Bates has joined a cohort of institutions formed by the American Association of Colleges & Universities and the Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI) to provide CDI’s Perspectives program to all new students. Perspectives is an online learning experience that helps students build the skills to engage across differences with curiosity and confidence.

All new students are required to take Perspectives – it’s an important part of being a member of our community, is aligned with First-Year Experience values, and directly supports Bates’ commitment to positively impacting the wider world through the transformative power of our differences.

Why Perspectives

• You will likely encounter much more diversity on this campus than at any other time in your life.
  • This includes racial, ethnic, cultural, gender, religious, and ideological diversity, among others.
• Through these experiences, you might discover new interests and learn about yourself and what you value.
• But some of these experiences will be challenging. You might encounter ideas that are counter to beliefs you hold dear. Some of what you hear, you might find offensive.
• Perspectives will help you make the most of the diverse experiences you’ll encounter on campus, including:
  • Learning from people who don’t see things the same way as you.
  • Responding to situations you might find offensive.
• More than 80% of students report increased confidence in navigating difficult conversations and communicating across differences after completing Perspectives. 
• 84% say Perspectives helped them gain valuable professional and life skills.

Login to Perspectives here

Note: You must accept your email invitation in your Bates inbox before using this link to login.

Questions or issues? Check out the Perspectives Login Guide here, and reach out to fye@bates.edu if you’re having trouble.