The Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy announced on May 1 that it has joined the Constructive Dialogue Scaling Initiative, a national program designed to embed constructive dialogue across leading schools of public service.
The initiative is intended to help students engage productively with people who have different perspectives, which organizers say is increasingly important as open discussion becomes more challenging on college campuses. As part of the Volcker Alliance Deans Summit, the Bloustein School will participate in this coordinated effort aimed at shifting constructive dialogue from isolated programs to an institution-wide culture change.
The Constructive Dialogue Scaling Initiative was launched by the Volcker Alliance in partnership with the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Ithaca Initiative at the University of Delaware’s Biden School of Public Policy & Administration. Participating universities will collaborate throughout the 2026-27 academic year through structured convenings and peer-to-peer exchanges, beginning with a national event co-hosted by the University of Delaware and Volcker Alliance in June. “This current moment is an alarm bell and universities need to step up in the constructive dialogue space,” said Sara Mogulescu, President of The Volcker Alliance. “Now is the time for universities and their schools of public service to think big together about how to implement large-scale culture change grounded in constructive dialogue. Constructive dialogue is a defining competency for leadership in a diverse and democratic society.”
A previous pilot phase involved 14 schools testing curricula developed with support from the Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI), summarized in a report titled Preparing Public Leaders for Polarized Times. This new phase seeks broader cultural transformation across entire campuses rather than individual programs or departments.
Joe Trainor, interim dean of the Biden School, said: “The convening is about bringing schools together to understand the constructive dialogue landscape and set goals for really moving the field forward… Now more than ever, we need to have conversations with leaders and faculty from different schools, so our students are collectively prepared to be constructive collaborators when they graduate.”
According to its official website, the Bloustein School operates as part of Rutgers University—the State University of New Jersey—and focuses on fostering just, socially inclusive, environmentally sustainable, and healthy communities at local, national, and global levels. The school has earned recognition through its Hall of Fame since 2013 as well as annual achievement awards dating back to 1994; it also received high national rankings including third place for its graduate urban planning program and fourth place for its undergraduate public health program according to its official website. Its research centers address community development, transportation policy, health issues, workforce development initiatives and energy policy according to school sources. Stuart Shapiro assumed his role as dean at Bloustein School in 2023 according to its official website.