With a long-standing and deep-seated commitment to promoting thoughtful policy conversations from multiple perspectives, the La Follette School of Public Affairs seeks to bring a wide range of thought-provoking guest speakers to its students and the wider community.
This is why La Follette is thrilled to share an exciting lineup of speakers who embody the school’s spirit of civil dialogue, the robust exchange of ideas, and seeking common ground.
Spring Spotlight with Gov. Mitch Daniels
Spring semester events kick off on February 16 with a visit from Mitch Daniels, the former governor of Indiana and president of Purdue University.
In “Higher Ed, Public Policy, and a Divided America,” Gov. Daniels will share perspectives drawn from a unique career that reached the highest levels of both state government and higher education. His experiences and the challenges he faced serving two terms as governor of a midwestern state and nearly a decade as president of a world-class university similar to UW-Madison should hold considerable relevance for the Madison community.
Gov. Daniels, who also served as director of the Office of Management and Budget under President George W. Bush, is renowned for his principled approach to leadership and his commitment to civility. At a speaking engagement last fall, Gov. Daniels said, “Civility is not the mark of a coward; it’s the opposite. What takes courage is finding common ground.”
Gov. Daniels will discuss these themes, and more, in a moderated conversation with La Follette’s director, Susan Yackee. He will also explore the state of politics and policymaking and potential solutions for a higher education system that finds itself at a crossroads.
The state of free speech on campus
On March 18, La Follette will partner with Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin to host Greg Lukianoff, President and CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).
Lukianoff is a New York Times best-selling author, an attorney focused on the First Amendment and constitutional law, and a leading voice on the right to free speech. FIRE’s mission is to defend and sustain the individual rights of all Americans to free speech and free thought.
Chancellor Mnookin and Lukianoff will sit down for a conversation examining free expression on college campuses during a time when a ‘free speech for me, but not for thee’ attitude often prevails across a spectrum of topics and viewpoints. They’ll discuss how to build a campus culture that encourages vigorous discourse and civil dialogue across many backgrounds, viewpoints, identities, religions, political perspectives, and ideas.
This event will be part of the Wisconsin Exchange, UW-Madison’s new initiative that aims to put pluralism into practice, promote civil dialogue, and cultivate a campus community where diverse viewpoints are expected, debated, and respected.
Looking ahead
In the fall, La Follette’s exciting programming will include a visit from Michael Barbaro, host of the wildly popular New York Times podcast The Daily. Stay tuned for more information on that event, which will take place on October 20.
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