Programs & Opportunities
2026-2027: “Civil Discourse”
How can charitable dialogue help find common ground that respects the interlocutors and appreciates the weight of what is at stake?
Upcoming Events
4 Yearly Meetings
Through reading seminars, CRC Fellows have the opportunity to explore questions of the Center’s theme in casual, student-led conversations. Four times a year, undergraduate Fellows meet to discuss a text chosen by a senior fellow. Reading seminars occur twice a semester with each Year-Four Fellow selecting a reading, designing the discussion, and leading the conversation. The seminar will encourage deeper reflections on what it means to be a responsible citizen in a broader community as well as explore the year’s theme in relation to the text.
These seminars connect students by hosting interdisciplinary conversations that encourage diverse perspectives, as well as providing free books and refreshments.
May 26
Summer Seminar
Undergraduates and regional high-school students explored themes of statesmanship and tyranny through the lens of fiction by reading Shakespeare’s play, “King Henry V.”
Founding Civics Seminar
June 10-12
Founding Civics Institute for Tennessee educators brought together 25 regional middle and high school teachers for professional development.
September 1
Discourse Dinner
A small diverse group of students, faculty, and members of the community gather at a professor’s home to chat about our year’s theme of “Civil Discourse.”
September 18
Teams of high school students from across the state will compete at Lee University on questions about the American Founding and Constitution. Lee undergraduates are involved in all aspects of the event, including serving as mentors for participating high school students. Please contact crc@leeuniversity.edu if you would like to support this event or volunteer to help facilitate it.
October 16-17
Our annual symposium on Civic Virtue & Thought. This year’s theme is “Self-Evident? Seeking Understanding through Civil Discourse”. Readings will use politics, philosophy, history, and literature to explore the challenges of serious discussion of contentious issues. We’ll consider how charitable dialogue can find common ground that respects the interlocutors and appreciates the weight of what is at stake.
Past Events
March 27
Keynote Lecture
This lecture explored responsible citizenship through connection to tradition, place, and things divine in connection with the Ciceronian Society.
January 26
Discourse Dinner
A common meal and conversation among a small diverse group of students, faculty, and members of the community to chat about our year’s theme of “Statesman as Stewardship.”
Contact the CRC at crc@leeuniversity.edu