University of Indianapolis to host 11th Richard M. Fairbanks Symposium on civility and civic leadership
Event focuses on civic dialogue, leadership practices and local implications for Indianapolis
The University of Indianapolis is scheduled to host the 11th annual Richard M. Fairbanks Symposium on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, centered on “Civility & Civic Leadership in the Circle City.” Organizers describe the program as a daylong public forum examining how norms of civil discourse intersect with leadership and problem-solving in Indianapolis.
The symposium is planned for 9:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. at the Schwitzer Student Center in UIndy Hall, on the University of Indianapolis campus. The event includes registration and networking beginning at 9:30 a.m., followed by a sequence of panels, a midday meal, a keynote-format conversation and closing remarks.
Hosts and partners frame the symposium as a continuation of a decade-long series
The Fairbanks Symposium on Civic Leadership began in 2013 and has been structured around convening civic leaders, scholars and community members to discuss issues facing communities while drawing connections between historical leadership legacies and current civic challenges. The 2026 program is hosted by the University of Indianapolis’ Institute for Civic Leadership & Mayoral Archives in partnership with Indiana Humanities, with support from the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation.
UIndy’s Institute for Civic Leadership & Mayoral Archives houses the mayoral archives of several former Indianapolis mayors, including Richard Lugar, William Hudnut III, Stephen Goldsmith, Bart Peterson and Greg Ballard. The institute’s broader mission includes using historic civic records and public programming to support contemporary conversations about civic life.
Agenda includes academic framing, a keynote conversation and a local panel
Opening remarks are scheduled to include University of Indianapolis President Tanuja Singh and Edward Frantz, chair of UIndy’s Department of History and Political Science. A morning session titled “Civility in Theory & History” is slated to feature Alex Richardson of DePauw University’s Prindle Institute for Ethics and Deborah Mower of the University of Mississippi’s Center for Practical Ethics.
The afternoon keynote segment is structured as an “INconversation” titled “A Civic Renaissance in Indianapolis,” with Laura Merrifield Wilson, a University of Indianapolis political science professor, listed as moderator. The panelist lineup includes Jeff Worrell, a Carmel City Council member and founder and CEO of the Carmel Civility Foundation.
Date: Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026
Time: 9:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
Location: Schwitzer Student Center, UIndy Hall, University of Indianapolis (1400 Campus Drive, Indianapolis)
The symposium’s 2026 theme places civic behavior and leadership practice at the center of discussion, reflecting continuing attention in public institutions and civic organizations to how communities debate, collaborate and make decisions.
Registration is required. Additional program details, including a full agenda, are expected to guide attendee participation across the scheduled sessions.