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Since its launch last spring, CU ������ý����’s ongoing series on federal governance and higher education has brought together faculty, staff, and students for conversations with CU experts about the present and future of higher education in a shifting national landscape. Across five events and hundreds of participants so far, the series has sparked dialogue on topics ranging from executive authority and academic freedom to the evolving relationship between universities, the federal government and collective action.����

To reflect on the impact of the series and preview what’s ahead, we spoke with Elias Sacks, faculty director for public scholarship in the Office of Faculty Affairs and associate professor of Jewish studies and religious studies. Sacks serves as the series’s lead organizer and shared his perspective on why these conversations matter and what participants can expect next.��

One year in, what do you see as the most significant impact of the series so far? How has the series evolved since its launch last spring?��

Over the past year, the most significant impact of this series has been the community it has brought together—a growing network of faculty, staff, and students across CU ������ý���� committed to engaging thoughtfully with one another, and the world, during this pivotal moment in American history. As we discussed in a conversation about these programs this past fall, the scale and speed of change playing out nationwide this past year can seem so momentous that they leave us feeling small in comparison. One of the clearest outcomes of this nonpartisan series has been to demonstrate that we all have the capacity to make a difference.����

When we were asked by the Chancellor’s Office in spring 2025 to develop these programs, we initially cast a broad net, exploring big-picture features of the American constitutional order alongside issues with particular relevance for higher education. We haven’t abandoned this broad perspective: take a look at these brief presentations by faculty experts on , , and . At the same, given the pressing challenges facing American academia, we decided to focus our attention on topics specifically related to universities, including academic freedom, research funding and student loans, collective action, and immigration. Throughout, however, our goal has been consistent: empowerment through education. We're using the deep knowledge in the CU community to equip all of us to better understand and shape the volatile world around us.

What has been a personal highlight for you?��

It’s been wonderful to see the range of individuals who have participated in these sessions. Speakers and attendees have included two CU ������ý���� provosts, faculty and students from numerous colleges and disciplines, administrators and staff from offices across campus, and leaders from the CU system.��

If we’re going to have an impact on the future of higher education, we need to encourage this type of relationship-building.�� No one unit, discipline or office can secure academic freedom; no one unit, discipline, or office can protect vulnerable faculty, staff and students; no one unit, discipline or office can ensure adequate funding for cutting-edge research, creative work and teaching. We can pursue these goals only when we come together, and I’m honored that our series has been a space for making such connections.��