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Educating for a Democracy in Question

Friday Breakfast Roundtables

Table 8: Educating in an Era of Fear: Faculty Resilience and Leadership for a Challenged Democracy

Friday, January 23, 2026
8:00 AM - 9:15 AM East Coast USA Time
Location: Marquis Salon 5 - Level M2

    Co-Presenter(s)

  • Ariane Balizet

    Associate Provost for Faculty Development
    Texas Christian University, United States

  • Natalie Eschenbaum

    Dean of Arts and Sciences
    University of Washington Tacoma, United States

    • Primary Presenter(s)

  • MK

    Marcela Kostihova

    Professor of English
    Hamline University
    St. Paul, Minnesota, United States

In a time of political hostility toward higher education, faculty are anxious, demoralized, and stretched thin. This roundtable invites faculty leaders—chairs, directors, deans—to share and gather strategies for mentoring, supporting, and empowering faculty, especially in the liberal arts. How do we lead when morale is low and the mission itself is under attack? How can faculty reclaim their role in educating students for a democracy in question? Join us for a candid, collegial exchange of insights and ideas.