Fostering Respect During Election Season

Whether an election is about voting for a person or a proposition, the season can feel intense. Opinions sharpen, timelines accelerate and conversations spill from social feeds into classrooms, clinics, labs and offices. 

That’s why UC Davis Inclusive Excellence maintains the Elections Resource page: a centralized hub designed to support informed participation, connect you with nonpartisan information, and promote respect and understanding across our community.

The page gathers guidance shaped by our Principles of Community and, in the spirit of Dynamic Discussions, invites everyone to pursue curiosity over conflict. It also points to tools that help you prepare for conversations, support colleagues and students, as well as keeping learning and academic freedom at the center of a civic moment.

An additional resource that illuminates how free expression works in academic settings, is a video by UC Davis School of Law Professor Brian Soucek, which was created as part of Inclusive Excellence’s Dialogues Across Differences faculty resource program. In the video, Soucek describes how First Amendment rules vary across campus from the open quad and bulletin boards to classrooms where academic freedom and professional standards govern. 

Faculty can require evidence-based arguments, set expectations for respectful engagement, and ensure that debates remain tied to the course’s subject matter all while recognizing students’ rights and responsibilities. This framework helps our community navigate charged topics such as elections without undermining dignity or learning.

Election seasons will always bring strong views. At UC Davis, whether on the main campus or at UC Davis Health, we can meet that energy with preparation, care and a shared commitment to learning. 

Explore the Elections Resource page