HELENA–The William Randolph Hearst Foundations has awarded Carroll College a grant in the amount of $100,000 to further develop the humanities program at Carroll. The funding for “Humanities for the 21st Century” will support faculty professional development and training with respect to interdisciplinary course development and implementation of undergraduate research opportunities for humanities students.
The Carroll faculty involved in developing this project ultimately envision the creation of a Center for the Humanities as a forum to examine the intersections of local and global issues and a regional resource for scholarly thought. Activities of the Center will include interdisciplinary study and degree programs, faculty-mentored undergraduate research, and opportunities for public discourse between the campus and regional communities.
“This generous grant from the Hearst Foundations builds upon Carroll’s longstanding commitment to provide an active and integrated learning environment for our students,” said Cathy Day, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs. “In addition, this funding will help our faculty to begin to lay the foundation for the Center for the Humanities, which would be the first of its kind in the Pacific Northwest, serving as a hub for scholarly study and public outreach with a focus on the regional impact of global issues.”
Carroll currently offers 11 humanities degrees in the fields of classical studies, fine arts, history, languages, literature, philosophy, and theology. Twenty-five full-time, tenure track faculty teach 200 courses across the spectrum of the humanities and Carroll’s core curriculum requires a minimum of 25 credits in the humanities.
“I am very grateful to the Hearst Foundations and our Carroll faculty for understanding the importance of integrating the humanities in higher education,” said Dr. Tom Evans, president of Carroll College. “Study in the humanities plays an essential role in equipping students with knowledge and skills that enable critical, creative, and compassionate engagement.”
About the Hearst Foundations
The Hearst Foundations are national philanthropic resources for organizations working in the fields of culture, education, health and social services. The Hearst Foundations fund educational institutions demonstrating uncommon success in preparing students to thrive in a global society. The Foundations’ focus is largely on higher education, but they also fund innovative models of early childhood and K-12 education, as well as professional development.