Important Conference Info
Submissions, Announcements, Host Info & More
Announcements
Conference Theme: The Moral University – Higher Education in an Age of Uncertainty
Three Keynote speakers have been confirmed for the conference:
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Harry Brighouse (Professor of Philosophy, University of Wisconsin-Madison) (Presenting in person)
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Harry Brighouse is a philosopher whose work focuses on justice, education, and the ethical purposes of social institutions. He is currently Professor of Philosophy at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a leading figure in contemporary philosophy of education.
Brighouse is the author or co‑author of numerous influential books on education and justice, including On Education (2006), Educational Equality (2006, with Adam Swift), School Choice and Social Justice (2000), and Family Values (2014, with Adam Swift). He co-edited The Aims of Higher Education: Problems of Morality and Justice (University of Chicago Press, 2015) with Michael McPherson, which won the 2017 Federic W Ness Award for the book contributing to our understanding of liberal education from the Association of American Colleges and Universities. His work examines the moral aims of education, the responsibilities of educational institutions, and the balance between individual freedom, equality, and the public good. Across his scholarship, Brighouse argues that questions about schooling and higher education cannot be separated from broader ethical questions about justice, citizenship, and human flourishing.
Based on our email exchange, Brighouse is planning to speak on the purposes of the university.
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Liz Jackson (Professor of Education at the University of Hong Kong) (Presenting by Zoom)
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Liz Jackson is a philosopher of education whose research addresses ethics, moral formation, and higher education as an institutional and cultural practice. She is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Hong Kong.
Jackson’s work explores how universities shape moral agency, emotions, and ethical reasoning in increasingly pluralistic and global contexts. She is the author of Beyond Virtue: The Politics of Educating Emotions (2020), which examines the ethical and political dimensions of moral education, and a co‑editor of The Ethical Academy: The University as an Ethical System (2022), an edited volume that conceptualizes universities as complex moral institutions rather than value‑neutral knowledge factories. She also wrote ““Beyond Western Ideals: Academic freedom, capabilities, and social knowledge,” published in Academic Freedom in Higher Education: Core Value or Elite Privilege? (2024). Her scholarship brings together ethical theory, philosophy of education, and international perspectives on higher education, making her work especially relevant to questions about the moral purposes and responsibilities of universities today.
Based on our email exchange, Jackson is planning to speak on a blending of the topic of academic freedom with how professors are considered as moral actors in non-western contexts more often than in western contexts.
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Jennifer Ruth (Professor of Film, Portland State University) (Presenting in person)
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Jennifer Ruth is Professor of Film at Portland State University and a member of the American Association of University Professors’ Committee A on Academic Freedom. In addition to her work in film studies, she writes extensively on higher education, academic freedom, and the role of universities in democratic society.
Ruth is the co-author, with Michael Bérubé, of The Humanities, Higher Education, and Academic Freedom: Three Necessary Arguments (2015) and It’s Not Free Speech: Race, Democracy, and the Future of Academic Freedom (2022). She also writes on higher education issues for the Academe blog. Her work explores questions of academic freedom, free expression, faculty governance, and the public responsibilities of colleges and universities, making her scholarship especially relevant to the theme of this year’s conference.
Host Info
The conference will be held at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, located in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley. Widely known for its natural beauty, the Valley offers a distinctive setting for reflection and conversation, with easy access to the Blue Ridge Mountains, historic towns, and a vibrant local culture. Harrisonburg is a welcoming and walkable city with a lively downtown and diverse dining options. James Madison University is a nationally recognized public institution with a growing reputation for academic excellence, civic engagement, and innovative teaching, making it a fitting venue for a conference devoted to the ethical purposes and public responsibilities of higher education.
Conference sessions will be held on the campus of James Madison University at the Festival Conference & Student Center:
https://www.jmu.edu/festival/
Conference Info
The Moral University: Higher Education in an Age of Uncertainty
Colleges and universities face unprecedented ethical challenges—pressures from politics, markets, and technology that raise deep questions about what higher education is for, whom it serves, and how it should change. This conference invites scholars and practitioners to reflect on the moral dimensions of academic life: from teaching and research to governance, access, and the evolving social role of the university. We seek papers and panels that explore these issues from any disciplinary, theoretical, or practical perspective.
Possible areas for exploration include:
- The purpose and public mission of higher education in a changing society
- Academic freedom, shared governance, and institutional integrity
- Free expression, protest, and the ethics of dialogue on campus
- Political and financial pressures on universities and their leadership
- The value and economics of higher education: debt, equity, and accountability
- Ethics in academic administration and decision-making
- Technology, AI, and the digital transformation of learning and research
- Teaching ethics across the curriculum and professional programs
- Globalization, inclusion, and the moral boundaries of the university community
- The moral development, well-being, and agency of students and faculty
Travel & Accommodations
Travel to Harrisonburg
Harrisonburg is accessible from several regional and international airports, offering options for travelers coming from across the United States and abroad.
Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport (SHD) is the closest airport to James Madison University, located approximately 15 miles from campus (about a 25-minute drive). As a small regional airport, SHD offers a limited schedule of flights but provides the most convenient access to Harrisonburg. Attendees interested in shuttle transportation from SHD should contact the conference organizers. While shuttle service cannot be guaranteed, we will explore the possibility if sufficient interest exists.
Charlottesville–Albemarle Airport (CHO) is located approximately 66 miles from Harrisonburg (about a 75-minute drive) and offers a wider range of flights while still providing relatively easy access to campus. Attendees interested in shuttle transportation from CHO should contact the conference organizers. While shuttle service cannot be guaranteed, we will explore the possibility if sufficient interest exists.
Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) is a major international hub located approximately 118 miles from Harrisonburg (about a two-hour drive). Dulles offers the greatest number of domestic and international flight options and may be the most convenient choice for many travelers.
Rental cars are available at all three airports.
Accommodations
All conference sessions will be held on the James Madison University campus rather than at a conference hotel. Attendees will find a variety of lodging options conveniently located near campus.
We have reserved a limited block of rooms at a special conference rate at the Courtyard by Marriott Harrisonburg (1890 Evelyn Byrd Ave, Harrisonburg, VA; (540) 432-3031). When making reservations, please use the following link: https://app.marriott.com/reslink?id=1777558763385&key=GRP&app=resvlink
Additional nearby lodging options include:
· Holiday Inn Express & Suites Harrisonburg (196 Burgess Rd; (540) 750-4441) https://www.ihg.com/
· Hyatt Place Harrisonburg (1884 Evelyn Byrd Ave; (540) 417-1234) https://www.hyatt.com/hyatt-
· Hampton Inn Harrisonburg (85 University Blvd; (540) 432-1111) https://www.hilton.com/en/
· Sleep Inn & Suites Harrisonburg (1891 Evelyn Byrd Ave; (540) 208-1510) https://www.choicehotels.com/
· Quality Inn Harrisonburg (1881 Evelyn Byrd Ave; (540) 208-1496) https://www.choicehotels.com/
· Residence Inn by Marriott Harrisonburg (1945 Deyerle Ave; (540) 437-7426) https://www.marriott.com/en-
· Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Harrisonburg (1946 Medical Ave, Harrisonburg, VA (540) 433-9333) https://www.marriott.com/en-
Sponsorship Opportunities
SEAC Conference Sponsorship Levels
Featured $3,000
One available
Benefits:
Full-page ad in conference program
Logo on website
Recognition in all conference announcements
Opportunity to add branded merchandise or brochures to the conference swag bags
Complimentary registration for 5 individuals
Collaborating $1,000
Five available: Opening Reception Sponsor, Opening Plenary Sponsor, Keynote Luncheon Sponsor,
Banquet Sponsor, Distinguished Service Award Sponsor
Benefits:
Half-page ad in conference program
Logo on website
Recognition in all conference announcements
Opportunity to add branded merchandise or brochures to the conference swag bags
Complimentary registration for 3 individuals
Supporting $500
Two available: Opportunity Grant Sponsor, Best Graduate Student Paper Sponsor
Benefits:
Recognition in conference program
Recognition in opening conference announcements
Recognition at banquet
Graduate Student Opportunities
Graduate Student Essay Prize
Graduate Student Pedagogical Certificate
All participants in the certificate opportunity must register for the SEAC conference.
Apply to be a SEAC Pedagogy Fellow here! For more information contact:
Dani Clevenger
Director of Strategic Ethics Initiatives
The Center for Practical Ethics
dcleveng@olemiss.edu
Deadline for applications for the Graduate Pedagogy certificate is September 1st.
Society for Ethics Across the Curriculum Opportunity Grant
The Society for Ethics Across the Curriculum seeks to support participation in its annualconference by traditionally underrepresented scholars through the SEAC Opportunity
Grant. The grant provides a $500 stipend plus conference registration and banquet.
Eligibility: A faculty member or graduate student who identifies as traditionally
underrepresented in the field of ethics and whose proposal for the upcoming conference
has been accepted.
Application Process: Once a faculty member or graduate student receives notice that
their proposal has been accepted for the upcoming SEAC conference, they will notify
the conference organizers that they would like to apply for the Opportunity Grant. In
their correspondence they should indicate what their anticipated expenses will be to
attend the conference, including the registration and banquet fees, and what funds are
available from their institution.
Selection Process: A committee composed of the upcoming conference organizers
and the Secretary-Treasurer of SEAC will determine, based on financial need, who
receives the grant.
Important Conference Info
More Info to come!
More Info to come!