During the past several decades, off campus and on, much of the discourse on controversial issues has been personal, vicious, and divisive. On the national scene, politics has become permeated with incivility. It now appears that Americans have been naive about their ability and willingness to engage in civil discourse and compromise. How can campus leaders teach and encourage students to engage in civil communication on controversial issues? In this article, the author shares her thoughts on the importance of critical inquiry and intellectual challenge, to both the academic community and society as a whole. She describes the role of presidents in promoting civil discourse on campus.