PossePlus Retreats Explore Social Movements

For more than 20 years, the annual PossePlus Retreat (PPR) has been an integral component of the Posse Campus Program. In a tradition established by the first Posses at Vanderbilt University, each Posse partner institution hosts a weekend retreat for Scholars, members of the larger student body, faculty and administrators to discuss an important campus issue identified by Scholars.

The 2014 PPR entitled “Revolt? Rethink? Reform?” examined civic engagement and social movements—their past, present, and future. Discussions and workshops encouraged more than 4,500 participants at 44 colleges and universities to consider how they view and engage the socio-political landscape.

“PPRs are a reflection of the investment and commitment of Posse’s partner schools,” says Rico Blancaflor, Posse’s vice president of special projects and a Vanderbilt Posse alumnus. “Encouraging the campus community to really dig into an issue in a safe space and hopefully come to an understanding through authentic dialogue helps fulfill the promise of being an institution of higher learning.”

Since 1993, Posse has facilitated more than 300 retreats at colleges and universities across the country. People from all parts of a campus community have come together to discuss topics such as race, meritocracy, class, gender, power, social responsibility and education. These discussions are critical to building more integrated and thoughtful campus communities.