Residential Program in Enlightened Disagreement
The Litowitz Center for Enlightened Disagreement and Division of Student Affairs have partnered on a program to introduce undergraduates to the Litowitz Center’s mission of harnessing the power of disagreement for good. This strategic partnership helps students engage effectively with classmates from varied backgrounds. To maximize the impact on students’ social lives and relationship-building skills, the year-long program is offered in residence halls, where students put their learnings into practice.
Participants learn to become better listeners, more accurately identify areas of (dis)agreement with others on moralized issues, and more confidently and effectively contribute their own perspectives to the discourse.
Students who complete the program receive a certificate in enlightened disagreement sponsored by the Kellogg School of Management.
Questions about the program can be directed to litowitz-curriculum@northwestern.edu.
Expressions of Interest
Recruitment for the 2026-27 program has closed. The Litowitz Center invites undergraduate students to express interest in this year’s program (should spaces open up), next year’s program, or other elective opportunities.Interest Form (for student use only)
Program Schedule
Participants attend two evening sessions per quarter in cohorts defined by residential areas. For student convenience and cohort community-building, a catered dinner is served before sessions begin.
Across topical modules, experts from Northwestern University and beyond introduce relevant scholarship and facilitate activities to practice associated skills. Fall Quarter focuses on fundamentals of enlightened disagreement, such as active listening. In Winter Quarter, participants engage in structured disagreement through different modes of communication. The capstone comes in Spring Quarter as students apply what they have learned in the program to meaningful interactions beyond the confines of a cohort session.
Note: Topics and facilitators are subject to change in 2026-27.
-
-
Module 1: “Yes And! Using Improv for More Effective Interactions” with Heather Barnes (Kellogg School of Management). Explore ways to quickly establish points of connection with others and experience the difference between listening to understand versus listening to respond. Discover methods to effectively build trust, empathy, and develop essential people leadership skills. Prepare to support others, participate without judgement, let go of fear, and experience how to create space for all to engage.
-
Module 2: “Wicked Problems: Talking About Values to Understand Each Other’s Positions” with Martin Carcasson (Colorado State University). How can we build capacity to tap into the best of human nature? Carcasson has designed processes to help communities have better conversations. Bringing values to the forefront of policy discussions shifts the focus from positions (what we want) to underlying interests (why we want that). Thinking about your values and how you prioritize them can prepare you to think clearly and empathetically in a difficult moment or throughout challenging times.
-
-
-
Module 3: “Point Taken: Structured Disagreement via Argument Mapping” with Steven Franconeri (Northwestern University). When handled thoughtfully, disagreement sharpens ideas, improves policies, and brings people closer to the truth. But too often, hard conversations spiral into outrage, misinformation, and distrust. That’s not because people don’t care. It’s because we don't disagree well. Point Taken, a writing-based conversation game developed by Franconeri, helps fix that, and students will learn about the science behind it before playing.
-
Module 4: “Strengthening Democracy via Deliberative Polling.” Stanford’s Deliberative Democracy Lab uses deliberative polling to structure policy discussions and examine how attitudes and even voting behaviors can shift as people listen and learn about competing viewpoints. Researchers have implemented studies domestically and internationally to create neutral environments for deliberation. With the Deliberative Democracy Lab’s support in adapting their protocol, this module will introduce students to the research methods and participant experience of deliberative polling.
-
-
-
Module 5: Details to be published during Fall Quarter.
-
Module 6: “How Minds Change: Understanding Perception and Persuasion” with David McRaney (author and journalist). Drawing on politics and cognitive science, McRaney explores why people see the world so differently and how we can engage those differences ethically. He explains the difference between beliefs (what we think is true) and attitudes (how we feel about something), and shows how openness to new ideas is shaped by our sense of identity, desire to belong, and need to make our own choices. Participants will learn and practice conversational techniques (e.g., telescoping and guided metacognition) that help build trust, surface assumptions, and ease the discomfort felt when new information conflicts with existing beliefs.
-