Can Colleges Foster Civil Discourse?

Since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, protests and disruptions have proliferated on college campuses. Institutional statements have flopped. Speakers have come under fire. Events have been canceled. Leaders of elite institutions have resigned from their posts. As colleges have struggled to appease their students and faculty at home and donors and politicians from afar, a key question emerged: Can colleges fulfill one of their fundamental missions by fostering spaces for civil discourse?