ConnectING Independent Colleges with Their Communities through Undergraduate Research

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The humanities enrich our lives and offer us tools to make better sense of the world. The humanities help connect individuals and communities. For more than a decade, however, leaders in higher education and humanities scholars have worried about a “crisis” in the humanities, marked by a decline in the number of college majors and a popular perception that philosophy, history, literature, and languages no longer have relevance to contemporary issues or the public good. Many independent colleges and universities have countered these claims by pointing to the growth of enrollment in humanities classes and citing surveys of employers that emphasize the importance of strong writing, critical thinking, and a knowledge of diverse cultures for successful careers in tomorrow’s workforce.

“Humanities Research for the Public Good” offers a different response to these criticisms by helping CIC member institutions demonstrate the power of the humanities to shed light on the past, to offer new insights on current issues, and to engage both students and members of the public in contemplating a better future. By making visible the significant collections contained in college archives, libraries, and museums, the project aims to show how these raw materials of humanities research can address the concerns and experiences of local communities.

When you see what the humanities have to offer, you want to share them as broadly as you can.”
—Edward L. Ayers, Historian and President Emeritus, University of Richmond

CIC awarded $10,000 grants to 25 member colleges and universities in spring 2019 and 24 additional institutions in spring 2020 to support undergraduate research projects that incorporate a public presentation of research findings. In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the second cohort of projects was postponed until the 2021-2022 academic year.

All funded projects make use of a significant archival, library, or museum collection held by the college or university. Institutions must collaborate with a community-based organization to share this research with the public; the projects—which take many forms—must address a topic of importance and interest to the local community.

"Humanities Research for the Public Good” was designed to:

• Connect independent colleges and universities with cultural and civic organizations in their local areas for the benefit of both students and the public;
• Make better use of existing campus collections for teaching, undergraduate research, and public engagement;
• Enhance the research, collaboration, and communication skills of students in humanities disciplines;
• Encourage humanities faculty members and collections specialists who work in campus libraries, archives, and museums to apply their expertise to issues of public policy and community concern; and
• Increase public interest in and appreciation of humanities research.

This initiative is generously supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, with supplemental funding from the National Endowment for the HumanitiesAny views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.. In 2020, "Humanities Research for the Public Good" received a J. Franklin Jameson Archival Advocacy Award from the Society of American Archivists. This award honors an individual, institution, or organization that promotes greater public awareness, appreciation, or support of archival activities or programs.

Anne M. Valk serves as project director and evaluator of the “Humanities Research for the Public Good” initiative. In January 2020 she became executive director of the American Social History Project/Center for Media and Learning at the CUNY Graduate Center. She is a specialist in oral history, public history, and the social history of the United States in the 20th century, and the award-winning author of books on women’s history and African American history. She has served as director of women’s studies at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, deputy director of the Center for Public Humanities at Brown University, associate director for public humanities and lecturer in history at Williams College, and president of the Oral History Association. Valk has a BA in psychology from Mount Holyoke College and a PhD in history from Duke University.

Note: Applications are no longer being accepted for this grant program. However, the grant guidelines provide an excellent overview of the goals and structure of Humanities Research for the Public Good.

Each campus team must include a full-time faculty member in the humanities who will serve as a mentor to the student researcher(s); a collections specialist—such as a librarian, archivist, or museum curator—with expertise in collections for research and presentation; and a senior campus administrator with responsibilities for public outreach or external partnership. Each institution must partner with at least one nonprofit community-based organization (for example, a museum or historical society, public library, social service provider, or civic organization) to develop a program of public outreach.

For additional inspiration and ideas, please visit Humanities for All, an annotated database compiled by the National Humanities Alliance with support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, which showcases a number of public humanities projects developed by small colleges and universities in collaboration with community partners.

Please see the detailed Instructions for Applicants for more information about the application process. Applications included a letter of support from the president of the institution, a letter of support from the community partner, brief biographies of the team members, a preliminary budget, and a narrative statement of no more than six (6) pages that addressed:

• The scope of the proposed project and the archival, library, or museum collection(s) to be used;
• The significance of the research topic to be addressed by the project;
• How the student research will be shared with, and benefit, the public;
• The institution’s experience with community partnerships and public support for the humanities; and
• How participation in the initiative will support the institution’s strategic goals.

On October 10, 2019, CIC hosted a webinar for prospective applicants that included additional details and advice about the application process. A recording of the webinar and thepresentation slides remain available.

• Availability of appropriate archival, library, or museum collection(s);
• Quality and significance of the topic(s) to be addressed by the undergraduate research project;
• Quality, distinctiveness, and feasibility of the proposed public program;
• Evidence that the proposed project addresses a topic of clear public interest and importance, not just a topic of primary interest to the campus community or scholars;
• Commitment to the project by both the CIC member institution and a community-based partner organization;
  
• Evidence that the project is likely to engage members of the public at multiple stages; and
• The team members’ experience in supporting undergraduate research and public outreach.

​December 13, 2019: proposals due
February 2020: selected institutions will be notified
June 29–July 1, 2020: opening workshop in Washington, DC (all team members must attend) POSTPONED
August 2020–May 2021: campus projects implemented
April or May 2021: closing workshop (includes the participation of student researchers)
August 2021: final evaluation reports due to CIC

[The opening workshop was] energizing—we really enjoyed the experience of meeting colleagues, hearing about other projects, and understanding best practices in our project development and execution.”
— Sandy Yusen, Director of Communications and External Relations, Champlain College

On June 29–July 1, 2020, CIC will host a three-day workshop for team members from selected institutions to develop their campus projects. During the workshop, teams will come together with distinguished scholars and practitioners to:

• Learn about inspiring projects and best practices in public humanities work;
• Consider how to build and sustain fruitful partnerships with community organizations;
• Develop plans to implement their projects successfully in the coming academic year; and
• Learn about methods to assess the impact and outcomes for students, community partners, and the college or university.

A closing workshop in spring 2021, following the implementation of the projects, will give the teams—including the student researchers—an opportunity to present their work and share lessons learned.

​Contact Philip M. Katz, CIC director of projects, at (202) 466-7230 or pkatz@cic.nche.edu, or Anne M. ValkOpens in new window, senior advisor for “Humanities Research for the Public Good,” at avalk@cic.nche.edu.