Heterodox Academy (HxA) Regional Conferences are university-hosted gatherings that bring together faculty, staff, students, and community members in the region interested in building cultures of open inquiry on their campuses. These events provide a space for meaningful dialogue and local organizing on pressing issues facing higher education broadly and their campuses specifically. These gatherings also foster connections among members and supporters across a geographic region.

Each conference is hosted by an engaged HxA Campus Community located within the region and is organized by a planning committee of co-chairs drawn from multiple Campus Communities across that region. Regional conferences complement HxA’s national conferences by offering a more accessible format focused on local issues. They are designed to highlight local voices, surface campus- and region-specific challenges, and strengthen networks of individuals committed to improving the culture of higher education.

This guide is intended to help HxA Campus Community members plan, promote, program, and execute a conference in their region.

Each HxA Regional Conference is an opportunity to:

Advance HxA’s Mission on Your Campus:

• Create space for thoughtful conversations across lines of difference, anchored in HxA’s values and showing how higher education can be re-centered on its core purpose — the communal pursuit of knowledge.

Highlight Regional Perspectives and Challenges:

• Showcase the voices of local faculty, students, administrators, and HxA chapter leaders.

Strengthen Community Within and Across Campus:

• Connect members and inspire new members to join to foster ongoing collaboration across the region. 

Model Constructive Engagement and Scholarly Virtues:

• Model rigorous, pluralistic dialogue in panels, workshops, and unconference sessions; and showcase tools and practices that participants can bring to their campuses to build cultures of open inquiry.

Expand the Reach of HxA on Campuses:

• Introduce new faculty, students, and administrators to HxA’s mission and resources to encourage broader participation in the organization and on their campus.