Regular Series
Series 2
Artist Projects
Visiting artists create site-specific projects that incorporate and directly respond to the space of The Commons, exhibit strong interdisciplinary elements addressing exploratory themes, and build upon knowledge in the arts, humanities, and sciences.
Educate & Act
The Educate & Act series features panelists speaking on topics of current relevance to civic action and engagement. Programs in this series feature presenters from across campus, as well as specialists beyond the University. Educate & Act was created by The Commons, the Center for Service Learning, and the Emily Taylor Center for Women & Gender Equity. Programs in this series feature campus researchers as well as specialists beyond the University.
Engaged Reading
Healthy democracy fosters an exchange of ideas across experiences and knowledge. One way to offer a platform for this is to root discussion in shared reading and collaborative understanding. Engaged Reading is offered to promote learning and inquiry across populations at the University, through common texts. Inspired by the expansive reach of the KU Reads/Common Book program, and curated with goals of generous and generative conversation, this series will feature excerpts and texts presented with discussion stewards. Supported by a collaborative initiative of the KU Libraries, the Hall Center for the Humanities, the Spencer Museum of Art, the Institute for Policy and Social Research, and The Commons.
Series 3
Kenneth Spencer Lecture Series
The Kenneth Spencer Lectures gives The Commons an opportunity to invite leaders in their fields to speak to the University of Kansas and area communities. The voices represented include scholars and public figures whose work applies across disciplines as they approach larger themes and topics that affect humans on a broad scale. Support for the Kenneth A. Spencer Lecture is made possible by the KU Office of the Provost.
Red Hot Research
As a part of our continued effort to bring together scholars from all disciplines, The Commons presents the Research Sharing Sessions--a series designed specifically for research exchange. The format of these sessions is inspired by Pecha Kucha, which features short, slide-based talks that introduce audiences to an idea.
Wellness in Our Democracy
These sessions are designed to address the ways in which systems perpetuate the spread of misinformation and disinformation, especially as they stem from dominant narratives in American society. These ongoing University of Kansas events, which uplift research and a culture of responsive care, will connect teachers, students, scholars, and leaders with the tools that can better help us navigate these times.