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Get the most interesting and important stories from the University of Pittsburgh.On April 20, the University of Pittsburgh hosted “Navigating the Information Landscape: A Civic Fluency Forum,” in partnership with Citizens and Scholars. The event invited students, faculty and staff to explore challenges and opportunities in civic discourse and identified moments for future cross-campus engagement.
The event included remarks from Chancellor Joan Gabel, who emphasized the importance of civic discourse among Pitt’s priorities and society at large. She noted examples of Pitt’s leadership in this space, such as the University’s early role in signing the Campus Call for Free Expression, Pitt’s partnership with Citizens and Scholars, and her own role in the College Presidents for Civic Preparedness.
Gabel concluded her remarks by underscoring that the University’s commitment to civic discourse and dialogue is not going anywhere.
“We're deeply committed to this being a structural part of who we are, a systemic part of who we are,” Chancellor Gabel said in the event’s closing remarks. “There is a different nuance, in my opinion, between saying ‘let's figure out how we can disagree’ to then saying, ‘what do we do about it?’”
Establishing common ground
Since declaring 2023-25 the Years of Discourse and Dialogue, the University has remained committed to fostering productive and respectful conversations across campus. These efforts have been led by Dean Carissa Slotterback of the School of Public and International Affairs, who co-chaired the Year of Discourse and Dialogue steering committee.
“We’ve worked really broadly across the campus to be able to continue to advance this work,” Slotterback said at Monday’s event. “As the work has continued to grow and evolve, we're diving into today with a new, interesting and compelling framing for this work: elevating our intentions to enhance civic fluency.”
A keynote speech from Cathy Copeland, Citizens and Scholars’ director of campuswide immersion, introduced the concept of civic fluency and established a common definition for those in attendance.
Copeland defined “civic fluency” as the ability to assess information, distinguish facts from misinformation and form one’s own evidence-based opinion.
The concept is a key part of the University’s civic discourse initiatives.
“It’s deeply embedded in who we are and what this university represents,” said Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor Joseph McCarthy. “Whether it be in classrooms, co-curricular experiences or community partnerships, Pitt builds the habits and skills that enable thoughtful engagement across difference.”
Hearing the perspective of students
Following the conversation on civic fluency, a panel of students from different majors and academic perspectives came together to talk about challenges they’ve faced with misinformation in both their academic and personal lives. One such topic was the challenge of discerning false content on social media platforms as generative AI use grows.
“Even if you're good at catching misinformation, there’s just so much sheer volume that at some point, you're going to see something that you don't really realize is AI generated,” said Patrick Ryan, a junior in the Department of English in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences and member of the Student Government Executive Board. That challenge, the students argued, is a danger that can lead people to believe in something untrue.
[See more ways Pitt cultivates an environment of mutual respect.]
The student panel also discussed how Pitt has helped enhance their civic fluency in an effort to better understand the world around them — and to enable them to have these open conversations.
“I think that this university does a great job empowering its students to do the work while they're still here, and we're still forming our ideals and convictions about what civic discourse looks like,” said Cole Belling, a senior studying politics and philosophy, who serves as the president of BridgePittsburgh, a student group focused on promoting thoughtful political discourse.
Staff, faculty weigh in on university support
Following the student panel, a panel of faculty and staff discussed challenges and strategies for fostering information literacy among students. The group considered how to best prepare students for success in civic conversation. One key observation shared across the panel was that many Pitt students are already dedicated to the concept of civic discourse; it’s just a matter of making sure they know about opportunities to explore it.
“Students are engaged and they really want to do something,” said Samuel Woolley, an associate professor in the Department of Communication in the Dietrich School. “But they need help to know where they can do that thing. Like what the opportunities are, what the options are, not just within the University in terms of research or clubs or other kinds of involvement, but also outside of the University, beyond a traditional career.”
The experts also discussed ways staff and faculty can offer the kinds of opportunities Woolley mentioned, such as increasing the focus on research and project-based learning.
[Learn more about undergraduate research opportunities at Pitt.]
With these opportunities, students will have more chances to engage in open and respectful conversation and experience it, rather than simply considering the possibility. Or, as Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies Adam Lee put it, in a metaphor drawn from coaching his children’s hockey team:
“It’s one thing to sit down and run a play on a whiteboard, it’s another thing to do it when somebody’s trying to check you into the boards.”
Photography by Aimee Obidzinski