On August 14-15, 2025, campus communities throughout Colorado and Wyoming hosted the inaugural Heterodox Academy (HxA) Mountain West Regional Conference at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. This in-person event on the theme, “What is a University for?” offered an opportunity for discussions about the mission of a University. 

Conference Highlights:

• Keynote address on University Reform in 2025: Inside, Outside, Upside Down - John Tomasi, Heterodox Academy President
• Keynote fireside chat with Jacob Mchangama, Founder and Executive Director of The Future of Free Speech and Research Professor at Vanderbilt University
• Panel discussions on University Leadership, Activism in the Academy, AI in Education, and Student Voices
• Breakout discussions on Disagreement as a Research Skill and the Telos of the University

65 Faculty, staff, students, and community members from across the Mountain West region (both HxA members and non-members) were in attendance, engaging intellectually on this important topic and connecting with others across the region who are invested in the future of universities. View recordings of conference plenary sessions here. 

The event was co-organized by the HxA Campus Communities at The University of Denver, University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado Mesa, Colorado State University, and the University of Wyoming.