Upcoming Lectures & Courses
“A liberal arts education at its best is about engagement, challenge and growth.”
Crackdowns on Academic Freedom: The Transnational Dimension
Recent years have seen a rapid spread of autocratic practices and systematic attacks on the institutions, rights, and freedoms that underpin liberal democracies. In this lecture, Prof. Aysuda Kölemen will examine transnational patterns of repression targeting academics and academic institutions with a focus on Hungary, Turkey, Russia and the United States. Prof. Kerry Bystrom will introduce the lecture and moderate a discussion linking transnational strategies of crackdown with transnational strategies of resistance.
The High-Stakes Game of Freedom to Learn: Do the Liberal Arts Hold a Winning Hand?
Join Ned Scott Laff and Scott Carlson, authors of Hacking College: Why the Major Doesn’t Matter—and What Really Does; Daniel Chambliss, co-author of How College Works; and Mary Ruiz, Chair of AltLiberalArts and sponsor of the Five Disruptive Principles of the Liberal Arts Project, for a conversation on the future of learning and the role of the liberal arts. Moderated by Scott Carlson, of The Chronicle of Higher Education, this panel will confront the challenges facing the liberal-arts brand and explore whether its enduring strengths—curiosity, critical thinking, adaptability, creativity—are exactly what the modern workforce requires.
(Part 3) Academic Freedom in the United States Today
Politicians and the public have often demanded that universities justify their expenses and support the values of the community. In this lecture, Professor Tampio thinks about how to defend academic freedom in our current moment.
Join us for (Part 3) “Academic Freedom in the United States Today” with Nicholas Tampio.
(Part 2) How Americans Adopted Academic Freedom
In the early 20th century, university trustees and presidents could and did fire professors at will. In this lecture, Professor Tampio discusses the twentieth century history of academic freedom in the United States.
Join us for (Part 2) “How Americans Adopted Academic Freedom” with Nicholas Tampio.
(Part 1) The Birth of Academic Freedom in Germany
The idea of academic freedom has a history. In this lecture, Professor Tampio explains how the founders of the modern research university—including Immanuel Kant, Friedrich Schleiermacher, Friedrich Schilling, and von Humboldt—justified academic freedom to a skeptical public and politicians.
Join us for (Part 1) “The Birth of Academic Freedom in Germany” with Nicholas Tampio.
Five Disruptive Principles in the Liberal Arts Webinar Series: Excellence
For many students, handing out grades doesn’t foster a love of learning. Instead, it teaches them to play the system. It’s smarter to stick to what feels safe than to stretch beyond their comfort zones.
Join us for Part 5 of our “Five Disruptive Principles in the Liberal Arts” Webinar series with Grace Keenan, William C. Dudley and Isaac Tellechea.
Five Disruptive Principles in the Liberal Arts Webinar Series: Depth & Breadth
What if education wasn’t something handed down to students, but something they actively built for themselves? In learning environments that prioritize student responsibility, the answer is often transformational.
Join us for Part 4 of our “Five Disruptive Principles in the Liberal Arts” Webinar series with Miriam L. Wallace, Jeff Lundy and Sam Kocher.
Five Disruptive Principles in the Liberal Arts Webinar Series: Mastery
Whether it’s learning an instrument, speaking a new language, or diving into astrophysics, mastery certainly involves building skills and acquiring knowledge. But the real magic of mastery is something more personal. It's about the journey. Mastery transforms us, and our progress can inspire those around us.
Join us for Part 3 of our “Five Disruptive Principles in the Liberal Arts” Webinar series with Brian Cody, Adele Fournet and Juliana Paré-Blagoev.
Five Disruptive Principles in the Liberal Arts Webinar Series: Engagement
In student-driven learning environments, students aren’t treated as consumers of education, nor as vessels to be filled with information. Instead, they are expected to be active participants in their own academic journeys.
Join us for Part 2 of our “Five Disruptive Principles in the Liberal Arts” Webinar series with Carol Flint, Maureen T. Cannon and Maria Vesperi.
Five Disruptive Principles in the Liberal Arts Webinar Series: Agency & Responsibility
When students truly own their education, the impact extends far beyond the classroom. That, at its core, is what it means to take responsibility for learning.
Join us for Part 1 of our “Five Disruptive Principles in the Liberal Arts” Webinar series with Susan Burns, Sophia Brown and Daniel F. Chambliss.