University of Denver to Launch Free Expression Academy
The Miller National Academy will host its inaugural event featuring George W. Bush and Nadine Strossen in November.
Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in Lecture and Seminars
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The University of Denver is set to launch The Miller National Academy for Free Expression and Pluralism this November. An inaugural event featuring George W. Bush and Nadine Strossen is scheduled for November 10, 2026.
Why it matters
The academy aims to address rising political and cultural polarization alongside growing public distrust of institutions. By fostering civil discourse, the program seeks to provide a model for other educational institutions nationwide.
The program mandates that each student participate in the Debate Across the Curriculum initiative twice during their academic career. These sessions require students to develop arguments for multiple sides of a given issue.
The players
George W. Bush
He is the 43rd President of the United States.
Nadine Strossen
She is a former president of the American Civil Liberties Union and a scholar of constitutional law.
Darrin Hicks
He is the faculty member who developed the Debate Across the Curriculum program.
University of Denver
This is a private research university located in Denver, Colorado.
The details
The academy serves as a laboratory designed to develop and test new methods for civil discourse among its faculty and student fellows. Participants come from across the political spectrum to engage in non-competitive classroom debates.
Timeline
The Miller National Academy launches in November 2026.
The inaugural event featuring George W. Bush and Nadine Strossen is scheduled for November 10, 2026.
Industry Dynamics
The academy uses the Debate Across the Curriculum program as a foundation for its pedagogical approach to discourse. It expands upon existing educational frameworks by integrating these practices into a new, dedicated institutional home for free expression.
Students at the university will be required to participate in the debate program twice throughout their tenure. This ensures that the campus community engages directly with the academy's mission of promoting civil discourse.
The takeaway
The launch of this academy highlights a growing trend of institutions formalizing the teaching of civil disagreement. Students can adopt these non-competitive debate techniques to improve their own listening skills in polarized social environments.
Further reading
Learn more about local academic initiatives in the Lecture and Seminars section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Colorado Public Radio.
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