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

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

CPD Announcements

• 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. Thanks again to the Bohemian Foundation for their continued support.
• The CPD annual report for 2010-2011. has been posted.
• CPD Director Martin Carcasson has published three different articles discussing the work of the CPD and the role of universities in providing local capacity for deliberative democracy and collaborative problem-solving: (1) "Facilitating Democracy through Passionate Impartiality: Communication Studies Programs and Students Should Serve as Local Resources," published in Spectra, (2) "Facilitating Community Democracy from Campus: Centers, Faculty, and Students as Key Resources of Passionate Impartiality," in Higher Education Review , (3) "Facilitating Democracy: Centers and Institutes of Public Deliberation and Collaborative Problem-Solving," in New Directions in Higher Education
• Journal of Public Deliberation published an article written by CPD director Martin Carcasson, along with Laura Black and Elizabeth Sink, on the connections between deliberative democracy and communication studies. That article is available online: Communication Studies and Deliberative Democracy: Current Contributions and Future Possibilities Carcasson also served as co-editor of that issue of the journal, and co-authored the introductory essay .
• Public Sector Digest published an article by CPD director Carcasson and associate director Leah Sprain on the Key Aspects of Deliberative Democracy
• 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.

Curious about what we have been doing? Download the recently completed 2009-2010 CPD Annual Report,which outlines all CPD events from the fall of 2008 through the summer of 2009. You can also read our 2008-2009 CPD Annual Report, 2007-2008 CPD Annual Report and our 2006-2007 CPD Annual Report, which covers our projects since our the founding in the summer of 2006 through the summer of 2008.

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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 and community problem-solving, 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 Martin Carcasson, associate professor in the CSU Department of Communication Studies. Leah Sprain serves as the Associate Director. They are 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 departments of Political Science and Journalism & Technical Communication. 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)

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

UPCOMING EVENTS

Working with the Fort Collins Senior Center and the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado, the CPD is hosting Growing Older in Fort Collins – Silver Tsunami As a Golden Opportunity, a series of public forums focused on our community's response to the changing demographics as the Baby Boomers enter retirement. The initial event was held on Thursday, Nov. 10. The next meeting is scheduled for March 1 at the Senior Center. Call the Senior Center at 970-221-6644 for more information.

RECENT EVENTS

In the fall, CPD staff and students assisted with three employer roundtables on child care issues, working with the Early Childhood Council of Larimer County. For more information.

On Saturday, November 12, CPD staff and students ran a process during the UNC LEAP conference in Greeley.

On Monday, November 14, the CPD, working with CSU Extension, hosted a facilitated discussion focused on issues related to food entitled: On the Tip of Your Fork: A Conversation About Your Role in Our Food System.

We continue to work with Embrace Northern Colorado and the PSD Think Tank.

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

CPD designed and facilitated an all day leadership retreat for the St. Vrain School District on June 18th.

CPD students hosted a College of Liberal Arts faculty forum on April 21 in the Lory Student Center room 230.

On April 11 and April 16, the CPD ran public forums on water issues related to the Poudre River. See Community Foundation of Northern Colorado for more information.

On April 18th, the CPD ran sessions with the staff of Werner Elementary to redo their mission statement, and respond to parent input from surveys and a CPD session held on February 24th.

Community Workshop:

We held our fourth CPD Community Public Deliberation Workshop on September 15, 2011 in Fort Collins. This free all-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