Higher Education Summit on Free Speech and Intellectual Diversity
Event Info and Registration
Location: University of Virginia
Date: November 29, 2023
Time: 9am-4pm; Breakfast and lunch will be provided
Higher Education Summit Resources
Higher Education Summit Resources
Confirmed Speaker List:
- Glenn Youngkin, Governor of Virginia
- Aimee Guidera, Virginia Secretary of Education
- Margaret Spellings, President & CEO, Bipartisan Policy Center; former United States Secretary of Education
- Michael Reigner, Executive Director, Heterodox Academy
- Raj Vinnakota, President, Institute for Citizens and Scholars
- Michael Poliakoff, President, American Council of Trustees and Alumni
- Mike Wasserman, Vice President of Growth and Development, Constructive Dialogue Institute
- Joe Cohn, Legislative and Policy Director, The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education
- Jim Ryan, President, University of Virginia
- Jonathan Alger, President, James Madison University
- Kevin Hallock, President, University of Richmond
- Anne Kress, President, Northern Virginia Community College
- Cedric Wins, Superintendent, Virginia Military Institute
- Melody Barnes, Executive Director, Karsh Institute of Democracy
- Leslie Kendrick, White Burkett Miller Professor of Law and Public Affairs, UVA School of Law; Director, Center for the First Amendment
- Mary Kate Cary, Director, Think Again at UVA
- Martin Brown, Chief Diversity, Opportunity, and Inclusion Officer, Office of the Governor of Virginia
- Gerard Alexander, President, Blue Ridge Center
See Speaker Page
Speaker Bios
View the Agenda
Agenda
This Summit is hosted in partnership with the University of Virginia. The Governor’s office thanks the Karsh Institute of Democracy and Think Again for their thought partnership in developing and hosting this Summit.
Parking Information:
Note: Please register your vehicle prior to the event to save on time and ensure a reserved spot.
The parking code is: KIOD23CGG
Garage Location:
Central Grounds Garage at UVA
400 Emmet Street S
Charlottesville, VA 22903
The parking garage is located directly behind Newcomb Hall, where the Summit will be held. There will be signs directing you where to go to get to the event venue.
Lodging:
Lodging will not be provided, but below is a list of hotels that are happy to host you
- The Graduate
- Courtyard by Marriott Charlottesville
- Hampton Inn & Suites Charlottesville
- Omni Charlottesville
Contact:
Alyson Buckner,
Office of the Secretary of Education
alyson.buckner@governor.virginia.gov
(804) 836-6130
In Partnership
University of Virginia Karsh Institute of Democracy
The University of Virginia’s Karsh Institute of Democracy is committed to addressing the urgent challenges facing democracy today and creating a future where democracy’s aspirations and its reality are unified. The institute focuses on three interrelated pillars that shape the meaning and possibilities of democracy: democratic culture, laws and institutions, and social and economic conditions. Through innovative approaches to research, teaching, programs, and partnerships, the institute actively engages in public conversations and aims to influence the agendas that shape a thriving democratic future.
Think Again at UVA
Think Again is an exciting new initiative at UVA that seeks to help students thrive by promoting critical thinking, freedom of expression, intellectual humility, and viewpoint diversity. We’ve brought together faculty from across Grounds who believe that the best education is the one that exposes you to all kinds of different ideas from all kinds of people —and lets you sharpen your own thinking and build your best arguments.
We believe that the pursuit of truth depends on the free exchange of ideas -- both the good ones and the bad ones. The best way to advance the truth is to identify mistakes and misperceptions by scrutinizing ideas from all sides. Many times in human history, the "conventional wisdom" has been proven wrong, and unpopular views have turned out to be true. In the words of the UVA Statement on Free Expression and Free Inquiry, we want to help students here become "empathetic speakers and generous listeners” who give others the benefit of the doubt. At Think Again, our mission is to promote civil, thoughtful conversations from all sides about the great issues of the day.