A Brief History of the Academic Symposium at Marian University

Beginning in 2002, Marian University hosted an annual two-day springtime Academic Symposium for all persons on campus and in the Fond du Lac and Wisconsin communities. The purpose of the symposium has always been to invite persons to consider social, political, philosophical, and scientific topics for the purpose of discussion, debate, learning, reflection, and understanding. The event usually begins with an evening keynote address that sets the theme for the next day’s events of poster presentations, round-table discussions, paper readings, and speaker sessions delivered by students, faculty, staff, administrators and members of the public. A sample of past Academic Symposiums topics include the following:

• Homeland Security and the Bill of Rights (2005)
• Catholic Identify in an Increasingly Divided World (2006)
• 21st-Century Healthcare: Facts, Myths, Implications, and Ethics (2011)
• Is a University Really Necessary? Does it Need to Change? (2012)
• The Universal Impact of Technology and Communication: How does it Impact our Lives and the Lives or our Leaders? (2025)