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Invite University Leadership to Partner with You

Academic presentation in classical university setting with Think Again and UVA banners

In addition to building grassroots, student-facing programs from the bottom up, it's key to involve senior leadership at your institution. Having buy-in from the top down will make organizing easier and help draw institutional support. Here are a few ways to help do that:

Citizens & Scholars

Encourage your college president to join Citizens & Scholars' College Presidents for Civic Preparedness. Leaders make three Civic Commitments: educating for democracy, preparing students for a diverse society, and protecting free inquiry. Learn more about this coalition of 100+ college presidents here .

College trustees and board members

Can be great allies as well. The American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) has a toolkit called the Campus Freedom Initiative for college trustees to help build a culture of free inquiry on campus. Available here .

American Enterprise Institute

There are more tools for college trustees from the American Enterprise Institute's "Fulfilling the Trust: College Trustee Leadership in a New Era." The report's key question: "How can trustees maintain and expand a culture of free speech and free inquiry?" Lots of good advice on how to partner with trustees on that mission. Read the full report here .