Eddy Building, Room 210
Department of Communication Studies
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, Colorado

Email: cpd@colostate.edu
Phone: 970-491-5628

CPD Announcements

• Communication Studies Student Department Meeting, Monday, November 9th, from 6-8:30pm, starting in Eddy 212. All SPCM majors are invited, please RSVP at tiny.cc/X16G4 (RSVP preferred but not required).Meeting will be facilitated by CPD students, and focused on performing an "Appreciative Inquiry" of the department designed to identify how to build on our success and improve the major for all.
• The CPD is currently seeking CSU undergraduates to serve as participants for a project focused on Improving Higher Education. Participants will meet four times throughout November (11/2, 11/9, 11/16, and 11/30) from 5:00-6:30pm to work in small groups to dialogue and create action steps for the ongoing project. Contact the CPD at cpd@colostate.edu if you are interested in participating.
• The Center for Advances in Public Engagement has published a research report authored by CPD director Martin Carcasson entitled, Beginning with the End in Mind: A Call for Goal-Driven Deliberative Practice." The report is available free online through Public Agenda.
• The CPD has opened its new office (its first physical location)! It is now located in Eddy 210. In the fall, we will have open office hours posted that will allow campus and community members to browse our materials on democracy, deliberation, and collaborative problem solving, as well as work with CPD staff and students on projects.
• CPD Director Martín Carcasson was recenty granted tenure and promotion to associate professor of Communication Studies.
• The CPD was awarded a grant from the Pharos Fund sponsored by the Bohemian Foundation to continue their work in community problem solving and deliberative democracy.

Curious about what we have been doing? Download the recently completed 2007-2008 CPD Annual Report, which outlines all CPD events from the fall of 2007 through the summer of 2008. You can also read our 2006-2007 CPD Annual Report, which covers our projects since our the founding in the summer of 2006 through the summer of 2007. The 2008-2009 Annual Report will be available in August.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The CPD

The Center for Public Deliberation (CPD) was founded in August of 2006 within the Communication Studies Department at Colorado State University, and serves as an affiliate of the National Issues Forum (NIF) network and a member of the University Network for Collaborative Governance (UNCG).

The CPD is non-partisan. Working from a communication perspective, CPD staff and students focus on the process of deliberation, not necessarily its product. Deliberation requires safe places for citizens to come together, good and fair information to help structure the conversation, and skilled facilitators to guide the process. The Center is dedicated to providing these three key ingredients to Northern Colorado.

The CPD has three broad goals:

• Enhance the Local Civic Culture
• Expand Collaborative Decision-Making
• Improve Civic Pedagogy

The director of the CPD is Martín Carcasson, assistant professor in the CSU Department of Communication Studies. He is assisted by an advisory board consisting of community leaders, including representatives from the City of Fort Collins, Poudre School District, the Coloradoan, and various campus institutions such as the Student Leadership and Civic Engagement office and the Colorado Institute of Public Policy. The primary work of the CPD is completed by a core group of especially selected CSU undergraduates who commit to serve as “Student Associates” for two semesters, during which they receive class credit.

Link to CPD pamphlet (PDF)

Recently Posted Reports

Martin Carcasson and Elinor Christopher completed a research report entitled The Goals & Consequences of Deliberation: Key Findings and Challenges for Deliberative Practitioners for the Kettering Foundation on the role of deliverative forums in community politics.

A draft of the Bicycle Safety Summit report was provided to the co-sponsors in May, and once additions are made, will be posted here.

CPD In the News

Coloradoan article on Bicycle Safety Summit (2/13/2009) (PDF)

Coloradoan editorial supporting Bicycle Safety Summit (2/12/2009) (PDF)

Article in Spectra concerning Kettering Communication Scholars Workshop (hosted by CPD Director Martin Carcasson) (PDF)

Coloradoan coverage of Pathways Past Poverty candidate forum, moderated by CPD director Martin Carcasson (9/24/2008) (PDF)

Coloradoan coverage of Pathways Past Poverty open house (4/22/2008) (PDF)

Martin Carcasson's Coloradoan Soapbox article entitled "A Different Kind of Politics Benefits Community" (1/20/2007) (PDF)

Coloradoan Editorial Board comment on Center (1/22/2007) (PDF)" (1/22/2007) (PDF)

Link to 1/25 Coloradoan article on the Kickoff Event (PDF)

To be added to the CPD Event Notification Email List, contact Martin Carcasson at cpd@colostate.edu

UPCOMING EVENTS

Improving Higher Ed project (PDF). We are currently developing a project that will involve around 30 CSU students meeting over time to discuss ways of improving higher education, particularly the classroom experience. For more info, contact the CPD at: cpd@colostate.edu

The CPD will be faciltiating the InSync meeting in Longmont on Tuesday, November 3, which will bring together industry and K-12 to discuss improving partnerships.

CPD students will be faciltiating a "State of the Department" forum for the CSU Communication Studies department on Monday, November 9th. All SPCM students are invited, Eddy 212. Click for more information.,

CPD students will be hosting a forum on improving the quality of our political communication on Tuesday, December 8th, from 2:00-3:15pm, location TBA.

The CPD continues to be involved with United Way's Pathways Past Poverty effort and Concerned Larimer.

RECENT EVENTS

CPD students hosted the Diversity Dialogues at the 2009 CSU Diversity Conference on September 23-24th.

CPD students ran forums on race, health care, and immigration for CSU students in freshman leadership classes in Septemer.

CPD students ran forums on Energy Policy for students in SPCM 207 Public Argumentation classes in August.

On Saturday, August 29th, the new set of CPD student associates attended an all-day facilitation training workshop at Tamasag.

We held our third CPD Community Public Deliberation Workshop from June 4-6 in Fort Collins. This free three-day workshop provided participants with a background on the concept of deliberation, as well the practical skills to convene and facilitate public forums, particularly forums using the National Issues Forum material. If you are interested in attending our next workshop, email Martin Carcasson at (970) 491-5628 or cpd@colostate.edu