Ecosystem

Stephen and Camilla Brauer Free Market Lecture Series

Geared toward students and community members, this endowed annual lecture explores and encourages dialogue on the American free enterprise system and its influence on economic growth, public policy, and world affairs. Leading scholars, artists, and business leaders present talks on how their values guide their daily lives while also highlighting the importance of free-market economics.

George and Carol Bauer Leaders Academy

Through the Bauer Leaders Academy, we aspire to differentiate WashU as the premier institution for transforming people into purpose-driven leaders of character and capability. We believe everyone — regardless of formal status, position, or rank — has the capacity to lead by building trust and positively influencing others. By developing future-ready leaders, we will fulfill WashU’s mission to have a positive impact on society. The signature of the Bauer Leaders Academy is a four-year leadership development program for undergraduates. This program is distinctive in its integration of experiential learning, coursework, and direct coaching. The Common Good Leadership Program of the academy caters to students who wish to lead in the context of civic and community engagement.

John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics

The Danforth Center’s focus on the intersection of religion and politics is essential for understanding the ways in which religious beliefs influence public life and policymaking in democratic societies. By studying religion’s impact on political thought and action, the Danforth Center helps to shed light on how these forces shape American democracy and the role of citizens in governance. By studying these dynamics, the Danforth Center enriches Ordered Liberty’s broader mission to explore and define the role of citizens and government in American society, ensuring that WashU remains a hub for critical discussions on the role of values in governance.

Dialogue Across Difference Program

Required for all first-year students, the Dialogue Across Difference (DxD) program builds students’ skills in intergroup dialogue and encourages free expression on campus. It includes a facilitated one-credit course structured to foster communication and collaboration across sociocultural differences. By blending theory and experiential learning, participants are introduced to core social issues through reading materials and inculcating the key skills for dialoguing across deeply held value differences. The course strives to prepare students for living and working in an increasingly diverse world. Each section of the course consists of 18 students, who examine a single topic after establishing the characteristics of constructive dialogue and debate. Two trained facilitators then lead the class through a structured curriculum. 

Frick Initiative

The Frick Initiative brings a multidisciplinary approach to Ordered Liberty, supporting a wide range of grants, events, and university initiatives that uphold four guiding principles: free speech, civil discourse, free and open markets, and personal responsibility. This initiative provides significant flexibility, allowing for creative and innovative projects that explore these principles in new and meaningful ways. As part of Ordered Liberty, the Frick Initiative helps to generate impactful, forward-thinking solutions that promote democratic engagement and societal progress. 

Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement

The mission of the Gephardt Institute is to foster a vibrant culture of civic engagement throughout WashU by catalyzing student learning, participation, and impact in civic life. Through a series of programs and courses, the Gephardt Institute imparts the knowledge, skills, responsibilities, and habits of citizen engagement in democracy with the goal of preparing students to be civic leaders throughout their lives.