Who we are and why we are here
The three-fold mission of the Traveling University is to:
Share knowledge and expertise with community-based audiences
Provide up-to-date information about topics of civic interest
Preserve and disseminate knowledge and understanding that might otherwise be lost.
Retired university faculty established the Traveling University (TRU) in response to increasing restrictions on what and how university faculty teach in Indiana. The TRU grew from our commitment to supporting the production and dissemination of knowledge and understanding in the public interest outside of formal university settings. We believe that, when universities allow educational opportunities to be restricted, the public is denied access to essential knowledge and faculty are deprived of their academic freedom.
We were inspired to act by Polish dissidents in the 1970s and 1980s who resisted autocratic attacks on their universities. They fought to preserve academic freedom by taking education out of university halls and into their communities. Their “flying universities” offered courses by experts on critical issues banned from public discussion by the authorities.
In that spirit, we offer lectures in Bloomington and beyond on vital topics drawn from the full range of academic disciplines. Past topics include immigration, climate change, public media, and vaccines, among others. We defend the right to teach and learn by creating spaces in our community where community members can learn from experts, knowing that what they are learning is based on current research and scholarship. By so doing, we aim to support a central function of democracy: to educate people about perspectives different from their own and to provide information that allows people to develop their own perspectives, grounded in the evidence.
Traveling University events are open to all. There are no fees, no certificates or diplomas; just the free exchange of ideas in conversations led by knowledgeable faculty in a welcoming environment. All we ask in return is civility and an inquiring mind.
Contact us
Interested in learning more about our lectures? Provide us with a little info and we will keep you in the loop. We can’t wait to hear from you!