Tutoring OneCard Bookstore Library Canvas Self Service Self Service Email Office Apps HelpDesk Employee Hub NetID Icon NetID/Passwords
>> For Emergencies <<

Civility Week

Civility Statement

Brookdale Community College is committed to freedom of expression while maintaining a civil and ethical learning environment. We believe that a community composed of people with diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and abilities promotes learning and engagement. We are responsible for treating one another with respect and kindness regardless of our differences.

Brookdale’s signature initiative to cultivate a campus culture of democratic learning, shared inquiry, and courageous engagement.

This spring, we build on the extraordinary democratic momentum we generated together in the fall. During New Jersey’s gubernatorial election, Brookdale registered student voters, supported by the Greater Red Bank Women’s Initiative, who staffed voter-registration tables every single day of Civility Week. Many students cast mail-in ballots for the first time, and the League of Women Voters grounded us with their presentation The Truth About Turnout—reminding us that only 60% of registered voters ages 18–26 actually show up at the polls, and that metabolizing this demographic can shape the political landscape without leaning toward any ideology. We affirmed that fair elections remain one of the steadiest instruments of a functioning democracy—and that protecting it requires participation.

This spring’s Civility Week expands that charge. We welcome Dr. Kirk Schneider—flying in from San Francisco—to lead a full-class-period, highly participatory workshop on depolarization, reprising and deepening the work he began with us on Zoom. Alongside our in-house faculty presentations, we also offer a campuswide reading circle on Democracy Awakening (first 20 registrants receive a free book), building on the overwhelming success of the fall’s On Tyranny discussions. And for all faculty across all divisions, an AI chatbot has been created to help you meaningfully integrate Civility Week into every discipline—not just the humanities. Math courses can examine data literacy and election statistics; engineering and cybersecurity can analyze systems integrity and information threats; health sciences can explore public trust, ethics, and community well-being. STEAM, STEM, and CTE areas have as much to contribute—and to gain—as any other field. We invite every unit, including Advancement, Student Services, and Continuing & Professional Studies, to join us fully. Civility Week is a co-curricular experience that comes alive only when the whole college participates. The Civility Week Committee is here to help you make it meaningful.

Spring 2026 Theme — “Democracy Takes Courage”

February 16 – February 20

The Civility Research Guide created by Theresa Agostinelli provides links to books, articles, websites, videos, and databases related to civility. The LibGuide supports presentation topics and Open Conversation events.

View the Civility Week LibGuide with Video Archive

Civility-Week Kickoff Keynote Event

The Polarized Mind, Life-Enhancing Anxiety, and the Experiential Democracy Dialogue

  • Monday, February 16
  • Presenter: Dr. Kirk Schneider
  • Time: 11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
  • Location: 2nd floor, Navesink II, III, Student Life Center

Join our keynote event with renowned psychologist, author, and leading voice on depolarization — for an in-depth exploration of the forces that shape our polarized world and how we can pivot towards a more self-actualizing and harmonious way forward. This session begins with a dynamic lecture on the “polarized mind” and the concept of life-enhancing anxiety as a gateway to deeper presence, empathy, and democratic engagement. Following the talk, participants will engage in an Experiential Democracy Dialogue, a structured, participatory exercise designed to cultivate openness, mutual understanding, and the capacity to navigate conflict with courage and discernment. This is an interactive, full-class-period workshop that invites students, faculty, and staff to experience democratic practice in action.

Schedule of Events

The Black Press: The Stewards of Democracy

  • Monday, February 16
  • Presenters: Gilda Rogers, history adjunct professor and student docents from T. Thomas Fortune in Red Bank
  • Time: 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
  • Location: 2nd floor, Navesink II, III, Student Life Center

The Black Press that dates back to 1827 was a powerful network of newspapers editors and publishers, who were the bullhorn for democracy with regard to Black political activism that changed the social landscape of America. Join T. Thomas Fortune high school student docents as they teach us about this valuable cite and its history within our own neighborhood.

