In Spring 2025, the University Ecologies and the Question of the Commons convened an Advisory Committee of scholars, artists, activists and student organizations to brainstorm core ideas and directions for the initiative. The members met as a whole group as well as in smaller subcommittees, reflecting on key aspects — such as knowledge, land, and labor — that speak to university histories and futures. The Advisory Committee adopted critical and creative approaches to highlight how higher education institutions have shaped and continue to impact ecologies and agriculture, at local and systemic levels. Also, the committee reimagined how universities could contribute to the commons — intended both as a form of land use and as a broader practice of sharing. Each participant brought to the table a unique disciplinary and cultural perspective, sharing suggestions that steered subsequent programs, interventions, and exchanges.
Advisory Committee members:
"Knowledges" subcommittee:
Sarah Fong, Tufts University
Julian Agyeman, Tufts University
Emily Gephart, SMFA at Tufts University
Patte Loper, SMFA at Tufts University
Modhumita Roy, Tufts University
Gediminas Urbonas, MIT
"Labor" subcommittee:
Anya Glass, Tufts University
Michaela Hoffelmeyer, University of Wisconsin
Magaly Licolli, Venceremos
Penn Loh, Tufts University
Teresa Mares, University of Vermont
"Land" subcommittee:
Sarah Besky, Cornell University
Tatiana Chudakova, Tufts University
Kate Davies, Tufts University
Jim Rice, Tufts University
Jolene Rickard (Tuscarora), Cornell University
