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On February 24-25, 2025, Rollins College and the Institute for Citizens & Scholars will host John Dewey 90 Years Later: How the Liberal Arts Strengthen Democracy, a national conference examining urgent issues in higher education.

John Dewey chaired Rollins’ first national curriculum conference on the liberal arts in 1931. One of the principles emerging from the Dewey colloquy is that the purpose of a liberal arts education is for “the organization, transmission, extension, and application of knowledge” for democratic citizenship. In the Dewey colloquy tradition, Rollins’ 2025 symposium will examine the importance of the liberal arts for advancing pluralism, tolerance, diversity of viewpoint, fair contestation, and representative inclusion—all of which strengthen democracy.

The two-day conference will feature a series of panels that examine critical challenges confronting democracy, liberal arts education, and free inquiry in the U.S. Interested participants may submit a paper proposal or express their desire to serve on a panel by writing to DeweyConference@Rollins.edu. The deadline for submissions is September 15.

“We are at a critical juncture in American higher education, and at Rollins we are uniquely situated to address these issues,” says Rollins President Grant Cornwell. “It is a storied tradition that the Dewey Conference convenes leaders and experts in higher education to discuss the importance of a liberal arts education and embrace the importance of higher education in the reproduction and nurturance of democracy.”

“Universities serve not only as bastions of learning but also as cornerstones of democracy,” says Rajiv Vinnakota, president of the Institute for Citizens & Scholars, an organization dedicated to opening doors to higher education and creating thoughtful space for innovation. “I look forward to collaborating with fellow leaders at the national conference to explore strategies for preparing students for active participation in our dynamic, diverse, and often contentious society.”

Conference sessions include:

• An academic panel examining the connections between Dewey’s thinking about the relationship between the liberal arts and democracy and how the liberal arts cultivate democratic resiliency
• Roundtable discussion by presidents of higher-education organizations working to cultivate deliberative discourse and strengthen democracy.
• Roundtable discussion of the current environment for freedom of inquiry and expression, factors that contribute to tensions on campuses, and how to mitigate those conflicts
• Applied workshops featuring pedagogical and co-curricular approaches that bridge differences and promote active engagement with viewpoint diversity on college campuses
• A panel focused on how to embed values promoting deliberative democratic discourse into the curriculum

As part of the two-day conference, Marjorie Hass, president of the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC), will provide the keynote: “Democracy as a Way of Life: Reimagining Education in a Benighted Age.”

“Many of the most urgent issues facing higher education turn on the question of its civic purpose,” says Hass. “The Rollins College conference address offers a framework for theoretical debate with a focus on practical applications. The goal is to empower participants to transform and revitalize their classrooms and campuses.”

Rollins has a recognized history of organizing national curriculum colloquies to advance liberal education and student learning. In addition to the 1931 colloquy, Rollins held subsequent colloquies in 1997, “Toward a Pragmatic Liberal Education: The Curriculum of the 21st Century,” and in 2007, “Liberal Education and Social Responsibility in a Global Community.”

“We believe our 2025 colloquy fills an urgent need in American society and education,” says Don Davison, Rollins’ vice president for academic affairs and provost. “The conference will provide a forum for scholars and higher-education leaders to explore ways to promote deliberative dialogue on controversial issues, cultivate civic engagement among students, and prepare our students for responsible citizenship in a democratic society. We are honored to host these important conversations among educational leaders and are confident that we will provide a forum to navigate and address the significant issues facing us today, just as John Dewey did at Rollins in 1931.”