Upcoming Events

Spring 2026

Danielle Allen: Renovate the University

Tuesday, January 20, 2026  |  2 p.m. at Blackwell Ballroom | Full details and registration

Dr. Danielle Allen proposes a new social contract for the future of higher education in the United States, drawing on her work on democracy renovation with the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation at Harvard’s Kennedy School, and her recent essay for The Atlantic on the broken academic social contract. 

New Perspectives On The Northwest Ordinance 

Friday and Saturday, January 30-31, 2026  |  Blackwell Inn and Pfahl Conference Center | Full details and registration

The Ohio State University is proud to collaborate with the America 250-Ohio Commission to host a two-day conference, January 30-31, 2026, focused on New Perspectives on the Northwest Ordinance.

Visiting Professor Dr. John Thrasher: What Free Speech Is For 

Monday, February 16, 2026  |  5 p.m. at Thompson Library, 11th Floor | Full details and registration

This talk argues that free speech serves the same function in civic life; it keeps power contestable by keeping criticism and dissent live options for ordinary people, even when the speech is unpopular or wrong. Thrasher will argue that the threat today is not only censorship, but also the rising costs of dissent, which make silence the rational choice. 

Diversity of Thought: Religion's Impact on Civic Society 

Thursday, February 19, 2026  |  7 p.m. at Vitoria on the Square, 14 E. 15th Ave., Columbus  |  Full details and registration

Religion has long shaped the moral fabric and civic life of societies around the world — inspiring service and compassion while also influencing law, politics and cultural identity. In today’s pluralistic and polarized era, what role should religion play in public life? Does faith strengthen civic society, or can it divide and constrain it? Sponsored by the Office of Academic Affairs, John Glenn College of Public Affairs, Moritz College of Law, and the Salmon P. Chase Center for Civics, Culture, and Society.

Randy Barnett: Chase Distinguished Lecture Series 

Wednesday, April 8, 2026  |  4 p.m. at Thompson Library 

Ohio Civics Centers Symposium 

Thursday and Friday, April 23 - April 24, 2026  |  TBD at The Longaberger House