In Summer of 2022, HxA took a deep look at distrust and how it manifests in higher education. What assumptions and habits are worsening our ability to trust one another on campus? How can we restore faith in our institutions and rebuild our capacity to speak with, understand, and learn from those who hold different ideological perspectives?             

The Open Inquiry in a Global Context theme explored the landscape of open inquiry and free expression on a global scale. What unique challenges do scholars and students face around the world when asking questions and pursuing bold inquiries? What risks do they take on? And what can the international context teach U.S. colleges and universities about our own struggles and current trajectory?

The Socioeconomics and Viewpoint Diversity theme considered emerging issues and research around socioeconomic status (SES) and viewpoint diversity in education. By engaging with the unique challenges and diverse perspectives among those from different socioeconomic backgrounds, universities can further expand ideological diversity, improve scholarship and research, and decrease misconceptions about class-centered issues. 

The University After 2021 theme explored the telos (purpose) and future of the university. What traditional academic assumptions and norms did COVID challenge? How is technology changing the nature of campus and classroom life? How do we gather around a shared vision of educational purpose? 

The Teaching and Constructing Knowledge theme explored what proactive strategies and mindsets universities, professors, staff, and students can adopt to overcome entrenched orthodoxies and spark innovative questions and research.

The Barriers to Knowledge Production theme examined the barriers to knowledge production – what they are, why they emerge, how to overcome them, and whether our strategies needed to be updated.

The Religious Viewpoint Diversity theme explored the nature and importance of religious diversity, how it is expressed on campuses, and how educators can harness that diversity for productive classrooms.

The Diversity Training theme explored what values are driving Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives, what the goals of these initiatives should be, and what works and what doesn’t – all in an effort to deepen understanding across divides and discover actionable solutions.

During this theme, we explored the dimensions of open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement at community colleges. In what ways, if any, are issues pertaining to the academic freedom of faculty and students different at community colleges? What are some interesting and successful innovations for facilitating conversations about these issues in community colleges?

The Black Intellectual Viewpoint Diversity theme explored the contributions of Black scholars, the diversity of perspectives among them, and the tensions around representation in institutions of higher learning. We examined the influence of Black scholars in higher education with respect to opening up new fields of investigation, challenging disciplinary orthodoxies and posing new questions. We were also keen to highlight the multiplicity of viewpoints and positions held by African Americans in order to avoid essentialized or monolithic descriptions of what constitutes Black thought.

The Political Polarization theme explored what political polarization means and how it relates to viewpoint diversity, open inquiry and constructive disagreement.