Program Agenda

10:00 am – 11:30 am

Plenary 2: Campuses as Laboratories for Pluralism
and Training Grounds for Bridgebuilders

Break

Session B: How can university presidents publicly and
proactively signal their commitment to pluralism in times
of calm and crisis? (Presidents Only)
Using the Israel-Hamas conflict as a case study, this session
explores the problems and possibilities of public messaging and
introduces participants to Interfaith America's principles for
messaging that seek to engage the broader religious political,
and ideological spectrum.

Session C: What contributions can diversity work in higher
education make in promoting pluralism? This session explores
how to think about the relationship between diversity initiatives
and efforts to build relationships across deep ideological
differences on college campuses. It also addresses how diversity
offices and programs incorporate religion (and, by extension,
prejudice aimed at religious communities) into their work, and the
implications of the perceptions of not doing so in a time of
heightened polarization.

Session 1D: How can university-based institutes and projects
promote pluralism? This session highlights university-based
institutes and projects that promote pluralism. It explores the
following questions: What has worked well with these institutes
and projects? What challenges have they faced? How have
rising tensions since the October 7th attacks affected the way
they approach their work?

Session 1E: What contributions can student-led programs make
in promoting pluralism in higher education? This session explores
current student-led programs around pluralism and fosters a
roundtable discussion about how universities can create and
deepen student-led efforts on facilitating pluralism.

Break