Open Inquiry U
Heterodox Academy's Four-Point Agenda for Reforming Colleges and Universities
Colleges and universities’ highest purpose is the communal pursuit of knowledge through rigorous inquiry, dialogue, and discovery. As faculty push the boundaries of existing understandings, and students wrestle with challenging questions and ideas, a college or university can cultivate a uniquely creative and disciplined environment that enriches the entire society around it.
But today, many colleges and universities have become uncertain about their core purpose—and it shows. As the pursuit of knowledge becomes one possible goal among many, the core practices and habits of truth-seeking have become weak, optional, or even taboo on many campuses. Too often, conformity is rewarded over curiosity, and dissent is met with suspicion rather than engagement.
We know that meaningful change must come from within. That’s why, at HxA, we’re equipping faculty, staff, and campus leaders to build a stronger academic culture—one that honors the ideals of scholarly integrity, pluralism, and free thought.
The recommendations below are practical and principled, and can be championed from any position within the institution. Whether you’re changing a policy, launching a program, challenging a norm, or redesigning a course, there is a role for you in reforming higher education—one conversation, one decision, one campus at a time.
Building Cultures of Open Inquiry
In an era of increasing polarization, universities must choose their future. At HxA, we believe that our universities must remain spaces where students and professors can discuss controversial topics without fear, inquire freely wherever the evidence may take them, and engage constructively across varied viewpoints. Discover how we’re leading the charge to build cultures of open inquiry on every campus
HxA’s four-point agenda for university reform draws on a decade of thought leadership and grassroots action across campuses. Expand each section for key resources that will help you foster cultures of open inquiry in your classroom, department, and campus.
- Princeton Principles for a Campus Culture of Free Inquiry [Policy Brief]
- Leveraging Student Orientation Programs to Promote Open Inquiry and Viewpoint Diversity [HxA Webinar]
- The Open Inquiry Toolkit for Information Literacy [Resource Guide from HxLibraries]
- How Federal Funding Constrains Scientific Insight: Open inquiry? Not if you’re funded by the NIH. [Essay by Stuart Buck]
- Undisciplined Disciplines: Stepping back from further politicization of scholarship is an existential step. [Essay by Tom Ginsburg]
- Academia’s Quiet Aristocracy: Open inquiry requires a revolution in research assessment. [Essay by Farid Zaid]
- Why should those on the left care about open inquiry in higher ed? [Essay by Alice Dreger]
- Threats to open inquiry on campus may be subtle. [Essay by Nicole Barbaro Simovski]
- From Scholar-Activism to Scholar-Optimism [Essay by Martha McCaughey]
- Extraordinary U: The HxA Model of Statement Neutrality [Policy Model]
- The Rising Tide of Institutional Statement Neutrality: How Universities Are Rethinking Institutional Speech [Research Report]
- All Minus One, John Stuart Mill's Ideas on Free Speech, Illustrated [Reading Guide]
- HxA’s Campus Expression Survey - US [Research Reports]
- HxA’s Campus Expression Survey - Canada [Research Report]
- HxA Campus Expression Survey Administration Guide [How-To Guide]
- The Jester’s Bridge Facilitator Guide [Student Orientation Module; 15-minute documentary Jesters and Fools and discussion guide; collaboration between Heterodox Academy and Gotham Arts.]
- Adopt the Chicago Statement or similar free expression commitment [Policy Model]
- Presidents are taking a close look at campus free expression policies. [Essay by Nicole Barbaro Simovski]
- Classroom Speech Continues to Be Restrained and Constrained [Essay by Erin Shaw]
- Codes of Silence in Chinese versus American Universities [Essay by Geoffrey Miller]
- The Power of the Classroom [Essay by Nicole Barbaro Simovski]
- Viewpoint diversity isn’t a partisan rallying cry — it’s a scholarly one [Op-Ed by John Tomasi]
- Just Like MIT, Every University Should Reject Political ‘Diversity Statements’ [Op-Ed by John Tomasi]
- Build, not ban. The new civics schools are disruptive, scholarly misfits. We need more of that. [Essay by Michael Regnier]
- HxA Speakers Bureau [Resource]
- Freedom of Thought course syllabus [Course by Nafees Alam]
- Curiosity, Controversy, and Intellectual Courage [Reading Guide from HxLibraries]
- How an Academic Department Replace Diversity Statements with Service Statements [How-To Guide by Matt Burgess & Peter Newton]
- Human Nature is Our Problem [Essay by Musa al-Gharbi]
- New survey suggests students are avoiding colleges that challenge their politics. [Essay by Nicole Barbaro Simovski]
- How can academics broaden viewpoint diversity on their own campuses? [Essay by Alice Dreger]
- Political discrimination is acting as a proxy for class discrimination. [Essay by Scott Pell]
- Add Republicans and Stir? Cultural change in academia can't be solved that way. [Essay by Alice Dreger]
- SwayBeta AI Tool for Constructive Disagreement in the Classroom [Tool]
- Hosting Heterodox Conversations™ Organizer’s Guide [How-To Guide]
- General campus event planning guide [How-To Guide]
- Co-Teaching Across Viewpoints - [HxA webinar]
- This game-changing AI tool helps students learn constructive disagreement. [Essay by Alice Dreger]
- Who’s Signing On For “Constructive Engagement” in Higher Ed? [Essay by Alex Arnold]
- Veteran tips for creating genuinely curious classrooms. [Essay by Alice Dreger]
- Adversaries to Allies: Transforming Academic Conflict with Cory Clark [Member Story]
The more members we have, the stronger our voice becomes. A larger network means more campuses exposed to our resources, more scholars empowered to speak freely, and more ideas about how to advance open inquiry. Put simply: when our membership grows, our impact grows.