Youth in a Changing World: Aspirations, Anxieties, and Action

  • Monday, February 16
  • Presenters: IEC’s Janice Thomas & Katherine Carias, and Laura Neitzel — Senior Fellow Committee on Global Though, Columbia University
  • Time: 3:45 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.
  • Location: 2nd floor, Navesink II, III, Student Life Center

“There is so much instability in the world and we don’t know where the world is headed. But we want to make a change—some of us don’t know how. What is the future? We are the future.” (Committee on Global Thought, n.d.). In 2019, Brookdale Community College students participated in a peer-facilitated conversation where young people reflected on their lives, aspirations, and the future. They were an integral part of the Youth in a Changing World research project (youth.cgt.columbia.edu). The findings challenged stereotypes of political apathy among young people around the world but also indicated widespread disillusionment with politics as usual. In this workshop, we will continue the conversation with a focus on civic engagement. What are youth doing now? How are they mobilizing? How are they practicing democracy?

Reel Influence: Propaganda in Cinema

  • Tuesday, February 17
  • Presenters: William Burns, Associate Vice President Educational Access and Innovation; Georgia Cassidy, Assistant Professor — Nursing and Liaison Global Citizenship Project; and Jonathan Shaloum, Director, Teaching and Learning Center
  • Time: 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
  • Location: Twin Lights, Student Life Center

This session will explore the powerful role of cinema in shaping public opinion through propaganda. By examining iconic films from the World War II era, the Cold War, and modern times, we will trace how cinematic narratives have both reflected and influenced societal beliefs and political ideologies. Through engaging examples and discussion, attendees will gain insight into: The historical use of propaganda in mainstream films. How film has been used as a tool for persuasion and influence. Techniques filmmakers use to embed ideological messages. How to critically analyze and recognize propaganda in contemporary media. Learning Outcome: Participants will leave better equipped to identify propaganda in media and understand its impact on public perception and civic discourse.

Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Democracy

  • Tuesday, February 17
  • Presenter: Terry Konn, PhD., Health Sciences
  • Time: 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
  • Location: Twin Lights, Student Life Center

The lecture will discuss the tenets of democracy and identify activities that support or negate democratic principles.

Courage, Community, Action: How We Defend Democracy in an Authoritarian Era

  • Tuesday, February 17
  • Presenter: Kerri Kennedy, community partner, Associate General Secretary for International Programs, American Friends Service Committee
  • Time: 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
  • Location: Twin Lights, Student Life Center

Across the globe, the foundations of justice, peace, democracy, and human rights are being rapidly eroded. Communities facing censorship, repression, and shrinking civic space have developed powerful strategies to defend democracy. Those lessons are urgently relevant in the United States today. Drawing on more than twenty-five years of direct experience working in authoritarian and conflict-affected contexts across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, Kerri Kennedy will offer a grounded, hopeful, and practical look at what we can do when democratic norms begin to erode. Through real-world stories, analysis, and interactive dialogue, participants will explore the warning signs of authoritarian creep, the role of courage and collective action, and how local communities can protect human rights and our democratic norms. Key learnings will include: how to recognize early indicators of democratic backsliding, what global case studies reveal about the power of organized communities, why collective action is crucial, and practical tools that anyone can use to take action locally. This session invites all of us to see ourselves not as bystanders, but as essential defenders of democracy in a critical moment in the U.S.

The Courage to Confront Conspiracy: Rebuilding Trust in a Time of Mistrust

  • Wednesday, February 18
  • Presenter: Christian Perez, adjunct Political Science, assistant director Brookdale Long Branch
  • Time: 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
  • Location: Twin Lights, Student Life Center

In an age defined by misinformation and division, conspiracy theories have eroded public trust and weakened our shared democratic values. This presentation examines how these narratives take root, spread, and corrode civic dialogue and faith in democratic institutions. Drawing from recent examples and social science research, it explores how fear, isolation, and digital echo chambers fuel conspiratorial thinking, while highlighting practical strategies that citizens can use to counter misinformation in their own circles—through critical thinking, civic education, and compassionate engagement.

From “Libtards” to “M*sshats”: Conflict Transformation in the Age of Anxiety

  • Wednesday, February 18
  • Presenter: Laura McCullough, Professor of English
  • Time: 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
  • Location: Twin Lights, Student Life Center

Anger, fear, and sadness are tough emotions and are even harder to process in “the age of anxiety.” It takes practice to learn to self regulate during conflict. We all are on edge; we all get triggered. But what do we do to keep our dignity and ideals and also listen to people whose dignity and ideals seem to be the polar opposite. We’ll explore a concept called Conflict Transformation, which is not the same as conflict resolution. It’s not always about finding a solution; sometimes it’s about changing the way we see a problem.

