As colleges and universities around the country grapple with how - or whether - to reopen this fall, they face another question of responsibility: What are their leaders doing to confront the urgent racial, public health, and social equity issues challenging our society? 

To hear directly from the national higher-education leaders spearheading important new efforts, join the architecture, urban design and campus planning firm Cooper Robertson as it hosts a public live-streamed talk, at 6:30pm EDT on Tuesday, July 28th. The virtual event, “The Social Responsibility of Colleges & Universities in Times of Crises,” is free to access with registration. 

According to Cooper Robertson designer Anjulie Palta, who is convening the talk, the group of national experts includes a university president and deans of diversity and inclusion, all authorities on strategic higher-education initiatives. Moderated by noted education journalist Sara Hebel, this discussion will address the urgent racial, public health, and social equity issues of the present moment, and will explore the crucial role universities play in educating their students as well as the responsibility to serve as thought-leaders and catalysts for positive, inclusive change in their communities-at-large.

WHAT: The Social Responsibility of Colleges & Universities in Times of Crises

Part IV of Cooper Robertson Talk Series
WHO: 

Dr. Reuben Brigety, II, Vice Chancellor, President, University of the South

Dr. Rodney Lyn, School of Public Health Interim Dean, Sr. Associate Dean for Academic and Strategic Initiatives, Georgia State University

Binnu Palta Hill, Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Sara Hebel, Open Campus (moderator)
Anjulie Palta, Cooper Robertson (convener / introductory remarks)

WHEN: Tuesday, July 28, 2020, 6:30pm EDT

REGISTER: Sign up for free at the link here.

“As we all ask ourselves important questions about race and social responsibility, college and university leaders need to be able to engage with their students and their surrounding communities in an open and meaningful way,” says Cooper Robertson’s Palta. “We are undergoing a national reckoning of the foundations on which this country was built, and as architects and campus planners used to working with diverse stakeholders, we are eager to explore new ideas for making these discussions more inclusive and effective — so that everyone is equipped to enter the conversation."

This live-streamed discussion is the fourth in the ongoing Cooper Robertson Talk Series, a succession of panel events focused on issues of diversity and inclusivity in the worlds of art museums, architectural education, and urban design. 

Additional details about the July 28th event follows below.

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VIRTUAL PANEL: The Social Responsibility of Colleges & Universities in Times of Crises
Part IV of Cooper Robertson Talk Series

In responding to the nationwide protests sparked by ongoing police brutality and racial inequities in this country, what can colleges and universities do to better equip young people with the right knowledge and understanding of the lived experiences of their peers, and of the historical roots of the institutions that govern their lives?

Convened and facilitated by leading urban design firm Cooper Robertson, this live-streamed talk explores the social responsibility colleges and universities have during times of crisis to help illuminate blind spots, educate their students and the surrounding communities, and be instigators for change as our nation moves forward. A panel of preeminent university leaders and educators will discuss the broader context of racism in the U.S. that has led to the racial inequity and police violence so many are protesting around the country today. Specific topics of discussion include:

• Addressing conversations around race as part of the basic requirements for educating young people
• The broader context of racism in America as it is embedded in our laws, policies, practices and institutions
• Strategies for improving and addressing inequality in all its forms, wherever it may exist
• Changes colleges and universities can make to ensure a diverse and inclusive curriculum

This virtual panel will offer an opportunity for participants to join in conversation with these educational leaders and with their peers, sharing their insight as to how universities can better equip younger leaders to talk about race, social equity and our shared responsibility as citizens of this nation.

Participants 

• Dr. Reuben Brigety, II, Vice Chancellor, President, University of the South
• Dr. Rodney Lyn, School of Public Health Interim Dean, Sr. Associate Dean for Academic and Strategic Initiatives, Georgia State University
• Binnu Palta Hill, Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Sara Hebel, Open Campus (moderator)
• Anjulie Palta, designer, Cooper Robertson (convener / introductory remarks)

Registration here