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��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� Ranked #5 in 2026 College Free Speech Rankings

Alexander Jack Shively — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 15:48:24 +0000

��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� Ranked #5 in 2026 College Free Speech Rankings Alexander Jack… Fri, 09/12/2025 - 09:48

The University of Colorado Boulder has been recognized as a national leader in free expression, earning the #5 spot in the 2026 College Free Speech Rankings by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). Among 257 colleges surveyed and more than 68,000 student responses considered, ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� stood out for its strong policies, institutional neutrality.

At the Bruce D. Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization, we are proud to play a vital role in this recognition. Our mission is to foster intellectual and ideological diversity on campus and beyond.

These goals align directly with ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� strong showing in the rankings. From sponsoring lectures, seminars, and courses that encourage free and open inquiry. Bringing visiting scholars and speakers from a wide range of viewpoints to campus that expand dialogue so that students, faculty, and community members can engage with challenging ideas in a spirit of respectful debate.

While ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� ranking reflects the strength of its policies, FIRE’s report also shows that more work remains to ensure that every student feels empowered to express their ideas. The Benson Center is committed to leading in this area by cultivating civic dialogue, supporting faculty and student research, and hosting public programs where diverse voices can be heard.

This top-five national ranking is both an honor and a challenge. The Benson Center is proud to contribute to this achievement and looks forward to continuing to build a campus where intellectual and ideological diversity thrives.

Support our mission to bring diverse voices to ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ��. Donate today and help foster open dialogue and free inquiry.

Among 257 colleges surveyed and more than 68,000 student responses considered, ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� stood out for its strong policies, institutional neutrality.

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Former Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought and Policy gives speech on America's Birthday

William Godsil — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 18:23:24 +0000

Former Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought and Policy gives speech on America's Birthday William Godsil Mon, 07/28/2025 - 12:23

Former Benson Center Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought and Policy, W.B. Allen recently gave a speech on marking the milestone of America's birthday. In it, he discusses the burden of our inheritance and the foundations of the United States of America.

His speech can be found here on his Youtube Channel: Declaration 250

William B. Allen was the 2018-19 CWCTP Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought and Policy and was a Senior Scholar in Residence for 2019-20. Allen is the emeritus dean, James Madison College and emeritus professor of political philosophy at Michigan State University.

Former Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought and Policy gives speech on America's Birthday

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Benson Center Sabbatical Fellow Appears on Macro Musings Podcast

William Godsil — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 20:25:31 +0000

Benson Center Sabbatical Fellow Appears on Macro Musings Podcast William Godsil Tue, 07/22/2025 - 14:25

Upcoming Benson Center Sabbatical Fellow, George Hall, recently appeared on George Mason University's Macro Musings podcast, in the episode George Hall on the Fiscal Consequences of the US War on COVID. Additionally, check out his previous appearance on the podcast on the episode George Hall on the History of the U.S. National Debt and Government Financing.

George Hall is a professor of economics at Brandeis University, and was formerly an economist at the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank. George has written widely on the history of U.S. public finance, and he joins Macro Musings to talk about the history of the U.S. national debt, including the most recent surge resulting from the pandemic.

Benson Center Sabbatical Fellow Appears on Macro Musings Podcast

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Benson Center appoints new Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought and Policy

Alexandra Roberts — Fri, 14 Mar 2025 18:39:30 +0000

Benson Center appoints new Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought and Policy Alexandra Roberts Fri, 03/14/2025 - 12:39

Benson Center appoints new Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought and Policy

Joseph Bottum will join the Bruce D. Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization at the University of Colorado Boulder as the Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought and Policy in fall 2025. Bottum is the former literary editor of the Weekly Standard and editor of First Things. He has been called the “poetic voice” who “shaped the minds of a generation” in National Review and “a poet and critic and essayist with a sideline in history and philosophy” in the New York Times. His interests and expertise range widely across philosophy, literature, and the social condition. Among other courses, he will teach classes on “The Rise and Fall of the Novel” and “Philosophical Mysticism.”

Bottum is the author of An Anxious Age: The Post-Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of America (Image/Doubleday, 2014). The book is among the most insightful diagnoses of the challenges facing the United States in the twenty-first century: the historical origins of the decline of mainline Protestantism, the consequences of new technology and forms of communication, and what these might mean for spirituality, comity, and prosperity in American life, now and in the future. He has written hundreds of essays and reviews for periodicals online and in print, and is the author of eight books, including The Decline of the Novel (St. Augustine’s Press, 2019) and most recently Frankincense, Gold, and Myrrh: A Christmas Chrestomathy (St. Augustine’s Press, 2024).

