Building Capacity for Bold Teaching, Research, Leadership, and Practice

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

3:30 PM - 4:30 PM East Coast USA Time

Location: Chinatown - Level M3

Primary Presenter(s)

Nancy Thomas

Senior Advisor to the President for Democracy Initiatives and Executive Director, IDHE
American Association of Colleges & Universities (AAC&U), United States

Co-Presenter(s)

Ande Diaz

Vice President
Tree of Life Consulting
Tiverton, Rhode Island, United States
Rhonda Fitzgerald

Executive Director
Sustained Dialogue Institute, United States
Michele Holt-Shannon

Director and Co-Founder, New Hampshire Listens, University of New Hampshire Carsey School of Public Policy
University of New Hampshire, United States
Leah Murray

Professor
Weber State University, United States

Educators are facing instances of censorship and forces that chill scholarship, teaching and learning, and open inquiry, especially regarding democratic norms and practices. AAC&U operates a Help Desk where educators can quickly troubleshoot difficult, frightening, nasty, threatening, politicized dilemmas in their work lives. This year, we are expanding the Help Desk to provide educators with rapid-response support for developing the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to study and teach what they decide, based on academic grounds, is appropriate for their scholarship, course, or program. We also aim to help all constituents on campuses work together to safeguard academic freedom and the democratic purposes of higher education. Join us to discuss what you or others in education are experiencing and to help us build a program that will support you. We’ll also discuss how you can get involved in creating inclusive learning environments and taking a stand for academic freedom.