State and Federal Policy Trends in Civic Discourse
Includes a Live Web Event on 05/08/2026 at 4:00 PM (EDT)
Jill Dunlap, Ph.D.
Assistant Vice President of Research, Policy, and Civic Engagement
NASPA
Dr. Jill Dunlap serves as the assistant vice president for policy at NASPA- Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. Prior to joining NASPA, Jill worked closely with college student survivors of sexual violence for more than 14 years at three different campuses. In 2014, Jill served as a non-federal negotiator representing four years of public institutions on the VAWA negotiated rulemaking committee. Jill received her Ph.D. in political science and public administration from Northern Illinois University, where her dissertation work focused on the experiences of students impacted by sexual violence on campus.
There is an increased focus by policymakers at the federal and state levels on implementing and expanding civic discourse in higher education. These efforts take many forms, from including civic discourse skills in the classroom curriculum to standing up civic discourse offices on campuses. This session will provide an overview of those trends at the state level as well as the federal level and what they mean for campus administrators.