• January 8, 2026 | 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
• Imperial B

SCS-29: SCS Presidential Panel: Good Classics in Bad Times

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Higher education is currently dealing with unprecedented attacks from the federal government, on several fronts.  The current administration has: cancelled billions of dollars in previously-awarded grants; coerced several colleges into agreeing to unprecedented federal oversight; demanded data regarding hiring and admissions; tried to convince universities to sign on to a “compact” that would have severely restricted academic inquiry into certain topics; and declared open conflict on programs designed to make the university system more open, accessible, and equitable. 

In this climate, classicists can find themselves in a double-bind.  Those of us who teach in areas that are not aligned with the federal government’s agenda can find ourselves subject to threats, intimidation, and sanction from our institutions.  Those who teach in more traditional areas can find ourselves co-opted by the far right, even if/when we do not share their values.  In light of this current context, our panelists will provide short provocations to open up a discussion about how we can do Classical Studies responsibly.

Introducer:

Kirk Ormand, Oberlin College