The Center for Expanding Viewpoints in Higher Education
One of the many values of a college education is learning how to think deeply and critically about meaningful topics in academia, ethics, current events, popular culture, and more. The Center for Expanding Viewpoints in Higher Education (CEVIHE) at Tufts embodies these values by fostering opportunities for engagement across ideological, religious, and cultural differences throughout the University community.
The Center’s director, Professor Eitan Hersh, noticed Tufts students’ interest in engaging with all sides of political and social issues through a course he teaches on conservatism. From conducting weekly lunch series, to hosting events with a range of speakers, to creating a cohort of Edge Fellows, CEVIHE was built to help Tufts students embrace difficult topics and challenging conversations in a way that will better prepare them for the complex challenges they will face beyond the classroom.
If this sort of work resonates with you, you may be wondering how you can get involved and what that would look like as a Tufts student. Your journey with CEVIHE could begin right away if you are selected to join the Edge Fellowship, a program for first-year students who are entering the School of Arts & Sciences. As an Edge Fellow, you would join a small cohort of undergraduate students who confront political, cultural, and moral challenges through coursework, research opportunities, civic engagement, and experiential learning. Edge Fellows are even awarded a grant to be used for any academic or experiential goals they hope to achieve throughout the Fellowship.
Beyond the fellowship, whether you attend every week or drop by once a semester, CEVIHE’s weekly lunch series features lively discussions on a variety of different topics (and often pizza). CEVIHE also hosts an Expanding Viewpoints Symposium, a student-led conference designed to bring together students from Tufts and other universities in the Boston area to engage with topics and questions about civic life, politics, and culture. To commemorate your time with the Center and recognize all of your hard work and accomplishments, you might even join the Expanding Viewpoints graduation reception hosted at CEVIHE’s on-campus house.
Through every conversation, event, and opportunity for reflection, CEVIHE encourages students to step outside of their comfort zones and engage thoughtfully with the world around them. In doing so, the Center helps create a community where intellectual curiosity and open dialogue continue with students beyond their college experience as they navigate an increasingly complex world.