About

The Ben and Myrna Cardin Center for Civic Engagement and Civil Discourse at Towson University is a dynamic hub for open dialogue, respectful debate and active citizenship. Established in partnership with former U.S. Senator Ben Cardin and Myrna Cardin, the Cardin Center is dedicated to advancing civil discourse and strengthening democratic participation through student engagement, faculty collaboration and community involvement.

Through programming, events and experiential opportunities, the Cardin Center fosters an inclusive environment where complex issues are examined with intellectual curiosity, empathy and mutual respect.

The idea began with an invitation for Senator and Mrs. Cardin to help advance a shared commitment to civic engagement, civil discourse and democratic responsibility. Its origin reflects both Towson’s existing strengths in civic learning and student engagement and the Cardins’ lifelong dedication to public service, education and respectful democratic participation. Together, those commitments give the Cardin Center a foundation that is both deeply rooted in the university and guided by a broader vision for strengthening civic life.

Senator and Mrs. Cardin co-chair the Cardin Center and provide thought leadership and strategic direction in partnership with Towson University leadership, faculty, students, staff and community partners. Their vision is to help prepare students and communities for the work democracy requires, informed participation, responsible leadership, respectful dialogue and a commitment to the common good.

The Cardin Center grew out of Towson University’s invitation to Senator and Mrs. Cardin to advance a shared commitment to civic engagement, civil discourse and democratic responsibility. That origin is central to its identity. The Cardin Center is not a separate initiative placed on top of the university, but a natural extension of Towson’s existing strengths in civic learning, student engagement and public purpose, shaped by the Cardins’ lifelong commitment to public service, education and respectful democratic participation. Together, those commitments give the Cardin Center a foundation that is deeply rooted in Towson and guided by a broader vision for strengthening civic life.

Listening is a Responsibility

At the heart of the Cardin Center is a simple conviction: listening is a responsibility. Speaking out matters, but so does listening carefully, learning from people with different views and using that understanding to build stronger solutions. The Cardin Center advances that work through public programming, student engagement, faculty collaboration, civic education, and community partnership. It helps students understand that they can make a difference, but that meaningful change requires knowledge, strategy, coalition-building, respect and perseverance.

The Cardin Center meets students where civic life actually happens: in classrooms, in public conversations, in community challenges and in the difficult moments when people must decide whether to retreat from disagreement or stay engaged with respect and purpose.

It supports student engagement, connects with courses and faculty expertise, hosts public programs on urgent issues, convenes leaders from journalism, public policy, democracy, human rights and civic life, and creates opportunities for students to practice problem-solving across differences.

The Cardin Center’s work is collaborative by design. Senator Cardin’s role as a Presidential Scholar and co-chair of the Cardin Center allows him to engage students and faculty without replacing the academic work already underway. The Cardin Center is meant to build with Towson, not over Towson, by strengthening the programs, partnerships and civic commitments that already exist across the university.