Marquette University is requiring a civil discourse course for many first-year students as campus communities respond to heightened political polarization and conflicts over classroom speech. The report describes how the university aims to teach structured debate skills broadly, not only for students who self-select into the topic. The course uses background materials and facilitated group discussions, addressing themes including free expression and topics like AI and democracy. It also situates the approach within wider efforts at some institutions and legislatures to limit discussion of contentious topics, as administrators and lawmakers increasingly weigh speech boundaries against compliance and safety. The story frames civil discourse education as a student skills initiative tied to civic engagement and campus climate—training students to challenge ideas, listen and revisit positions without treating disagreement as hostility. For higher education leaders, the model offers a curriculum approach that can reduce student uncertainty about speaking while strengthening discussion norms as a core part of the collegiate experience.