Dr. Frank Rusciano and Dr. Roberta Fiske-Rusciano

Dr. Roberta Fiske-Rusciano, adjunct professor of political science at Rider University, has initiated a pilot program at Rider known as The Student Global Village, which engages students in contructive dialogue about contentious religious, racial and cultural issues.

Through her efforts and that of her husband, Dr. Frank Rusciano, professor of political science, Rider University has received a $10,000 Ford Foundation grant to support the project.

The University was one of 40 higher education institutions and the only one in New Jersey selected from 635 who initially submitted proposals.

One hundred thirty-five from this pool were asked to submit final proposals for Ford Foundation’s Difficult Dialogues project. The initiative promotes pluralism and academic freedom on campus. It is part of a broader $12 million effort by the Ford Foundation to understand anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and other forms of bigotry in the United States and Europe. A panel of external higher education experts reviewed the preliminary proposals.

Rider’s program is geared for training those interested in careers in diplomacy, international studies, business, teaching and public life. As a result, Dr. Roberta Fiske-Rusciano has received a grant from the Kettering Foundation to further analyze the effect of sustained dialogue on opinion.

During the past year, students in her and Dr. Rusciano’s Global and Multinational Studies classes have communicated face-to-face about world affairs with students at the American University in Cairo (AUC) as a result of their collaboration with Dr. Ibrahim Saleh, a professor of mass communications at the AUC. Student-mediated exchanges haven taken place via a web based videoconferencing system allowing Rider students to experience open dialogue from a classroom in Rider’s Teaching Learning Center with their Middle Eastern peers at their home institution.

The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and major national stories served as catalysts. “The students raised compelling questions such as ‘what are the stereotypes of Muslim women?’, ‘What did you think of America during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina?’, said Dr. Fiske-Rusciano. “One male student from Yemen made an interesting point, saying ‘Sometimes governments get in our way. Peace is too important to leave up to the governments.’

“There were also funny questions,” said Dr. Fiske-Rusciano. One female student said, ‘we watch “Oprah,” “Friends” and “Frazier,” are your lives like this?’ It was pretty much a getting to know you process before the more serious questions arose. Many real friendships have budded since some students still communicate online. A couple of AUC and Rider students actually met at the Model United Nations conference last year since they recognized each other from their videoconference interactions.”

It was upon talking to their students on campus during the immediate aftermath of 9/11 that the Ruscianos felt the need to assess emotions expressed toward other nations, particularly Middle Eastern and predominantly Muslim countries. “Students often felt they could not raise controversial questions about the role of the United States in the world and Middle East for fear of being called unpatriotic in the midst of war,” said Dr. Rusciano. “Even discussions about the causes of terrorism seemed taboo.

“Our goal is to allow students to participate in discussions that they could not otherwise have regarding mistaken religious, political and cultural assumptions,” added Dr. Fiske-Rusciano. “Through effective dialogue, we are on the road to increasing student awareness that international policy must be based on facts and mutual understanding, not fear, ignorance or imposed dogma.”

Last semester, the weekly videoconferences were divided into three-and four-week-long topics which addressed the students’ ideas of future Arab/U.S. relations; the roots of terrorism; and how to lessen the gap between wealthy and poor nations. The students on both campuses also discussed issues during an online forum, of which Rep. Rush Holt took part.

The Ruscianos presented the results of their pilot project this past September at the World Association for Public Opinion in Cannes, France. This July, they, along with their global and multinational studies students, are invited to participate in the International Association for Mass Communication Research conference at the University of Cairo.

The first Student Global Village course, GMS 285, will be offered at Rider the spring of 2007. “Rider University’s mission dedicates itself to diversity and the promotion of critical thinking among students,” said Dr. Fiske-Rusciano. “This unique approach will build on the pilot program’s successes in order to engage students in difficult dialogues that generate understanding, even without agreement on all issues. These students recognize they are upcoming leaders. They want to solve these problems. This is a start. ”

The New York Times’ Web site, www.nytimes.com/knowledge, will have segments of the Student Global Village video streaming program posted on its College Page in the near future.