Signature Programs are projects that best exemplify the spirit of The Vassar Institute for the Liberal Arts. Vassar faculty and others collaborate with partners across the campus, in the local community, and around the country to engage in meaningful work and dialogue about the most pressing issues of our time.
Four Thought-Provoking Public Programs Coming to The Vassar Institute for the Liberal Arts in the 2025–26 Academic Year
These programs will invite a variety of stakeholders to participate. If you would like to express interest in receiving registration information about any or all of them, please complete this form.
The Vassar Institute for the Liberal Arts—a convening space where scholars, students, and professionals from all over the world engage in meaningful work on contemporary challenges—is excited to announce its schedule of symposiums for the 2025–26 academic year. Known as Signature Programs, these symposiums will delve into an intriguing variety of topics of local, national, and global interest. All will be convened by members of the Vassar community whose grant proposals were accepted by the Institute Committee.
Storytelling for Change: Shaping and Sharing Inclusive Narratives in Higher Education, Media, and the Arts
November 7–8, 2025
This program about the power of narratives asks panelists to wrestle with timely questions about how stories can inform our views of ourselves and each other. There will be two main thematic pillars of this program: 1) the evolving narrative about the value of higher education and 2) how storytelling in the media and live performance can illuminate otherwise marginalized voices. Participants will hear from academics, higher ed leaders, journalists, podcasters, comedy writers, and producers/performers about the stories they tell, and how those narratives stand to impact the way we make sense of our lives.
SIMS: Students in Museums Summit
November 14–16, 2025
This program will bring together student participants from different college-based museums across the northeast to discuss contemporary issues facing their institutions. With a mix of student panels, distinguished speakers, and opportunities to connect with others in the field, this event aims to generate ideas about the future of museums and to continue to support student leadership within these museums.
Women’s Work: Preserving Independent Film & Video Histories, Connecting Media Futures
February 26–28, 2026
This program will excavate and celebrate the invisible organizing labor, often done by women, that makes independent film and video production possible. It will bring together key figures from innovative collectives of the 1970s to the 1990s, scholars, archivists, and members of media organizations active in the Hudson Valley today to discuss recirculating films and videos of the past and strategies for making this kind of work in the future.
Lessons From the Poughkeepsie Journal Photo Morgue: Empowering Communities to Preserve Their Visual Histories
March 6–7, 2026
Drawing on the expertise of preservationists, librarians, lawyers, journalists, and artists, this program will examine the importance and value of newspaper photo archives for local communities as well as the challenges they face in preserving them. The conference will coincide with an art exhibition featuring several local artists who have created art pieces using images or materials from the Poughkeepsie Journal photo archive.
How to Submit a Proposal
All members of the Vassar community are invited to submit proposals to convene an Institute for the Liberal Arts program.
Deadline for submission: TBA
Criteria for Proposals
- The proposal has a clear and reasonable budget that is consistent with College policies and practices.
- The speakers, guests, or other programmatic desires are viable and attainable by the applicant/submitter (i.e. is it possible that the key aspects of the proposal can be materialized).
- The proposal demonstrates values of inclusion and Engaged Pluralism. Importantly, the content of the proposal reflects an appreciation for and inclusion of heterogeneous perspectives/ideas that embody the principles of speaking across difference.
- The proposal demonstrates robust collaboration across the campus or off-campus communities. The program is not situated in a narrow department or office, but rather engages various on- and off-campus constituencies.
- The proposal aligns with the Institute’s mission to create a space for intellectual exploration.
- The proposal lends itself to the creative use of resources to attract and engage alums, faculty, students, and others who may not be geographically proximate to campus.
- The proposal demonstrates a compelling reason why the proposed activities should be Institute-branded. The proposal demonstrates alignment with the specific mission of the Institute, distinct from Vassar’s overall mission as an institution of higher education.
Apply for a Signature Program
If you are interested in applying for a 2026–27 Signature Program, contact Wesley Dixon. Deadline for submissions for 2026–27: TBA
Funding Awards
The Committee of The Vassar Institute for the Liberal Arts awards up to $25,000 for each accepted Signature Program.
You can review examples of Signature Programs and past Summer Institute programs. Do not feel you need to replicate this model; there are many ways Institute programming can embody the values of the College and the Institute.
Thank you.
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