Davidson College

Higher Education Institution

Deliberative Citizenship Network

In January 2026, Davidson announced a new higher ed consortium called the Deliberative Citizenship Network. The program’s aim is to “teach and cultivate respectful disagreement and civil debate on 100 college and university campuses.”

Notable People

Chris Marsicano

Director of Davidson’s Martin Institute for Public Good, which houses the Deliberative Citizenship Network

Marsicano was a fellow at the Mercatus Center, which is described by Greenpeace as “Koch Industries Climate Denial Front Group.” He has made public remarks casting doubt on the practical feasibility of higher ed institutions divesting from Israel. In an April 2024 interview, he said “this is a very different situation than ESG investing with fossil fuels or even South Africa 30 years ago. It's very complicated in terms of how universities invest.” In a separate April 2024 news article, he is quoted as saying “When endowment funds are this large, we’re talking tens of billions of dollars, there are legal and practical reasons not to show exactly, explicitly, what they’re invested in.” Since that time, multiple schools with endowments in the hundreds of millions of dollars have divested from, or adopted policies barring direct investment in, defense and weapons companies following sustained Palestine solidarity campaigns on their campuses—including Lewis & Clark College and the University of San Francisco.

Notable Funders

U.S. Department of Education

$4 million(2026)

In January 2026, the Trump Administration’s Department of Education announced a total of ~$52 million in grants to Davidson and 16 other institutions for “Promoting Civil Discourse on College Campuses.” According to the Department's application guidelines, the funding initiative was motivated by concerns that campus protesters were using “disruptive tactics,” “shouting down speakers,” and engaging in “campus takeovers” and “violent riots.” These so-called FIPSE grants (Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education) have historically been allocated toward things such as subsidies to boost college completion for underserved populations. The 2026 grants fell into three main categories: AI, Civil Discourse, and Accreditation Reform. The abrupt shift in FIPSE’s funding priorities aroused controversy.

Partnerships

College Presidents for Civic Preparedness

Davidson president Douglas Hicks is a member of this coalition. Refer to the "College Presidents for Civic Preparedness" entry for details about the organization's leadership and funders.