A Conversation about Academic Freedom: Join Us May 14
Naomi Janowitz in conversation with Brian Soucek
Thursday, May 14 | 4-6 pm | Wellman 106 UC Davis
All are welcome!
The ability to think critically, ask questions, and engage in dialogue is crucial in contentious times.
In Phi Beta Kappa we recognize excellence in the liberal arts and sciences and stand up for values that matter. Current chapter President, Naomi Janowitz, will interview Brian Soucek, whose new book looks at some of the biggest controversies in higher education today. Where many see a university with opinions as a threat to academic freedom, Professor Soucek argues that decisions about a university’s values, and ultimately its mission, are unavoidable—and none count as neutral.
Phi Beta Kappa turns 250: A short history
Phi Beta Kappa's mission is not only to recognize academic excellence, but also to foster freedom of thought and expression. Phi Beta Kappa was founded on December 5, 1776, at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. It was the first college society to have a Greek-letter name, and in its initial period it introduced the essential characteristics of such societies — an oath of secrecy (discarded in 1831), a badge, mottoes in Latin and Greek, a code of laws, and an elaborate form of initiation. The organization was created as a secret society so that its founders would have the freedom to discuss any topic they chose. Freedom of inquiry has been a hallmark of ΦBK ever since.
Five students at the College of William & Mary founded Phi Beta Kappa during the American Revolution to advance their chosen motto, “Love of Learning is the Guide to Life.” A new nation would require institutions – cultural as well as political – as a grounding force and elevating influence in turbulent times. What began as a secret debating society in the midst of war became something very different over the course of the next two centuries. Phi Beta Kappa grew along with American higher education into an organization grounded in liberal – as in the Latin word for “free” – arts and sciences learning and freedom of inquiry.