Facing the City: Implications of/for Chicago Studies

In 2007 and still more decisively in 2019, the College at the University of Chicago made an institutional commitment to foreground academic consideration of Chicago itself. Situated within the College Dean’s Office but with direct ties to students, instructors, the Core, academic departments, research centers, external partner organizations, and community members, Chicago Studies’ liminality affords a unique perspective on both Chicago(land) and the storied University which bears the city’s name. In this session (originally presented as a Colloquium Presentation at the Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation in April 2025), Chicago Studies’ inaugural Executive Director Christopher Skrable reflects on the pedagogical, epistemic, and ethical implications of the College’s turn to the city, as well as the challenges the initiative must confront as it approaches its third decade.

Run time: 1 hour, 3 minutes