Introducing a new chapter in Reed’s signature academic program for alumni and parents. A series of events, one shared conversation.
What is Alumni College?
Alumni College, a long-standing tradition where Reed alumni and faculty experts share their knowledge at a multi-day conference, is evolving into a new, year-long format in 2025–2026. Informed by alumni input, this change blends virtual and in-person experiences to provide more comprehensive and engaging opportunities for alumni worldwide.
This new expanded evolution of Alumni College comes at a critical moment, as higher education and the liberal arts face growing public scrutiny and political pressure. These events offer a space for Reedies to reconnect with the ideas, values, and questions that are core to a Reed education.
Anchored in the theme The Value of a Liberal Arts Education, the series invites meaningful dialogue, intellectual exploration, and collective reflection on the role of education in society. Throughout the year, join fellow Reedies and Reed faculty for events that examine the liberal arts from academic, personal, and societal angles.
Alumni College 2025–2026: The Value of a Liberal Arts Education
Program Highlights
Faculty lectures, alumni panels, and live discussions. Access to all sessions, recordings, and optional readings and follow-up materials through a secure webpage.
Four Virtual Events
Registration is free and open to everyone in the Reed community anywhere in the world. You’re welcome to attend all of the events or just a handful of the ones that work for your schedule:
- Sunday, October 26, 2025, 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET—Laura Jedeed ’19, Freelance Journalist —political ideologies motivating government control over higher education
- Sunday, December 7, 2025, 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET—Professor Kathryn Oleson, Dean of the Faculty and Patricia and Clifford Lunneborg Professor of Psychology—liberal arts teaching and learning in challenging times: productive discomfort, classroom misperceptions, and transparency
- Sunday, March 1, 2026, 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET (NEW DATE!)—Professor Margaret Scharle, Margaret Rosemary Weitkamp Professor of Philosophy and Humanities—about AI and the purpose of a liberal arts education, exploring the ancient Greek wisdom on the nature of techne—the root of our word “technology”
- Wednesday, May 27, 2026, 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET—Laura Jedeed ’19, Sean Long ’12 & Bear Wilner-Nugent ’95—Political Protest Panel—hear from alumni involved in various aspects of political protest
Email alumni@reed.edu to learn how to register for individual classes. You will also see more course information in Reedie News and other digital communications.
Paideia Session (January 2026)
A virtual brainstorming workshop on Sunday, January 18, 2026 3 p.m. PT/6 p.m. ET where alumni and students discussed possible future Alumni College topics.
Panel Discussion at Reunions (June 2026)
Cybersecurity panel discussion with alumni and staff experts on Saturday, June 13, 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Building, Room 320. Panelist names and event description coming soon!
Faculty Lecture at Reunions (June 2026)
"Green Philology: The Textual Lives of Plants" by Reginald F. Arragon Professor of German and Humanities Jan Mieszkowski on Saturday, June 13, 2026 10–11 a.m. in the Performing Arts Building, Room 320. This talk argues that modern botany occupies a unique place at the crossroads of science and the humanities. Poets and philosophers have long engaged in the study of plants, while botanists draw on literary and philosophical resources to grapple with the relationship between language and the natural world. A better understanding of this shared tradition—what he calls “philological botany”—offers a way to reframe contemporary environmental thought.
Why Participate?
- A Fresh Take on a Reed Tradition: This year marks a new evolution of Alumni College, designed to bring the Reed experience to alumni wherever they are.
- Timely Conversations: In an era of political attacks on academic freedom and skepticism about the value of higher education, this program makes the case for the liberal arts through intellectually rich inquiry and honest dialogue.
- Connection That Lasts: Engage with a global alumni network and reconnect with the Reed experience through structured learning and spontaneous conversation.
Registration & Updates
Email alumni@reed.edu to register for Alumni College and to receive information about our upcoming classes, presenters, and curriculum!
Stay Connected
Contact the Alumni Relations team at alumni@reed.edu.