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'I Have Called You Friends'
2019 Fall Conference | November 7–9, 2019 | University of Notre Dame


The de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture is pleased to invite you to register for our 20th annual Fall Conference, November 7–9, 2019. This year's conference will explore the theme of friendship, from its ancient understanding as "the crown of life and the school of virtue" (C.S. Lewis) to the present day. What does it mean to make the good of another one's own, and what might be the implications of losing such an understanding of friendship in the modern world? In the interdisciplinary spirit of the Fall Conference, the dCEC will engage these themes from a wide array of fields of inquiry, including theology, philosophy, political theory, law, history, economics, and the social sciences, as well as the natural sciences, literature, and the arts.

The de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture is committed to sharing the richness of the Catholic moral and intellectual tradition through teaching, research, and dialogue, at the highest level and across a range of disciplines. Our Fall Conference is the most important academic forum for fruitful discourse and exchange among the world's leading Catholic thinkers and those from other traditions, and is the largest annual interdisciplinary event at Notre Dame. Recent past speakers include Nobel Laureate James Heckman, Alasdair MacIntyre, John Finnis, Mary Ann Glendon, Rémi Brague, Charles Taylor, Michael Sandel, and Jean Bethke Elshtain.

Register Here

Conference Details

Registration

REGISTER NOW. Registration closes November 1, 2019. Registration includes all materials, breaks, and evening receptions.

  • General Registration: $225
  • Reduced Registration (Graduate Students, Religious): $75
  • Registration for UND/SMC/HCC Faculty, Staff, and Students: Free

Visiting undergraduate student groups are eligible for a reduced registration rate. Please contact Margaret Cabaniss (mcabaniss@nd.edu) for more information.

Sorin Fellows: Contact Pete Hlabse (phlabse@nd.edu) for registration information and additional conference opportunities.

Location and Schedule

Due to construction on McKenna Hall, all sessions will be held in the Mendoza College of Business and the Morris Inn.Please carefully note the updated locations on the schedule below. (A campus map is available at map.nd.edu.)

A detailed schedule will be available closer to the conference date.

Thursday, November 7    
  12 p.m. Registration Check-In
Morris Inn Ballroom Hall
  1:30–2:45 p.m. Concurrent Session 1
Morris Inn PDRs and Ballroom
  2:45–3:15 p.m. Break
Morris Inn Ballroom Hall
  3:15–4:30 p.m. Concurrent Session 2
Morris Inn PDRs and Ballroom
  5:15 p.m. Welcome Mass with Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades 
Basilica of the Sacred Heart
  8–9:15 p.m. Plenary Lecture
Morris Inn Ballroom
  9:15–10:30 p.m. Welcome Reception
Morris Inn Ballroom Hall and PDRs
Friday, November 8    
  8 a.m. Coffee and Pastries
Mendoza Atrium
  9–10:15 a.m. Concurrent Session 3
Mendoza Auditorium and Classrooms
  10:15–10:45 a.m. Break
Mendoza Atrium
  10:45 a.m.–12 p.m. Concurrent Session 4
Mendoza Auditorium and Classrooms
  12–1:30 p.m. Conference Lunch
Dahnke Ballroom, Duncan Student Center
  1:30–2:45 p.m. Plenary Lecture: Alasdair MacIntyre
Mendoza Auditorium
  2:45–3:15 p.m. Break
Mendoza Atrium
  3:15–4:30 p.m. Invited Session 1
Mendoza Auditorium and Classrooms
  5:15 p.m. Mass
Basilica of the Sacred Heart
  6:15–7:45 p.m. Conference Dinner
South Dining Hall
  8–9:15 p.m. Plenary Lecture
Morris Inn Ballroom
  9:15–10:30 p.m. Reception
Morris Inn Ballroom Hall and PDRs
Saturday, November 9    
  8 a.m. Coffee and Pastries
Mendoza Atrium
  9–10:15 a.m. Concurrent Session 5
Mendoza Auditorium and Classrooms
  10:15–10:45 a.m. Break
Mendoza Atrium
  10:45 a.m.–12 p.m. Concurrent Session 6
Mendoza Auditorium and Classrooms
  12–1:30 p.m. Conference Lunch
Dahnke Ballroom, Duncan Student Center
  1:30–2:45 p.m. Invited Session 2
Mendoza Auditorium and Classrooms
  2:45–3:15 p.m. Break
Mendoza Atrium
  3:15–4:30 p.m. Invited Session 3
Mendoza Auditorium and Classrooms
  5 p.m. Mass
Basilica of the Sacred Heart
  6:15–7:45 p.m. Conference Dinner
South Dining Hall
  8–9:15 p.m. Plenary Lecture
Morris Inn Ballroom
  9:15–10:30 p.m. Closing Reception
Morris Inn Ballroom Hall and PDRs

Dining

Lunch and dinner on Friday and Saturday of the conference are available for purchase through the registration link. Please carefully note the new locations for these meals. A list of other on-campus dining options is available here. Eddy Street Commons, immediately south of campus, offers a number of additional dining options within easy walking distance of the conference venue.

Transportation

The University of Notre Dame is a 15-minute drive from South Bend International Airport; taxis and Ubers are common, and easy to hire. The university is approximately a two-hour drive from major airports in Chicago, including O'Hare and Midway. The South Shore Line commuter train runs from downtown Chicago to the South Bend airport, while shuttle buses run from both Chicago airports directly to Notre Dame's campus. If you need assistance with travel arrangements, please feel free to contact Anthony Travel, the university's official travel partner. (Please note that Notre Dame is on Eastern Standard Time, while Chicago is on Central Standard Time.)

Lodging

A variety of room blocks has been reserved for conference participants:

  • Morris Inn (on campus): $179/night. A limited number of rooms is available; to secure the conference rate, please reserve your room by October 7, 2019.
  • Fairfield Inn (Eddy Street Commons): $123-133/night. The Fairfield Inn is an easily walkable half-mile distance from the conference venue. To secure the conference rate, please reserve your room by October 17, 2019.
  • Holy Cross Parish (1050 Wilber St., South Bend): Shared, dormitory-style rooms for $25/night (linens included). To reserve a room, contact Karen Trzaskowski (ktrzaskowski@hcpsb.org) and reference the dCEC Fall Conference.

Additional lodging may be available at the following locations:

Parking

Limited valet parking will be available at the Morris Inn for a fee; passes for free on-campus parking will be available for registered guests to pick up upon conference check-in. For directions to available lots, view the map here.

Past Conferences

Find information regarding past conferences and lecture videos at the links below.

Fall Conference Collage