WMU honored with Heterodox Academy’s 2025 Open Inquiry Award for Community Excellence

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Western Michigan University has been named the recipient of the 2025 Open Inquiry Award for Community Excellence by the Heterodox Academy (HxA), a national organization committed to promoting viewpoint diversity, open inquiry and constructive disagreement.

Presented during the HxA 2025 conference, the award recognizes WMU’s outstanding efforts to foster a campus culture rooted in intellectual inquiry and civic dialogue.

“The 2025 Open Inquiry Award winners exemplify the courage, integrity and commitment to pluralism that our academic communities so desperately need," says John Tomasi, HxA president, about the winners. "Their work reminds us that the pursuit of truth thrives when diverse viewpoints are heard and engaged with in good faith. At Heterodox Academy, we are proud to honor individuals and institutions who are not just speaking up for open inquiry but actively building cultures that sustain it.”

The conference was held June 23 in Brooklyn, New York, where Jeff Breneman, WMU’s vice president for government relations and external partnerships; Dave Paul, chair and master faculty specialist of philosophy; and Jennifer Townsend, executive assistant in the Lee Honors College and adjunct instructor, accepted the award on WMU’s behalf.   

The Heterodox Academy, a nonpartisan nonprofit, supports educators and institutions in creating environments where open inquiry and constructive disagreement can thrive. WMU’s recognition underscores its role as a national leader in advancing these values in higher education.

“It is a very great honor, and incredibly encouraging, to be recognized for the difficult but important work we are doing as a University community to create an environment in which diverse perspectives and constructive disagreements are both modeled and welcomed. I am very proud of the work we have done and will continue to do,” says Townsend.

WMU earned the Open Inquiry Award for Community Excellence for several key initiatives:

• Expanding HxA membership: WMU has demonstrated a strong commitment to HxA’s mission by significantly growing its membership base on campus.
• Institutional Voice Stewardship guidelines: WMU has adopted and implemented guidelines modeled after HxA’s policy framework, formalizing how the University issues official statements on social, political and geopolitical matters. These guidelines aim to ensure that the University’s voice is used thoughtfully and in alignment with its mission to foster constructive dialogue and critical thinking.
• We Talk initiative: Launched in February 2020, WMU’s We Talk program has engaged over 1,000 students, faculty and community members in conversations about free speech, civic engagement and the importance of viewpoint diversity. The initiative has featured national speakers, panel discussions and other events designed to promote respectful and responsible dialogue on complex issues.

For more WMU news, arts and events, visit WMU News online.