This Critical Mediations session will be a speculative one concerning the future of the university. Adapting a generative workshop from the Civic Paths research group, participants will be led through a couple sessions designed to encourage brainstorming, theorizing, and other ways of forecasting beyond the “tyranny of the possible”. What could (or should) academia look like in 2040? Where do we want USC Annenberg to be 20 years from now?

The hour will begin with an introduction priming participants to step into the often uncomfortable realm of imagination. They will then be divided into small groups (likely via breakout rooms on Zoom) to spend time brainstorming about the university’s near future. Participants will then “return” to the main discussion space to report back about their speculations.

The Communication and Cultural Studies Conference Committee (CCSCC) formed out of a collective desire to establish a collaborative space for and by graduate students dedicated to advancing Cultural Studies scholarship within the field of Communication. Committed to building community, expanding scholarly networks, and pooling ideas, goals, and intellectual interests, the CCSCC’s annual conference, Critical Mediations, brings together scholars, activists, artists, and community members to wrestle with theoretical, political, and methodological questions that are relevant both within and beyond the academy.

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