The Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University and the Alliance for Civics in the Academy (ACA), with support from GBH, are proud to host a one-day national summit on the state of civics in higher education on Friday, April 10, 2026 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Tufts University’s Medford/Somerville campus. 

The summit will convene practitioners, faculty, administrators, and students from across the United States to explore, discuss and compare models of civic practice in higher education.

Please register here.

The agenda is now largely set:

Continental Breakfast & Poster Presentation 8:45 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. | Breed Memorial Hall

Welcome

9:15 a.m. | Breed Memorial Hall

• Caroline Genco, Provost & Senior Vice President, Tufts University
• Dayna Cunningham, Pierre and Pamela Omidyar Dean, Tisch College at Tufts
• University Jonathan Holloway, President & CEO, Luce Foundation
• Peter Levine, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs & Lincoln Filene Professor, Tisch College at Tufts University

Panel 1: Community at the Core: Transformational Civic Partnerships

10:00 – 11:00 a.m. | Breed Memorial Hall

Some institutions are deeply engaged with their neighboring communities. These partnerships provide opportunities for civic learning while generating knowledge and other public goods.

• Fonna Forman, Professor of Political Science & Founding Director of the Center on Global Justice at the University of California, San Diego
• Leslie Garvin, Executive Director, North Carolina Campus Engagement
• Amber Wichowsky, Associate Professor of Public Affairs & Leadership Wisconsin Endowed Chair for the Division of Extension, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Moderator: Peter Levine, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs & Lincoln Filene Professor, Tisch College at Tufts University
  

BREAK | 11:00 – 11:15 a.m.
Panel 2: Civics in the Classroom: Curricula at U.S. 250Some institutions have developed curricular programs for civic education, ranging from courses to majors and even schools.11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.| Breed Memorial Hall

• Michael Clune, Professor, Salmon P. Chase Center for Civics, Culture, and Society, The Ohio State University
• Tetyana Hoggan-Kloubert, Chair of Adult and Continuing Education, University of Augsburg,Germany
• Bryan Garsten, Professor of Political Science and Humanities; Faculty Director, Center for Civic Thought at Yale University
• Moderator: Josiah Ober, Constantine Mitsotakis Chair in the School of Humanities and Sciences, Stanford UniversityLUNCH | 12:15 – 1:15 p.m.

Remarks on Pluralism | 1:15 – 1:30 p.m.Eboo Patel, Founder and President, Interfaith America

Panel 3: Democracy Centers: Research for the Public GoodSome institutions are home to centers that study and aim to improve democracy. Among other functions, they involve students in their research, and they may study civic education.1:30 – 2:30 p.m. | Breed Memorial Hall

• Jessica Kimpell Johnson, Director of Research, Karsh Institute of Democracy; Manager of the JohnL. Nau III Lab on the History & Principles of Democracy, University of Virginia
• Amy Binder, SNF-Agora Professor of Sociology, Johns Hopkins University
• Mindy Romero, Founder and Director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy (CID), University of Southern California’s Sol Price School of Public Policy in Sacramento
• Jennifer Brick Murtazashvili, Founding Director of the Center for Governance and Markets;Professor, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs
• Moderator: Leela Strong, Newhouse Director of the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), Tisch College at Tufts University

BREAK | 2:30 – 2:45 p.m.
Panel 4: Where Do We Go from Here? Critique, Comments & Responses 2:45 – 3:45 p.m.

• Andrew Delbanco, President, The Teagle Foundation; Alexander Hamilton Professor of American Studies, Columbia University
• Jenna Silber Storey, Ravenel Curry Chair in Civic Thought; Senior Fellow in Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies, American Enterprise Institute (AEI)
• Additional panelist(s) to be added
• Moderator: Stefanie Sanford, Chair of the Board of Trustees, Institute for Citizens & Scholars

Closing Remarks 3:45 – 4:00 p.m.

Peter Levine, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs & Lincoln Filene Professor, Tisch College at Tufts University

Reception

Please join us for informal conversation and refreshments at this reception hosted by the Civic Studies Program at Tufts University.

4:30 – 6:30 p.m. | Tamper Café (340 Boston Ave, Medford)