Bottum shared the Christopher Award for his children’s book The World is Awake (Zonderkidz/HarperCollins, 2018) and delivered the 2014 Bradley Lecture at the American Enterprise Institute. In addition, he has given public lectures at Princeton, Yale, Georgetown, Duke, Notre Dame, and many other colleges and universities. He also served as the host for Book Talk on Radio America, Book-TV on C-Span, and the Library of Liberty.

Bottum holds an A.B. in philosophy from Georgetown University and Ph.D. in philosophy from Boston College. From 1991-1993 he was an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Loyola University in Maryland. He has been a monthly literary columnist at Crisis magazine (1995-1998), the Washington Free Beacon (2015-2019), the London Spectator (2018-2019), and the New York Sun (2022-2024). He held several appointments from 2017 to 2024 at Dakota State University in South Dakota, including Director of the Classics Institute, Visiting Professor of Computer and Cyber Sciences, and Associate Professor of Philosophy. He recently co-founded the poetry newsletter Poems Ancient and Modern on Substack.

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100 New Thinkers and Experts on International Relations includes Benson Center Fellow

Alexander Jack Shively — Mon, 14 Oct 2024 19:52:40 +0000

100 New Thinkers and Experts on International Relations includes Benson Center Fellow Alexander Jack… Mon, 10/14/2024 - 13:52

Benson Center Faculty Fellow Benjamin Teitelbaum named by Radio France as one of the 100 new thinkers and experts in international relations.

Benjamin Teitelbaum is an ethnomusicologist and a scholar of extreme right-wing movements, especially in Europe and North America. A professor at the University of Colorado, he is the author of War for Eternity, which analyzes the influence of traditionalist ideas on contemporary political figures like Steve Bannon. Its work focuses on political radicalization, cultural identities and their impact on international relations.

Benjamin Teitelbaum named one of 100 New Thinkers and Experts on International Relations

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CU’s new conservative visiting scholar on liberalism’s shortcomings, academia and JD Vance

Alexander Jack Shively — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 13:46:29 +0000

CU’s new conservative visiting scholar on liberalism’s shortcomings, academia and JD Vance Alexander Jack… Fri, 10/11/2024 - 07:46

“To present both to students and faculty colleagues, a way of thinking about conservatism that may, at some level, challenge certain presuppositions that people may have in their minds.”

University of Colorado in Boulder Visiting Scholar of Conservative Thought and Policy Patrick Deneen, joined Colorado Public Radio (CPR) on October 1^st to talk about liberalism’s shortcomings, academia and JD Vance. Read and listen to his full interview.

Join Patrick Deneen at his first Benson Center event on November 11th The Boldness of Belief and the Timidity of Technology with Matthew Crawford.

Visiting Scholar of Conservative Thought and Policy Patrick Deneen, joined Colorado Public Radio(CPR) on October 1st to talk about liberalism’s shortcomings, academia and JD Vance

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CU Student Interns on Capitol Hill Through Benson Center Grant

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 17:48:09 +0000

CU Student Interns on Capitol Hill Through Benson Center Grant Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 09/11/2024 - 11:48

Snider DC Scholarship blog

As my internship in Washington, DC draws to a close, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on this invaluable experience made possible by the Snider DC Scholarship.

The experience of being able to work and live in a city as important as Washington, DC was unrivaled. Nowhere else in the United States is history so accessible. Even without trying, every day as you walk around the city, you are immersed in American and World History. Some of the highlights of my time here were visiting the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, near the Tidal Basin, and being able to access sites such as the Arlington National Cemetery. And this is not to mention the plethora of opportunities to attend receptions and speaker events. The city truly teems with interesting people to meet and network with. On top of this, my professional experience was extremely rewarding.

While in DC, I worked at Ferguson & Associates, a lobbying firm that primarily dealt with issues related to Alaska. While working at this firm, I was able to attend committee hearings, meet with government officials, and work directly with clients to help advocate for issues relating to such areas as education, energy, and Indian affairs. Overall, I was able to greatly improve my personal and professional communication skills and make connections that will last a lifetime.

I am very grateful for the support of both the Benson Center and Snider Grant in giving me this opportunity and encouraging any students looking for internships that relate to the Benson Center’s mission or public service and government.

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��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� Ranked #5 in 2026 College Free Speech Rankings

Former Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought and Policy gives speech on America's Birthday

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��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� Ranked #5 in 2026 College Free Speech Rankings