4D Symposium

The 2026 4D Symposium is May 7-8

4D Symposium 2026 A World of Purpose

We are pleased to announce that the fifth annual 4D Symposium听will take place on May 7 and 8听in Community Commons! The鈥4D鈥疭ymposium is a university-wide conference that brings together students, faculty, staff, and the wider 吃瓜大本营 community to connect and engage in dialogue around research, practice, and ideas that elevate 吃瓜大本营's 4D鈥疎xperience.

This year鈥檚 symposium theme 鈥淎 World of Purpose鈥澨齛sks, 鈥淲hat if purpose were the purpose of higher education?鈥 It explores purpose as both an individual and collective endeavor, asking how students, faculty, staff, and the larger institution foster learning that moves toward meaningful impact in the world. What does it mean for us individually to design lives and careers of purpose? How do we create learning environments in which students make connections to the world, develop a sense of direction, and find their 鈥渨hy鈥? How do we as a higher education institution speak to our own purpose in the midst of seismic technological shifts and larger national sociopolitical debates?

Day 1 Schedule

Day 2 Schedule