Upcoming Events
Society announces new name!
The Society for Values in Higher Education is delighted to announce a new name:
The Society for the Future of Higher Education.
This new name is accompanied by a new mission statement:
The Society for the Future of Higher Education (SFHE) is an incubator and advocate for ideas, strategies, and pedagogies to lead higher education to a more inclusive, just, and equitable future.
The new name draws upon the Society’s nearly 100-year tradition of disruption and innovation while explicitly orienting itself to the future of higher education. The Society will fully transition to its new name at the 2021 annual meeting in July.
Call For Papers
Can We Talk? The University’s Role in Public Discourse
In a time when misinformation, disinformation, and “fake news” run rampant, how can institutions of higher education respond to the need for accurate information and civil discourse? What ethical obligations do universities and their faculties have to the common good related to accurate and honest information?
Latest Forum Article posted
Head over to our online publication, The Forum, for the latest article. In “Campuses as Models of Democracy”, Eric Bain-Selbo considers how things might be different if university governance was more democratic.
Our Mission
The Society for Values in Higher Education is a fellowship of teachers and others who care deeply about ethical issues—such as integrity, diversity, social justice and civic responsibility—facing higher education and the wider society. We believe that such values call for study, reflection, discussion, and action. We pursue these activities through publications, projects, regional gatherings, and an annual national meeting.
Our Work
Reading for the Common Good
Since 2013, SVHE has supported reading groups across the country by providing free books. Titles are selected by the conference planning committee and relate to our conference theme, books provided reflect our concern for issues affecting society generally, and higher education specifically. We have provided nearly 400 books to groups organized by SVHE members. This fall, six groups are meeting to discuss So You Want to Talk About Race? By Ijeoma Oluo. The Misinformation Age: How False Beliefs are Spread by Cailin O’Connor and James Weatherall is the selection for the spring. Both books lead up to our summer conference themed “Can We Talk? The University’s Role in Public Discourse.” All SVHE members are invited to organize a group. Group participants do not need to be SVHE members.
Support for Young Scholars
Since 2010, SVHE has offered support to young scholars through the Mary Jo Small Fellowship program. Named for a late member who made it her special work to nurture young professionals, Mary Jo Small Fellowships cover the cost of registration, room and board, and travel to a Fellows Meeting. While there, the Fellows have an opportunity to network with more senior professionals from across the country and form mentoring relationships in a welcoming environment.