Rooted in free inquiry, freedom of expression, and a close reading of foundational thinkers, the field of civic thought bridges the humanities, arts, and social sciences to understand the ideas, principles, and practices that sustain self-government and civic life. It explores how citizens understand their rights and responsibilities within a community or republic and cultivates intellectual engagement, civic habits, and forms of participation that make self-governance possible.
The Institute is designed to draw together a community of scholars, students, leaders, and partners to engage in the exploration of enduring questions about civics and leadership to serve as a catalyst for renewing democratic culture and the civil society that sustains it.
Key Initiatives for 2026
- SPRING 2026: Launch first interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research and creative arts clusters on civics and civic thought, including creating a CivTech Incubator to foster CLA-STEM partnerships around technology to facilitate civic practices.
- Fall 2026: Launching SCLA 210 Introduction to Civic Thought – Students will engage with classic texts that the Founders themselves read, and which have shaped Western political thought past and present. These texts continue to influence the way we think and debate important topics like democracy, individual rights and responsibilities, liberty and law, and the tensions inherent to equality in a pluralistic society.
- FALL 2026: Civics Collaboratory to prepare students to work with faculty on civics research, preceptors, and civic thought facilitators
- FALL 2026: New Theme in the Cornerstone Certificate: Democracy and Citizenship. Students may choose this pathway in the Cornerstone Certificate to ground them in foundational and contemporary knowledge of American democracy, its history, laws, and institutions. They will practice the habits of civic life through coursework and programming in the Cornerstone Institute for Civic Thought.
Building Community
Through events and programming, we bring together faculty, students, alumni, and friends to explore enduring and contemporary questions about the practice of civic life.
- Common Read & Public Events - A shared reading experience, supported by keynote lectures and public talks, that introduces students to foundational texts and themes in the American civic tradition.
- Reading Allowed: Civic Style - Public events where students read and discuss important texts, speeches, literature, and other political writing that raise important questions regarding civic life and humanity alongside Cornerstone faculty.
- Film Screening: Civic Flicks - A public film series that will complement Cornerstone common readings by exploring civic themes through cinema. Screenings will be paired with guided discussions that on themes like leadership, morality, lawfulness, and public responsibility.
- Reading Groups and Seminars - Exclusive community building events where students engage deeply with foundational texts and ideas through sustained small-group discussion.
- Texts in the City - Off-campus and experiential events that connect ideas to institutions and places, encouraging students to reflect on how civic life is practiced beyond the classroom.
- Civic Café - Exclusive community building events that bring students into conversation with scholars and practitioners, fostering mentorship and intellectual exchange.
