Course Topic & Description: Introduction to Civil Discourse- This course will introduce major themes related to the role of civil discourse in a democracy, including theories and methods across Communication and related disciplines. The class will introduce the spaces and places for demonstration, dialogue, and deliberation keying in on themes and tensions related to civility and freedom of speech. A central focus will be what public participation looks like and how it has evolved historically from linear models to interactive models. The course will examine the benefits and gaps of different participation methodologies and the role of discourse within them, and also introduce students to related facilitation techniques and deliberative practices.