumni and Senators Surovell and McDougle discuss their approach to working across divides for the common good.