2026-2027 Annual Theme

At the heart of the University lies a dialectic, that of teacher and student; in its essence, the university is to be defined as a relation among a community of scholars. Questioning its own purpose and expressing the value it offers to those inside and outside its community, each university produces a mission statement.  Most, like Texas Tech’s, claim that their purpose and value lie in producing  knowledge and fostering students as ethical agents  who will enrich our larger communities.  But, despite their overt simplicity, these mission statements also entail a mystery. Historically, this formula has gone relatively uncontested; however, in the face of rising costs and the expansion of digital technologies, among other cultural, economic, political, and social changes, the mystery has begun to lose some of its charm.  Instead of exposing and exploring this mystery, we have rested on the laurels of our historical strength, the fact that, up until recently, the university has enabled graduates  to earn money and live comfortably.  However, we have long known that easy answers about a university’s purpose often turn on simplifications that skirt the mystery and the true value at the heart of the enterprise.  The center of a university community is an ethics of knowledge, a respect for both old and new knowledge, and for the methods by which knowledge earns that name.  Simply, the purpose and value of the University is truth.  Of course, promoting such an ethics of knowledge, besides being somewhat mysterious itself, certainly defies the simplified metrics and techniques of quantification society increasingly demands, even as it remains essential for the success of the societies which universities serve.   This current moment of change—characterized so often by quantification and fierce conflict—presents an ideal opportunity for us to think a little bit harder about this mystery and, in particular, what role we humanists have played, currently play, and should play in realizing the goals of the university.