We’re excited to announce that the next Heterodox Academy (HxA) Mountain West Regional Conference will be held on June 22-24, 2026 at the University of Wyoming, in Laramie, WY!
The theme of next year’s conference is “How It's Done: Practical Strategies for Building Trustworthy Higher Education Institutions” and will include a half-day workshop on academic principles with the University of Chicago Forum for Free Inquiry and Expression, as well as an intensive dialogue facilitation workshop. It will also feature practical lessons from University attorneys, trustees, faculty senators, HxA chapter leaders, faculty, staff, and students who will share how they align policies and principles, improve shared governance, facilitate constructive disagreement, and lead faculty development.
Conference session highlights include:
- June 22: Plenary Panel on “What Do You Want to Build? Visions of University Reform” featuring present and past university presidents and trustees
- June 23: Keynote Address on “The Spirit of Liberal Freedom”, by Steven Pittz, Director of the Center for the Study of Government and the Individual at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
- June 23: A half-day deep-dive on the Chicago tradition with leaders of the University of Chicago Forum for Free Inquiry & Expression
- June 23: A half-day series of dialogues on higher ed reform led by the Center for Public Deliberation, BridgeUSA, the Steamboat Institute, and Heterodox Academy
- June 24: Keynote address by John Tomasi, President of HxA
- Concurrent sessions on culture change, faculty development, pedagogy and curriculum, community building, policy reform, and more
Tickets are available for the full conference ($100 for non-students; $75 for students) as well as a single day pass on Tuesday, June 23rd ($60 for non-students; $45 for students).
Register here
If you're in AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, or WY, or if you're an HxA member, HxA curious, or just want to discuss how it's done, join us this June at the University of Wyoming!
Hotel Accommodations
If you’re planning to join us from out of town, we recommend booking through our discounted conference room block at the Hilton Garden Inn Laramie, located at 2229 Grand Ave., Laramie, Wyoming, 82070.