Introducing a new chapter in Reed’s signature academic program for alumni. 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 alumni 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—how Reed and other institutions of higher education are affected by current political and societal challenges
- Sunday, February 8, 2026, 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET—Professor Margaret Scharle, Rosemary Weitkamp Professor of Philosophy and Humanities—how ancient Greek philosophy has endured through history and is a cornerstone of a contemporary liberal arts education
- April 2026 TBD
📝 Sign up for the full series of virtual events!
Paideia Session (January 2026)
An open-format virtual workshop where alumni and students collaborate on future ideas.
Panel Discussion at Reunions (June 2026)
A featured event of alumni and faculty expert panelists during Reunions, open to all attendees and also shared online.
Faculty Lecture at Reunions (June 2026)
A featured event of a faculty speaker during Reunions, open to all attendees and also shared online.
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
Registration opens late August 2025.
📝 Sign up for the full series and receive updates about Alumni College programming—be the first to receive information about our upcoming classes, presenters, and curriculum!
Stay Connected
Contact the Alumni Relations team at alumni@reed.edu.