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America is in the midst of a polarized conversation about safety, about pride in national identity, about culture and religions, about immigration and citizen status, and about civility in our treatment of each other.
As a community and as a nation, we should open ourselves to the often uncomfortable task of listening to and understanding each other in our differences, while at the same time holding true to our values. We all have much to learn and understand about the divisions and polarizations that characterize our country today. This understanding is the path toward changes that will strengthen our country and that will strengthen us all as individuals.
I have been at Trinity University for a little more than a year and a half, and every day I am grateful to be a part of an extraordinary university and the dynamic community of San Antonio. I came to Trinity University for many reasons, and here are three I’d like to share:
First, Trinity’s location in the city of San Antonio is an advantage for our university. As the city approaches its 300th anniversary, I think of San Antonio’s rich history connected to Spain, Mexico and the Republic of Texas; today, it is a proud city in the United States of America. Our city has deep ties to Mexico and a history of exchanges with Mexican institutions. At Trinity, we value the connections that make the gateway city of San Antonio a meaningful home for a 21st-century university.
Second, the diversity and inclusion modeled throughout San Antonio make this a welcoming community for students from across the country and around the world. At Trinity, we promote thoughtful care and compassion for all individuals, and we see the world as a network of diverse communities. Our policies pledge to treat all individuals equally across categories of difference and status, such as race, religion, or national origin. I am proud that our campus includes students who list home addresses in 44 different countries. I am proud that since 2000, we have hired faculty and staff from 12 different countries. These different perspectives enrich our community.
Third, international connections are an advantage for our students’ and community’s future. Strengthening international awareness and expertise is a featured objective in Trinity’s strategic plan. The university has enhanced the recruitment of students from other countries to study at Trinity. We are striving to increase opportunities for more of our students to have meaningful study abroad experiences. Our students become open to the world through their Trinity experiences.
This year, Trinity has made a commitment to promote genuine dialogue and critical thinking by facilitating conversations among students, community members and Trinity alumni. Critical listening is a central ingredient for this commitment to succeed. As an example, Trinity hosted Michele Norris, founder of The Race Card Project. Norris is an award-winning journalist and former co-host of National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered.” She created The Race Card Project in 2010 to foster a candid dialogue about race. The “project” encourages people to describe their thinking about race in just six words, which Norris recasts to shine a light on our private beliefs about race and cultural heritage.
Our goal is to foster an environment that encourages participation in challenging conversations. We must lean into the issues rather than pull back from them. We must cultivate unwavering respect for the vastly different lived experiences of individuals. The 19th-century German sociologist and philosopher Max Weber said: “A university is a place where we can ask inconvenient questions.” Civility has been the foundation of our conversations at Trinity even when we deeply and passionately disagree as we ask inconvenient questions.
Today we need to talk more, not less. We need to listen more and learn to listen critically and with empathy. Through the conversational exchange of talking and listening, we can build connections internationally, promote inclusion and diversity, and engage openly with our world. I am proud of the emphasis Trinity University places on open conversations. The challenge of such conversations may be harder in a context of polarization, but we cannot shy away.
Danny J. Anderson is president of Trinity University.
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