Intergroup Dialogue

EDUC 2610/ILRID 2610

Since 2012, the Center for Dialogue & Pluralism has offered its signature course for undergraduates, Intergroup Dialogue (EDUC/ILRID 2610). This course, now enrolling ~150 students per semester, provides an academic and experiential introduction to dialogue in a pluralistic society. Students learn and practice frameworks and skills for fostering human connection, communicating across and about human differences, and collaborating for the social good. Students consistently describe the course as a transformative experience, one that equips them to build more fulfilling relationships, navigate professional challenges, and make positive contributions to their communities.

Learning in this course happens through critical self-reflection, interaction with others, engagement with theoretical and empirical research, and application of course concepts and skills. Most in-class time is spent in small sections of at most 20 students. Each section is led by two undergraduate peer facilitators. Peer facilitation allows the development of a co-learning environment and supports meaningful connection within the section. Facilitators are extensively trained and supported as educators by CDP faculty (see Leading Dialogue Across Difference – EDUC/ILRID 4826).

Instructors: Dr. Adi Grabiner Keinan & Jazlin Gomez Garner
Distribution Requirements: AG-Human Diversity (D-AG); AG-Social and Behavioral Analysis (SBA-AG); HA-Diversity and Inclusion (D-HA); IL-In-College Advanced Elective (ICE-IL)
Exploratory Studies: Community-Engaged Learning (CU-CEL)
Offered: Fall & Spring
3 credits. Letter grade only.

Visit the Class Roster for Course Times

In this course, you will learn to connect and communicate about and across differences of perspective, experience, and identity, and explore your agency to advance the social good. Through faculty lectures, engaged assignments, and conversations led by trained undergraduate facilitators, you will learn frameworks and practice skills in the areas of human connection, dimensions of difference, intentional communication, and collaborative change. Together, you will build a community of active and critically reflective co-learners; foster connections with self, others, and society; examine how human differences are shaped by sociocultural and historical contexts; and consider their consequences for politics, society, and everyday life. You will also engage in productive dialogue and generative conflict around contemporary issues and co-develop strategies that advance the social good.

EDUC 2610/ILRID 2610 is open to all Cornell undergraduate students. Each section comprises 14 – 20 students and two trained peer facilitators. Classes meet once a week for three hours. 

To support meaningful intergroup dialogue and maximize learning, we intentionally build sections that reflect a range of perspectives and experiences after students enroll in the course.

Throughout the semester, students will have the opportunity to advance their understanding and capacity in each of the four development areas: human connection, dimensions of difference, intentional communication, and collaborative change. At the successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

  • Connect with oneself and others in a way that foregrounds human complexity and deepens a sense of mutual responsibility with others in society.
  • Analyze the impacts of multiple dimensions of difference (perspective, experience, identity) at the self, interpersonal, institutional, and societal levels.
  • Assess and critically evaluate information, theories, and assumptions from multiple and divergent perspectives, and examine their impact on individuals and communities.
  • Engage in effective dialogue about and across differences in multiple contexts.
  • Identify personal and collective agency for responsible and effective change.
  • Demonstrate clear and effective verbal and written communication of one’s own personal perspective, based on lived experiences, empirical research, and conceptual knowledge.

Undergraduates report experiencing significantly more constructive listening behaviors (Kluger, & Bouskila‐Yam, 2017) in Intergroup Dialogue compared to other courses they’ve taken at Cornell. 

  • “Being a good listener is something that I want to do as a result of my experience in this course. And with that, I definitely want to meet and connect with more people here at cornell.” (SP26)
  • “I learned that I struggle to make space for others to speak and this is something I have worked a lot on in this course.” (FA25)
  • “I realized that as a listener, I tend to interject and ask a lot of questions before the person is done speaking, and now after having taken this course, I will often catch myself holding back my questions until my friends are done sharing.” (SP26)

From the beginning to the end of the course, undergraduates in EDUC 2610 demonstrate a significant increase in their scores on a survey measure of skills in dealing with conflict (Gurin et al., 2013)

  • “I learned that despite the discomfort and frustration, I am capable of having empathy and holding dialogues with those who hold different views to mine.” (SP26)
  • “Conflict is not as negative as I thought before taking this class. If participants are all open-minded, intellectually curious, and equipped with skills for listening and responding respectfully to others, conflict can actually be really constructive in finding common ground, building connections across difference, and highlighting the best paths forward for change.” (SP26)

What distribution requirements does Intergroup Dialogue fulfill?

