Plenary Sessions

Opening Night Forum

The Carol Geary Schneider Lecture on Liberal Education and Inclusive Excellence

Wednesday, January 19

Liberal Education: For What and for Whom?

Roosevelt Montas, Senior Lecturer, American Studies and English, Columbia University, Center for American Studies

The Carol Geary Schneider Lecture on Liberal Education and Inclusive Excellence was established in 2016 to honor the visionary leadership of AAC&U’s president from 1998–2016, Carol Geary Schneider.

Delivered biennially at the Association’s annual conference, the lecture advances contemporary understandings of liberal education that are grounded in the mission and values of the Association, namely, to make liberal education and inclusive excellence the foundation for institutional purpose and educational practice in higher education.

Opening Plenary

Thursday, January 20

Liberal Education’s Role in Preserving Democracy

An open discussion—moderated by AAC&U President Lynn Pasquerella—with speakers Gilda Barabino, President, Olin College of Engineering and president-elect of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; Timothy Eatman, Inaugural Dean, Honors Living-Learning Community, Rutgers University–Newark; Roosevelt Montas, Senior Lecturer, American Studies and English, Columbia University, Center for American Studies; and Nicole Washington, Vice Chair, District Board of Trustees, Miami Dade College.

Closing Plenary

Friday, January 21

The Sum of Us

Heather McGhee is the former president of the inequality-focused think tank Demos, where McGhee drafted legislation, testified before Congress, and became a regular contributor on shows like Meet the Press and Real Time with Bill Maher. She also led Demos’ own racial equity organizational transformation, resulting in a doubling of the organization’s racial diversity and growth across all measures of organizational impact. McGhee is a renowned expert on the American economy and is author of the New York Times bestseller, The Sum of Us. McGhee is the Chair of the Board of Color of Change, the country's largest online racial justice organization, and serves on multiple other boards of trustees, including the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and Demos.