Intellectual Community | UT School of Civic Leadership

Student Life at SCL

Intellectual
Community

At SCL, civic education is understood not simply as a course of study, but as a shared intellectual life. Through reading groups, shared meals, performances, informal discussion, and student organizations, these programs cultivate intellectual friendship and sustain a vibrant culture of inquiry beyond the classroom.

Intellectual Community

Lecture Series Signature Events Study Away Student Organizations Civics Law & Policy Society

'We the People' calligraphy from the United States Constitution document.

Lecture Series

The School of Civic Leadership regularly brings world-class academics, public intellectuals, policymakers, and leaders from a variety of fields to the UT Austin campus.

These speakers span the breadth of civic thought: constitutional scholars, economists, foreign affairs experts, historians, political theorists, military leaders, journalists, lawyers, philosophers, and more. Students can learn, ask questions, and contribute to the discussion about today’s most important issues. With a robust calendar of lectures, debates, and roundtables, the School of Civic Leadership’s events model civil discourse, intellectual pluralism, and the shared pursuit of truth.

Woman standing and reading a paper near Texas Civic Leaders banner as audience listens in a room.

Athena Great Books Series

Held once a semester in collaboration with the Jefferson Center for Core Texts & Ideas, the Athena Great Books Series is centered around the search for truth in the great texts of the Western and American traditions.

Speakers examine the recurring themes in intellectual life—including morality, beauty, liberty, the self, suffering, and more—from the ancient to the modern world. Directed particularly at students in SCL and the Jefferson Center’s Great Books major, the Athena series reminds students that the wisdom of the past offers valuable insights for the present and future.

Two men in suits engaged in a serious discussion while seated on stage chairs.

Cincinnatus Civic Life Series

The Cincinnatus Civic Life Series brings together SCL students and scholars from UT and beyond to examine the nature of political life and constitutional government.

Named after Cincinnatus, the ancient Roman leader and the inspiration for George Washington’s nickname “The American Cincinnatus,” the Civic Life series encourages students to reflect upon the duties of citizenship and the challenges of leadership.

SCL Signature Events

SCL Signature Events constitute the heart of the intellectual community at SCL. Offered on a regular basis throughout the school year, SCL Signature Events invite students to engage with big questions in new ways.

Reading Groups

SCL reading groups gather regularly in the Littlefield Home to read some of the great texts of the Western and American traditions. Ranging from Plato to David Hume to contemporary policy analysis, these texts speak to the set of questions which animates the School: What does it mean to live well? How do we foster and preserve freedom? What is America’s role in the world? Reading groups require no preparation.

Students and faculty simply show up, read through the text together, and discuss the issues and questions they encounter.

Coffee With the Professor

Coffee with the Professor offers students a chance to connect with faculty members, from UT Austin and beyond, over coffee and conversation. Each session brings a small group of students into discussion with a professor to explore a theme, question, or short reading connected to the professor’s research or teaching interests. From contemporary political issues to the nature of human existence, this series provides students the opportunity to explore timely and enduring questions alongside leading scholars.

Plato in Performance

The Plato in Performance series invites students to encounter Plato in a new way: aloud, together, and as a living dramatic event. Each semester, we select one of Plato’s dialogues, read it collectively in a semi-theatrical format, and then gather for discussion.

Civics in Cinema

The Civics in Cinema series seeks to introduce students to the themes of civic life through the medium of film. Each semester, SCL faculty members select films that speak to questions of justice, ambition, courage, and wisdom. After each screening, an SCL faculty leads students in a discussion connecting the film to the larger themes that the School explores.

Woman speaking while two others listen at a table with notebooks and cups in a sunlit room.

Group of people seated around a wooden table in a room with large windows and wood paneling.

Students in a classroom, one standing and speaking wearing a white curly wig, others seated and listening.

Two hardcover books stacked on a wooden table, one titled Plato Complete Works.

Five young adults wearing Texas Civic Leadership shirts pose in front of the U.S. Capitol building.

Washington, DC and the Foundations of American Civics

Study Away

SCL’s Study Away programs allow students to explore the American story in a unique way. Led by a SCL faculty member, students travel to destinations connected to the development and practice of American constitutionalism. For one week, students participate in guided tours, museum visits, fun excursions, and more.

Study away trips provide an opportunity for students to reflect upon the ideas and institutions of American civic life and to form friendships with fellow SCL classmates.

Washington, DC and the
Foundations of American Civics (May 2026)

In May 2026, a group of SCL students and Assistant Professor John Kitch traveled to Washington, D.C. to learn more about the institutions and virtues that uphold American civic life. Over five packed days, our students explored the National Mall, toured the U.S. Capitol, visited Washington’s home at Mount Vernon, honored American veterans with a stop at Arlington National Cemetery, and enjoyed a performance of the musical 1776.

Stay tuned for information on the Spring 2027 SCL Study Away!

Organizations

Civics Law & Policy Society

The Civics Law & Policy Society seeks to foster intellectual fellowship and encourage philosophical inquiry among individuals pursuing careers in law and policy.

Person with tote bag walking into building entrance near a Texas Leadership banner.

With a robust calendar of events and initiatives, the Society regularly hosts lectures featuring distinguished guests and forums for debate. Members also can submit their work for peer review and publication in the Society’s journal, The Symposium. These experiences provide opportunities for students to make meaningful connections with professionals working in the fields of law and policy and to deepen their own understanding of jurisprudence.

Five young adults dressed formally standing on a path in front of a large historic brick building with ornate iron railings.

Want to create a student organization of your own?

Reach out to SCL Student Life for information on how to start an SCL-sponsored student organization.

What Our
Students Say

“There are so many issues that matter to me, and I came here to figure out how to prioritize them. I believe strongly in justice, equality, and freedom, and how best to implement those ideas in society is what we figure out here. SCL is setting me up long-term with critical-thinking skills, intellectual fellowship, connections, and experience that I will take into the workplace.”

Lillian Weimer

Current SCL Student

“You have the pros of a big state school with a great football team, excellent academics, and a ton of people to meet—but SCL is a really tight-knit group of people. It’s like having a small-town Ivy League college within a big university.”

Jimmy Marrs

Current SCL Student

“I was drawn to Civic Leadership because it's challenging. I love being pushed to read, write, and think deeply. Learning how to read texts written hundreds of years ago and apply them to today's world isn't easy, but that's exactly what makes the program so rewarding."

Isabella Issa

Current SCL Student

“I always knew I wanted to go to law school, but I also wanted an undergraduate major that would keep challenging me and wasn’t ‘one-track.’ Then I found Civics. It brings together so many different topics, and the discussion-based classes encourage us to wrestle with big ideas. I fell in love with it.”

Ella Dillinger

Current SCL Student

“At SCL, there’s not just ‘your truth’ and ‘my truth.’ The professors shape conversations and arguments to get to a point where you’re not just putting your opinion out there—you’re learning. You’re coming to a new and different understanding of a topic.”

Maia Wantz

Current SCL Student

“My professors are some of the most intellectual minds you’ll ever meet. They provide an atmosphere of learning—cultivating education, cultivating conversation—and they teach you to become a better student academically, both in and out of the classroom. They are very personable, and just phenomenal to be around.”

Caleb Echols

Current SCL Student