The University of Michigan will launch its inaugural Open Inquiry Week, an initiative designed to highlight the role of open inquiry in shaping higher education and democratic life, Oct. 6-10.

The week will invite students, faculty and staff to engage with a guiding question: What does it mean to explore ideas with curiosity and courage — even when those ideas are unpopular, flawed, or challenge prevailing beliefs?

At the center of the week is the kickoff of a new speaker series, How to Speak Your Mind/How to Change Your Mind, on Oct. 8. The program features Glenn Loury, economist, author and podcaster, whose forthcoming book, “Self-Censorship,” will serve as a starting point for a conversation about the pressures and possibilities of free expression in contemporary society.

Recent events on campuses and across the nation have underscored how fragile a culture of open inquiry can be.

“We are trying to promote more curiosity and less condemnation, more courage and less conformity,” said Paul Resnick, the Michael D. Cohen Collegiate Professor of Information in the School of Information and one of the initiative’s co-leads. “We need more disagreements on campus, and we need them to be productive rather than polarizing.” 

Programs throughout the week — and beyond — will include:

• A library forum on developing the mindset for open inquiry by reading beyond the headlines.
• Student-led pop-up opportunities to explore pluralism.
• Faculty-led dialogues. 

These activities are designed to give the campus community opportunities to reflect on their own approaches to inquiry and to practice the skills needed for engaging in challenging, yet rewarding, conversations. 

The initiative also coincides with National Banned Book Week, linking local conversations to national debates over access to ideas. 

The High Stakes Culture series at the Institute for the Humanities will take up the question of whether it is ever OK to ban a book with an open forum bringing together faculty experts, students and other members of the community in conversations designed to highlight the power of the humanities in helping to understand how and why attention to cultural objects matter to contemporary debates. 

“Open inquiry is not just about protecting free expression — it’s about preparing students to be both critical thinkers and empathetic citizens,” said Angela Dillard, vice provost for undergraduate education, and interim vice provost for access & opportunity. “We want students to leave Michigan not just with knowledge, but with the ability to use that knowledge in ways that bridge divides and strengthen our communities.

“That requires the ability to test ideas rigorously, engage differences honestly, and practice the courage it takes to listen as well as to speak.”

Open Inquiry Week is part of the 2025-26 Year of Life-Changing Education, which highlights the transformative impact of learning both inside and outside the classroom. Throughout the year, as part of the Look to Michigan vision, students will be invited to sharpen their skills in dialogue, debate and information literacy, preparing them for leadership in a complex and divided world.