  • AAP: Required Out of Department Humanities Elective: Cultural Analysis (CA) & Social Behavior Analysis (SBA)
  • CALS:
    • Pre-2025 CALS requirements (students who started at Cornell before fall 2025): Diversity (D), Cultural Analysis (CA), & Social Behavior Analysis (SBA) distribution requirements.
    • Post-2025 CALS requirements (students who started at Cornell in fall 2025 or later): Science, Society & Sustainable Studies & Cultural, Social & Historical Understanding
  • CHE: Cultural Analysis (CA) and Social Behavior Analysis (SBA) distribution requirements.
  • COE: Diversity (D), Cultural Analysis (CA), & Social Behavior Analysis (SBA) distribution requirement.
  • Dyson:  Human Diversity college distribution requirement.
  • ILR: Diversity (for students who matriculated in or after fall 2022), In-College Advanced Elective (ICE-IL)
  • SHA: Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Course.
  • Applicable towards:
      • BPP Health Care Policy Major
      • CALS Education Minor
      • CALS Leadership Minor
      • CAS Inequality Studies Minor
      • Certificate in Engaged Leadership

We suggest you confirm with your college, as distribution requirements may change.

Can I enroll in ILRID 2610?

Students wanting to enroll in ILRID 2610 should enroll in EDUC 2610 during pre-enroll. Students will be able to switch to ILRID 2610 during add/drop as needed.

How do I drop Intergroup Dialogue?

Once the class has started, dropping Intergroup Dialogue requires department consent, as it is important for us to have an accurate course roster and to know if a student is dropping so we can add additional students from the waitlist.

Submit an Intergroup Dialogue Removal Request Form to notify us of your intention to drop the course and to receive department consent to drop the course in Student Center. The details we ask for in the form help us process your request as quickly as possible. You will receive an email notification once your request has been processed.

ILR students must meet with an advisor in OSS to request permission to drop after the add deadline.

Here’s what students have said about the course…

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This class was really helpful for building meaningful conversations between people.

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[In EDUC 2610] I learned that making meaningful connections in the classroom setting is possible.

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I will continue using active listening to make more meaningful connections with other people. It keeps me engaged and patient when speaking to others.

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I plan to utilize communication strategies that I have learned through [CDP] in order to form better and more genuine connections with others.

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I plan to expose myself to as many diverse perspectives as possible. Whenever I am confused by someones actions, I will ask them about their reasoning/learn more about them instead of immediately making a judgment.

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Now I know how to admit when I do not know something and ask questions to help me learn more, rather than shutting down or feeling embarrassed.

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I am much more open-minded than I was coming into this course, and I think I am now comfortable with recognizing how spheres of influence have shaped me and to ask myself why and how that is.

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I plan to engage in more dialogue with my friends and family about topics we disagree with.

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Talking about topics of conflict through the skills we learned in the class allowed me to learn a lot more about the people I was talking with and just how similar we were, while also better understanding the perspectives of people who I disagreed with.

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After this course, [I plan on] being more open to engaging in difficult conversations with people around me at Cornell. I have learned a lot from engaging with people who disagree with me.

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I really enjoyed the time we took to practice being intentional with communication. I think those skills of active listening and deep questioning will prove helpful in many future endeavours.

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I learned how to be vulnerable and engage in conflict with confidence.

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[After EDUC 2610] I am to better explain my ideas and grasp others’ perspectives

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I learned skills for engaging in constructive dialogue, rather than arguments that go in circles.

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[After EDUC 2610] I feel as though I can be a more informed and active member of society

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I genuinely find myself using the frameworks we learned in this class during my day to day...

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Now I know how to admit when I do not know something and ask questions to help me learn more, rather than shutting down or feeling embarrassed.

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I am someone that struggles initiating conversation with new people and this class forced me to do that, which made me learn how important it truly is.

Please contact dialogue@cornell.edu with any questions.