No More Waiting — The Call to Act: The Story of the Greater Red Bank Women’s Immigration Committee

  • Wednesday, February 18
  • Presenter: Greater Red Bank Women’s Initiative
  • Time: 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
  • Location: Twin Lights, Student Life Center

Listen to a panel of local women who, as a cohesive group since 2016, have succeeded in making a difference in the lives of immigrants in the Red Bank area. Find out how their committee has adapted and evolved to help immigrants overcome obstacles, has advocated for change in legislation at the national, state and local levels, as well as how they keep themselves together, motivated and still going strong. Hear the advice they have for young adults who would like to become involved in activism that addresses causes they feel strongly about, but aren’t sure where to begin or how to get involved.

Democracy at MonmouthCares: Wraparound and Youth Mental Health

  • Wednesday, February 18
  • Presenters: MonmouthCares, Marin Kirby De Leon, Executive Director and Chad Majczan, Director of Community Relations and Resource Development
  • Time: 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
  • Location: Twin Lights, Student Life Center

MonmouthCares is the Monmouth County Care Management Organization (CMO) whose mission is “to facilitate positive change so that children with emotional and behavioral challenges, along with their families, have the greatest opportunity to live, thrive, and develop in their communities.” Staff provide face-to-face care management and comprehensive service planning for youth under 21 by utilizing an evidence-based model called Wraparound. MonmouthCares was officially established in 2001 as a part of the NJ Children’s System of Care and is a contracted agency with the Department of Children and Families. Both the birth of this statewide system as well as the Wraparound model have democratic beginnings with a clear focus on youth and family voice, strength, and collaboration. Come learn more about this work and think about how Wraparound – as a philosophy and a practice – can be applied to other settings and systems.

Our Judicial System

  • Thursday, February 19
  • Presenters: Judge Katie A. Gummer, Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division, and Judge Natalie S. Watson, Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division, Criminal Part, in the Monmouth Vicinage
  • Time: 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
  • Location: Twin Lights, Student Life Center

Do you understand how our judicial system actually works? In this session, Judge Gummer and the Honorable Natalie Watson will guide us through the structure and function of our courts, the roles of law and justice, and the ways decisions are made. You will leave with a deeper sense of how cases move through the system, why procedural fairness matters, and how you as a citizen or student can engage meaningfully with this vital branch of democracy.

Degrees of Democracy: Representative Governance around the Globe

  • Thursday, February 19
  • Presenters: Global Citizenship Distinction students
  • Time: 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
  • Location: Twin Lights, Student Life Center

In this dynamic session, the S4GC club will facilitate a student-led panel comparing and contrasting various systems of government around the world — from representative democracies to more centralized or authoritarian regimes. Students will share informed perspectives on countries to which they have a personal or cultural connection. Breakout discussions will invite all participants to reflect on the state of democracy around the world, with a particular focus on the way in which education, information literacy, and rhetoric impact democracies. The session will emphasize respectful dialogue and critical thinking as students engage with diverse cultures and various political contexts.

Media Literacy is a Civic Responsibility

In a world flooded with information, who decides what we believe — and why it matters? In this Zoom-session, Olga Polites will guide participants through the critical terrain of media literacy: how to access, analyze, evaluate and create information in a digital age. We’ll consider questions such as: What responsibilities do we bear as media consumers and creators in a democracy? and How can we build habits of inquiry and skepticism that protect the civic sphere? Aimed at students, faculty, and anyone committed to participating in democracy with awareness, this session invites active engagement, reflection, and strategy.

A Bonus Event Series on Zoom!

Brookdale’s Reading Circle: Democracy Awakening by Heather Cox Richardson

Come as you are. Exploring Heather Cox Richardson’s Democracy Awakening, a powerful and accessible look at how history shapes our current moment. Together, we’ll read, reflect, and discuss what it means to strengthen democracy with courage, curiosity, and community. Whether you’re new to Richardson’s work or already a fan, this circle is a welcoming space for students, faculty, and staff to connect across perspectives during Spring Civility Week.

