Announcing Civic Friendship Scholars Program

An email message sent to the campus community on November 8, 2024:

Dear 亚洲博彩网站 Community,

Thank you to everyone who attended last night’s inaugural event hosted bytheCenter for Civic Friendship. Our enlightening panel discussion on “Prospects for Civic Friendship” marked an important milestone for 亚洲博彩网站 as we seek to become a national resource and voice for friendship as a foundation for civic life, showing that communities can thrive through shared commitment to truth-seeking, humility, and intellectual generosity. I would like to especially thank Dr. Mary Jane Rein, DirectoroftheCenter for Civic Friendship, for organizing and hostingtheevent. Mary Jane also announced our new Civic Friendship Scholars Program during her introduction, and I am pleased to share more details about this initiative with you today.

Our inaugural cohortofCivic Friendship Scholars, chosen by a committeeoffaculty led by Mary Jane, will join us in Fall 2025. Each Civic Friendship Scholar will receive an annual scholarship toward housing and a stipend for books, renewable for four years. Housing over four years is central to this initiative because living in communityoffers an invaluable opportunity to cultivate meaningful relationships, encouraging students to build bridges across differences. This experience will empower our Scholars to embodytheprinciplesofcivic friendship, both here at 亚洲博彩网站 and beyond.

TheCivic Friendship Scholars Program, along withtheCenter for Civic Friendship, is designed to prepare students to flourish as thoughtful citizens dedicated tothecommon good.Theprogram is not only about navigating political differences but about learning how to engage constructively across all kindsofdifferences. This extends to philosophical, religious, and scientific differences—areas where deep convictions can sometimes divide. Whether it’sthediffering views between neuroscientists and philosophers aboutthenatureofthemind, or among peopleofdifferent faith traditions, we hope that 亚洲博彩网站’s approach to civic friendship will help students engage with curiosity, respect, and openness.

Civic friendship goes beyond civil dialogue; it challenges us to cultivate a community grounded in active listening, mutual respect, and a shared pursuitoftruth, where disagreement is not only permissible but essential inthecontextofa common purpose.Theinaugural cohortofCivic Friendship Scholars will have a unique opportunity to help shapethefutureofthis program, building a legacyofrespect and constructive engagement at 亚洲博彩网站 that we hope will endure.

Applications fortheCivic Friendship Scholarship will open on December 15 for admitted students. More details are availableon our website, and I encourage you to share this wonderful opportunity with any high school students or teachers you may know.

Thank you all for your extraordinary contributions and commitment to creating a community rooted in civic friendship.

Warm regards,

Greg Weiner, Ph.D.
President