Background Information

In 1971, The University of Chicago joined with liberal arts colleges throughout the region to create a unique forum, the Midwest Faculty Seminar, which brings faculty members at the University of Chicago into continuing conversation with faculty members at private liberal arts colleges. Initially composed of some 20 institutions, the MFS now includes 24 liberal arts colleges and the University of Chicago.

The Midwest Faculty Seminar has forged a link between the scholarly and pedagogical concerns of the University of Chicago faculty and those of their colleagues at colleges throughout the Midwest. The MFS strengthens the colleges by extending to them the resources available at a research university. It also provides their faculties with opportunities to engage each other in sustained explorations of contemporary scholarly debates in a setting free of the competing demands of teaching and other forms of college service. It strengthens the University of Chicago by creating opportunites for dialogue with colleagues from a range of institutions about scholarly research and its connections with liberal education.

The activities of the MFS presently include interdisciplinary scholarly symposia for faculty members from the affiliated colleges. Beyond these formal programs, the MFS has also resulted in a rich network of informal relationships manifested in research consultations, faculty visits to and from member campuses, and a continuing exchange around evolving issues pertinent to teaching and curriculum in liberal arts contexts.

The success of this partnership stems from and contributes to the University of Chicago's strength as a "teacher of teachers." Faculty members from the liberal arts colleges have found MFS exchanges to be a rich resource for their own research and teaching. The faculty at the University of Chicago report enthusiastically on the challenge and stimulation of exploring fundamental questions in the company of their peers.

The Director of the Midwest Faculty Seminar is Elizabeth O'Connor Chandler. Lori Pacovsky is the Program Coordinator and Heather Keenleyside is the Research and Development Specialist.

Here's how to get in touch with us:

Midwest Faculty Seminar
University of Chicago
5845 South Ellis Avenue
Gates-Blake 123
Chicago, IL 60637.

Phone: 773-834-4439
Fax: 773-834-0493
E-mail: teaching@uchicago.edu