Heterodox Academy (HxA)
Western Michigan University is a member of Heterodox Academy (HxA), a nonpartisan organization dedicated to improving college campuses by providing framework, data, tools, and platforms to help people understand and address the challenges facing institutions of higher learning regarding open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement.
WMU was one of 23 members of the first cohort for Heterodox Academy’s Campus Community Network, joining such institutions as Johns Hopkins University, McGill University, MIT and the University of California-Berkeley. WMU now hosts the largest HxA campus community in the country, which includes more than 80 faculty, graduate students, staff and administrators
In June 2025, WMU’s efforts since 2020 to promote HxA values on campus was recognized with HxA’s Open Inquiry Award for Community Excellence in Brooklyn, NY. Launched in 2018, the Open Inquiry Awards recognizes an institution that has done exemplary work across leadership, teaching, scholarship and more. Each recipient embodies the HxA way and are role models that others can learn from, be inspired by, and emulate.
The University’s civil discourse initiative, We Talk, provides the framework and leadership for campus engagement and education about HxA principles. Leadership is provided by three WMU employees deeply committed to open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement within the academic setting: Jeff Breneman, vice president for government relations; David Paul, chair of the Department of Philosophy, and Jennifer Townsend, adjunct professor and executive assistant at the Lee Honors College.
All WMU graduate students, faculty and staff are welcome and encouraged to join our HxA campus community!
Why Join?
Joining Heterodox Academy means becoming part of a national movement committed to strengthening the intellectual life of higher education. Membership signals a personal commitment to open inquiry, curiosity across differences, and the belief that better ideas emerge when people feel free to question, challenge, and learn from one another.
For WMU faculty, staff, and students, joining our HxA campus community offers access to research-informed resources and a network of colleagues who value thoughtful dialogue and constructive disagreement. It’s an opportunity to help shape a campus culture where diverse viewpoints are not just welcomed but actively engaged, and where every member contributes to a more vibrant, resilient academic community.
Western Michigan University received the 2025 Open Inquiry Award for Community Excellence by the Heterodox Academy.
Western Michigan University has been honored with the Community Excellence Open Inquiry Award by Heterodox Academy for its sustained commitment to intellectual inquiry and civic dialogue. WMU has hosted high-profile events through We Talk that model civil discourse and celebrate ideological diversity — setting a national example through intentional community-building and impactful programming in higher education.
HxA on the Road: A Visit to Western Michigan University
John Tomasi (HxA President) visited Western Michigan University on February 6, 2025, to engage with HxA’s Campus Communities, meeting members and supporting efforts to strengthen viewpoint diversity. As part of WMU’s We Talk series, Tomasi delivered his talk “A University the World Has Never Seen,” focusing on:
- Rebuilding trust in higher education.
- Promoting open inquiry, pluralism, and constructive disagreement.
- Highlighting WMU’s leadership role in HxA’s Campus Community Network.
“The 2025 Open Inquiry Award winners exemplify the courage, integrity and commitment to pluralism that our academic communities so desperately need."
Open Inquiry
The ability to ask questions, share ideas, and challenge existing orthodoxy without risk of censure.
Viewpoint Diversity
When members of a group or community approach problems or questions from a range of perspectives, backgrounds, and personal experiences.
Constructive Disagreement
Occurs when people who have different perspectives on an idea or issue are committed to collaboratively exploring and learning from one another.