Co-hosted by the Religion and the Public University Collaborative of the University of Minnesota and the Upper Midwest American Academy of Religion

Date: April 9, 2021• 9:15 am to 4:30 pm (CDT)

Location: Online (Zoom)

The Religion and the Public University Collaborative (RPUC), sponsored by the Institute of Advanced Study at the University of Minnesota, uses the tools of academic research and knowledge production to address questions and issues that arise at the intersections of religious freedom, academic freedom, and church-state separation on this and other public university campuses.

The RPUC will sponsor a colloquium on issues related to religion and public universities in conjunction with the 2021 spring meeting of the Upper Midwest American Academy of Religion. The colloquium will be held on April 9 (preceding the conference on April 10).

We anticipate the colloquium will include the following:

• – an invited roundtable discussion with chairs, directors, and faculty from regional and national institutions

• – two 90-minute paper sessions

• – a closing conversation and summation

The RPUC program committee invites proposals for 20-minute papers on the following themes: First Amendment issues related to religion and public education, religious accommodation on public university campuses; religious diversity and student life; pedagogy and teaching about religion; civic engagement and religious studies departments; intersections, overlaps, and tensions among concepts of the secular, the public, and religion. Papers on other topics related to religion and public universities will also be considered.

We invite participants from all academic fields as well as administrative and student support areas. We particularly encourage departmental chairs or administrators involved in these issues to contact us.

Proposals should include the following:

• – Cover page with name, title, institution, paper title, and 100-word abstract

• – 350-word description of paper

• – 2-page C.V.

Email these to Jeanne Kilde (jkilde@umn.edu) and Virajita Singh (singh023@umn.edu)

Deadline for proposals: January 31, 2021.