The grant supports the development of a new version of the Marquette Core Curriculum culminating course, CORE 4929, structured around a citizens' assembly model. Building on the success of the Deliberation in Action initiative in CORE 1929/H, the course will engage students in researching, deliberating, and collaboratively developing solutions to significant community challenges. Through this experiential, project-based approach, students will apply skills in constructive dialogue, critical analysis, and collaborative problem-solving while working across differences to address real-world issues. The project seeks to strengthen students' civic reasoning, democratic engagement, and ability to connect their education to challenges beyond the university. By creating a full-circle experience within the Marquette Core Curriculum, the course will help advance the university's mission of preparing students to be citizens with purpose and leaders committed to building a more just world. Funding will support course development, student leadership opportunities, faculty training, and collaboration with community and subject-matter experts while laying the groundwork for scaling the model across Honors and non-Honors sections. The project will also provide faculty with opportunities to develop innovative teaching practices that foster deliberation, civic engagement, and collaborative learning.
The grant contributes toward adapting the already successful Marquette Democracy Project into a regularly offered cross-college set of courses in the undergraduate curriculum. The adapted Marquette Democracy Project will invite social justice advocates from around the world to campus and integrate these visits into coordinated courses taught by professors in political science, journalism and digital media. The project intends for students in these courses to produce and document the visits, allowing them to build knowledge and skills in a real-world setting. Incorporating these research-informed, high-impact learning practices into coursework will also help advance the university’s Student Success Initiative and support the current campus initiative to build partnerships with the community and bridge globally renowned activists with Milwaukee-area activists and nonprofits. Finally, the project will support the professional development of faculty by building “communities of practice” among professors from different disciplines with a shared interest in activism and social justice.
Provost Debbie Tahmassebi, who is a professor of chemistry, previously served as
provost of Westminster University before joining Marquette as provost in March 2026.
Prior to that, she was dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Santa Clara University.
Report an accessibility problem
To report another problem, please contact provost@marquette.edu.
Privacy Policy Legal Disclaimer Non-Discrimination Policy Accessible Technology
© 2026 Marquette University