✨ Bonus: The first 20 registrants will receive a free copy of the book. All are welcome. Come to learn, think together, and carry forward the spirit of “Democracy Takes Courage.”

Democracy

Democracy is not guaranteed — it is a decision, a commitment, and an ongoing responsibility. It is more than just freedom. It is a system of governance built on participation, representation, and accountability. A democracy only works if its people are engage-debating, voting, advocating, and holding leaders accountable.

Freedom is one of democracy’s greatest promises, but it is not automatic. The liberties we hold today exist because generations before us fought to establish and protect them. What will we do to ensure democracy thrives for future generations? What does it mean to act with democratic courage in today’s world?

A partnership with the Student Development Governance Committee and the Center for Transformative Learning, Civility Week 2025 is a call to action. We cannot take democracy for granted. It requires active participation, civil discourse, and a willingness to protect and expand the rights of all people. Through storytelling, forums, workshops, and creative expression, we will explore:

At the core of our discussions, we ask:

  • How do our personal experiences shape our understanding of liberty and freedom?
  • In what ways does democracy influence our daily decisions and values?
  • How have rights evolved over time, and where do we see room for growth?
  • What can we do to ensure that democratic liberties are preserved for future generations?
  • What challenges does modern democracy face, and how can individuals strengthen it?

Bring Civility Week into your classroom, department, and workspace: Explore resources that spark dialogue, understanding, and civic engagement across the political spectrum.

  • Join the Reading Circle to explore key texts on democracy and civic life (On Tyranny and Democracy Awakening)
  • Encourage students to take action—as individuals or together
  • Explore resources that spark dialogue, understanding, and civic engagement—across the political spectrum: linktr.ee.CivilityWeekBrookdale

Explore Democracy in Any Discipline — with Help from AI!

A Civility Week x Center for Transformative Learning x Teaching & Learning Center Collaboration

Looking to spark civic thinking in your classroom or student programming? We’ve launched a new AI-powered teaching assistant that helps faculty and staff integrate themes of democracy into any subject area.

🧠 How It Works:
The AI agent works with you—step by step—through simple prompts and questions. Whether you’re teaching math, nursing, history, or graphic design, the tool helps you generate ideas, activities, and discussion prompts that explore democratic values like participation, justice, and voice.

💡 Examples:

  • A psychology professor might explore groupthink in political movements
  • A culinary instructor could highlight food access and voting behavior
  • A communications course might compare freedom of speech across eras

🎯 Start Exploring Now:
Explore using the AI agent

Brookdale login required.

Directions:
Once in Copilot, accept the AI Agent. Then, you’ll find it listed on the left-hand side under your “agents”. Use one of the ready-made prompts to start. It’s easy, collaborative, and designed to help you imagine what’s possible.

Be Revolutionary, Be Brookdale.
Democracy depends on us, “We the People…”

Civility Week Community Agreement

We come together during Civility Week to enhance our understanding of, and learn more about, the meaning and importance of civility. We commit to honest, brave, respectful conversation, where participants are encouraged to speak openly, listen actively, embrace curiosity and gather wisdom. Together, we will strive to:

  • Learn and grow
  • Listen and understand
  • Recognize that experiences are perceived
  • Acknowledge where power and privilege exist; and
  • Provide space for all voices to share

RevolutionNJ

Michele McBride, 90.5 the night, talks with Dr. Ave Latte discussing Brookdale’s Civility Week

About COPE

Why COPE, Poverty, and Civility Week?

COPE is an immersive experience, created by people with lived experience in poverty. The “college edition” provides a foundational understanding of poverty and its many tentacles, as experienced by many college students every day. In this way, COPE fosters empathy and encourages meaningful conversation about social justice, equity, and the importance of creating an inclusive community at Brookdale. It promotes civil discourse and thus serves as a building block to creating a more compassionate, informed, and proactive campus community.

About Cost of Poverty Experience (COPE): College Edition

This COPE event is a 2.5-hour simulation that will lead you to explore the experience of poverty through the eyes of real college students. Participation will engender empathy, catalyze important discussion, and empower you to respond to issues of poverty and Brookdale students who face poverty with care, compassion, and competency.

