Pathways to Knowledge: Celebrating Expansive Inquiry

As a university community, knowledge is central to our mission. Every day, we make it, share it, apply it, and more. But what counts as ‘knowledge’? What does it look like? And how do we come to it? We may assume that ‘real’ knowledge only takes the form of books or journal articles based on scientific, theory-driven research. And yet, most of us likely appreciate, as well, how much we have learned from our own life experiences, from meaningful aesthetic encounters, from community engagement or collective action, or simply from observation and reflection. And while this kind of knowledge may sometimes appear in traditional peer-reviewed outlets, it often appears elsewhere, like in conversations, questions, or connections; in paintings, poems, or performances; in community programs, workshops, or campaigns; and of course, so much more. For our upcoming series, “Pathways to Knowledge: Celebrating Expansive Inquiry,” the Center for Excellence in Scholarship and Research (CESR) aims to highlight the many different ways that we cultivate and share our knowledge as a university community.

CESR is currently scheduling events during either Fall 2025 or Spring 2026. Share your ideas for the series by contacting CESR Director, Dr. Aaron Hoy, via email (aaron.hoy@mnsu.edu).

Learning from Lit Reviews: A Grad Student Symposium (Nov. 7, 11am-12:30pm)

Virtual Autoethnography Symposium (Nov. 18, 3-4:30pm)