UK is “the university for Kentucky,” and in the 2017–2018 academic year, the College of Arts and Sciences will host a series of lectures, seminars, panel discussions, and other events aimed at unlocking what it means to be for Kentucky in the 21st century. How are our students, and our Commonwealth, responding to the increased polarization of the American political system? How is our campus affected by changing attitudes toward immigration, science, and the university system itself? How will new health and energy policy initiatives impact Kentuckians across the state? In exploring answers to these questions Keys to Our Common Future aims to unite our campus in dialogue about our roles as citizens of the Commonwealth. One of our central goals is to highlight research done by our own faculty in Arts and Sciences and to foster both intra- and inter-college collaborative events across campus.