Leading tough conversations across campus.
The Prindle Institute’s newest program for DePauw Students is a student fellowship experience designed around DePauw’s participation in the Intercollegiate Civil Disagreement Partnership (ICDP). The ICDP is a consortium of Ethics Institutes from around the country working to foster democratically crucial skills and dispositions among students from all walks of life.
About the Partnership
The Intercollegiate Civil Disagreement Partnership (ICDP) is a consortium of ethics centers at six colleges and universities across the US that collectively provide a fellowship experience for students at those institutions focused on civil disagreement and dialogue. The six institutions (Harvard University, Stanford University, Santa Fe Community College, St. Philip’s College, California State University, Bakersfield, and DePauw University) are diverse geographically, in their structure, and in the students they serve, which allows students at these institutions to interact across many dimensions of difference.
The ICDP began in 2020, and is committed to three core principles:
- Democracy requires on-going work and investment.
- Civil disagreement is a core democratic practice.
- Civil disagreement begins with dialogue; a dialogic approach provides the needed structures and practices for civil disagreement.
Each institution has 5-6 fellows per year who participate in the program, as well as 1-2 senior fellows who take on a leadership role for the year. The fellows at all the partner institutions come together in the summer for an in-person convention where they learn how to have and how to facilitate discussions across differences. Fellows then return to implement these practices on their own campuses.
To apply to be an ICDP Fellow for the 2025-26 academic year use the button below by April 18, 2025. You will need to prepare the following:
- A brief paragraph explaining why you are interested in participating and what skills you hope to gain from the program
- A brief paragraph about your background and/or any experiences you have had that have shaped your perspectives on political issues
- A few discussion topics that you would like to explore during the year-long fellowship
- A resume/CV
Requirements to be an ICDP Fellow for the 2025-26 academic year are:
- Attend the in-person Summer Convention at the Prindle Institute August 11-14.
- Commit to 1-1.5 hours per week for fellowship activities
- Attend the in-person Winter Convention in late January/early February 2026 (encouraged, but optional)
ICDP Fellows receive a $1,000 stipend as part of their participation in the program.
Apply Now