The cracks have become a chasm—a rift in trust and connection that feels nearly impossible to repair. Politicians are not leading us toward common ground, and that leaves our campuses unsettled, searching for a compass. This is not a time to sit back and wait for what might come next.
As campus leaders and student affairs professionals, we must recommit to dialogue. Real dialogue. Not performative debates scored by soundbites or timed for applause, but conversations where disagreement can serve as a bridge rather than a wedge. That space requires courage, patience, and above all, decency.
For me, the question is personal: how can I hold myself accountable to live and teach with decency, in every interaction? How can I help students see that decency is not weakness, but the foundation on which resilient communities are built?
If this is my future as an educator—to model decency not just as a value but as daily practice—then that is my best contribution to the future of our institutions.