  • Brookdale faculty, administrators, staff, and students, as well as community members, are invited to participate in this engaging week of programming!
  • In-person events will take place in Twin Lights I & II in the Student Life Center.
  • You will be emailed a Zoom link a few days in advance of remote live events.
  • Please only register for events that you plan to attend, but know drop-ins are always welcome
COPE Event Overview: The Cost of Poverty Experience (COPE): College Edition at Brookdale Community College

Brookdale Community College invites all employees, including faculty, staff, and administrators, to join “The Cost of Poverty Experience (COPE): College Edition,” an impactful and essential event addressing the experience of poverty for today’s college student. This immersive experience prompts participants to embody the daily struggles and visceral realities faced by college students living in poverty. Once experienced, you can’t unknow it. The goal is to drive empathy into action. By fostering understanding and solidarity, the event aims to embolden college employees to craft and execute new plans, practices, and policies to support students who struggle with poverty (e.g., establish an Emergency Relief Fund for students who encounter emergencies (e.g., job loss, unexpected medical bills, etc.); remove registration holds for students who carry a tuition balance; provide ride share cards to students in fieldwork; create paid mentorships for students in career programs, employ poverty informed teaching practices, etc.).

Understanding the Struggle

Many of us are in this struggle. 38 million Americans live “under the poverty line” and many millions more feel the weight of financial burden every day. In the face of rising inflation, the grocery store check-out, the cost of childcare, an impossible housing market, and the historic inequities of capitalism, the cost of living continues to escalate, disproportionately affecting the working class – yet affecting nearly all groups to differing degrees. Today, 59% to 62% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck; they are only one paycheck away from potential homelessness. The average cost of an emergency plunging a family into deprivation is just $400. The “True Poverty Level” in New Jersey, as reported by Legal Services of New Jersey’s Poverty Research Institute, was $72,000 for a family of three in 2021 and has only worsened by 2024. This means that many hard-working people, with seemingly decent salaries, still struggle financially.

Children, Poverty, and the Failure of the Grown-ups

Poverty has a devastating impact on children, affecting their education, health, and general wellbeing. As of 2023, 11.6 million children, or 16% of all U.S. children, live in poverty. These children are more likely to experience food insecurity, with 1 in 6 lacking access to enough food. You cannot learn if you are hungry; thus, education is severely impacted. Students from low-income families are five times more likely to drop out of high school than their more affluent peers. Additionally, health outcomes are dire for children living in poverty, with a staggering 60% more likely to suffer from mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. Children do not have control over their life and the policy that informs it. Children lack power because they do not have the ability to organize. But adults can. NYU Business School Professor Scott Galloway asks, “Do we care about our children?” According to current social and economic policies, and their associated outcomes, the answer is up for debate.

The Social Determinants of Health

The “social determinants of health” includes the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age. Examples of these determinants impacting college students include food insecurity, inadequate housing, and lack of access to healthcare. Understanding these factors is critical to addressing the root causes of poverty and related physical and mental health outcomes and is essential to developing effective solutions. In other words, poverty is a public health issue that must be addressed via a comprehensive understanding of its etiology and the utilization of an upstream approach.

The Criminalization of Poverty

Society often criminalizes poverty, imposing legal penalties on those who are unable to afford basic needs or fail to meet financial obligations. For college students, this may mean facing legal consequences due to unpaid bills or incurring fines that lead to increased stress and barriers to academic success. Criminalizing poverty perpetuates the cycle of disadvantage and makes it harder for individuals to escape poverty. “Fight poverty. Not the Poor,” is a slogan born of this trend.

The Importance of Solidarity

Before Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, he was in the process of planning the largest multi-racial, intergenerational coalition the world has ever seen: The Poor People’s March on Washington. He did not live to see it. In the same spirit, especially during a time when polarization and separateness is at a fever pitch in our country, COPE harkens the solidarity that Dr. King envisioned. At Brookdale, we can be truly united against poverty to best serve our students. A concerted, collegewide effort to effect change for students who face poverty at Brookdale, a leader among community colleges, has never been more timely or more necessary.

Why This Matters

If systems are designed, they can be redesigned. COPE brings Brookdale employees together to mark the College’s commitment to understanding and supporting students in poverty. By participating in the learning experience as a whole community, we can make this event truly impactful by first understanding the far-reaching effects of poverty then taking actionable steps to support students in ways and to an extent that Brookdale has never done before. Be there to be a part of something revolutionary!