The "New University" Revisited

The "New University" Revisited: Leadership, Activism, and Free Speech from 1970 to the Present 
Ali Watts, Dippo Galimoto, Tabitha Starr Barowsky
Concurrent Session #1
 
This presentation uplifts the history of Bowling Green State University’s “New University”—a rapid (albeit temporary), student-informed curricular restructuring launched in the days following the Kent State Massacre of 1970—as an early experiment in participatory governance and crisis leadership. Drawing on archival records, our presentation compares the “New University’s” institutional openness to recent administrative responses to student anti-war activism. This comparison raises provocative questions about how universities define safety, dissent, and educational purpose in times of moral crisis—and what the “New University” model might teach us about leadership, dialogue, and the boundaries of free speech today. 
 
Grad Students,New Professionals, 0-3 years,Mid-Managers, 4-7 years,Seasoned Professionals, 8+ years