Seizing Civility: Between Conflict and Community

Civility encompasses acceptance, compassion, responsibility, integrity, and respect. Through this presentation, students will explore the aspects of civility and gain perspective on how civility impacts their experience within the community. Through interactive activities and discussion, students will develop an understanding for their personal values, learn about destructive and constructive conflict, and develop strategies to make positive choices that impact them and their community.

Learning Outcomes

The Seizing Civility: Between Conflict and Community presentation supports University 101 learning outcomes:

II. . Help Students Discover and Connect with the University of South Carolina
b. Develop and apply skills that contribute to building positive relationships with peers, staff, and faculty.
This presentation focuses on understanding the community that surrounds each individual, positive actions they can take to develop relationships and community with others, and ways to apply civility in their life to positively impact the community. As a result of this, students will develop skills to build stronger relationships and uphold civility in their relationships and actions.

III. Help Students Discover and Connect with the University of South Carolina?
c. Describe and demonstrate principles of responsible citizenship within and beyond the campus community.
Throughout this presentation participants will explore personal values and actions of responsible citizenship. Throughout the presentation, students will explore the community around them and develop an understanding to apply civility and values to their choices.

As a result of attending this presentation students will:

• Identify how actions affect others in their community
• Develop and understand their own personal code of ethics and how their actions reflect their personal character and values
• Learn common destructive tactics for resolving interpersonal conflict and identify which ones they may be employing.
• Learn productive tactics for resolving interpersonal conflict and commit to using strategies with which they identify.

Presentation Outline

• Introduction
  • o Defining Civility – The class will discuss what civility means to them and how civility is explored at the University of South Carolina
• Presentation Expectations
• Creating a Civil Community
  • Throughout this activity, students will explore their personal values and how these personal values impact the actions and support of their community. This activity will allow students to visually see what happens when they do not uphold their values and foster civility in the community. After completing the activity, students will reflect on their experience and its implications on their choices.
• Constructive Conflict
  • Students will begin to navigate the differences between destructive and constructive conflict resolution tactics. Students will begin to understand that not all conflict has to be destructive and begin a personal plan for them to address conflict in a healthy way. As a complement to this, students will practice identifying and avoiding unproduc tive ways of dealing with conflict.
• Reflection on presentation activities
• Campus resources and events surrounding civility and the University of South Carolina’s Civility Campaign

Presentation Length
50 minutes or 75 minutes