The Aspen Institute

As students and faculty cautiously return to campus after a year and a half of severe disruption, how has the distance from our “old normal” changed our worldviews and priorities in higher education?  How can student learning experiences respond to the global and systemic issues that have become ever-more present in our lives?

In this session, as part of the 2021 Undergraduate Consortium programming, we hear from Deans and Presidents on how they are viewing this moment.  The conversation touches on the importance of breaking down unnecessary disciplinary silos, the need to reconsider misinterpreted academic language, and how to balance technical training with the study of “how to be a human”.

Featured panelists:

• Barbara Altmann, President, Franklin & Marshall College
• John Bravman, President, Bucknell University
• Miguel Quiñones, Dean, Robins School of Business, University of Richmond

Moderated by:

• Mihir Desai, Mizuho Financial Group Professor of Finance, Harvard Business School and Professor of Law, Harvard Law School

The Aspen Undergraduate Consortium is a community of faculty and educators from more than 100 business schools and liberal arts colleges who aim to equip students with the mindset, knowledge and skills required to contribute to a flourishing economy and strong democracy.

Since 2012, participants bring their unique intellectual interests, knowledge and perspectives to the conversation.  All of this leads to a rich exchange of ideas about how individuals, communities, corporations and government interact; about the tension between the practical and the exploratory in the college experience; and about the place of business education in higher education.