Career & Tools

UCSB has received a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for a program called “Engaging Humanities." The program is designed to increase enrollment in humanities majors through participation in innovative learning communities and/or by designing larger courses that connect humanities thinking to students’ identities and career goals. Learn more and apply today!

By Daina Tagavi, Professional Development Peer
Tuesday, February 12th, 2019 - 9:00am


UCSB has received a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for a program called "Engaging Humanities." The program is designed to increase enrollment in humanities majors through participation in innovative learning communities and/or by designing larger courses that connect humanities thinking to students' identities and career goals.

The Mellon Pedagogical Institute is the starting point for this effort. In the seminar, ​​16 HFA faculty members and ​12 HFA graduate students, who will be named Mellon Engaging Humanities Graduate Fellows, come together for a six-week learning experience.

In the highly interactive seminar, participants will both systematically investigate learning practices and develop frameworks for humanities courses (an overview of the seminar can be found here).

Some graduate students will also have opportunities to work as predoctoral fellows in Engaging Humanities Discovery Courses (to be developed by faculty as part of the seminar and offered during winter or spring 2020) or as graduate mentors for undergraduate students enrolled in Mellon Engaging Humanities Learning Communities (to be developed and taught by faculty members in the seminar).

The seminar will meet in spring 2019​; scheduling is to be determined around participants' availability. Ideally there will be six meetings, though that may change (depending on participants' availability). See the seminar overview for more details.

The Mellon Pedagogical Institute will be facilitated by Linda Adler-Kassner, Professor of Writing Studies and Director, Center for Innovative Teaching, Research, and Learning. Adler-Kassner is also the PI of the Engaging Humanities grant.

Mellon Engaging Humanities Graduate Fellows chosen for the seminar will receive $2000 in summer stipend. Unless impossible because of scheduling, Engaging Humanities Graduate fellows will also participate in a portion of Graduate Division's AGEP (Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate) seminar during the week of June 24. Graduate Division will coordinate that scheduling. Graduate fellows will receive an additional $1000 stipend for participation in that seminar; scheduling will be coordinated by Graduate Division.

To receive summer stipends students must be in good academic standing at that time (GPA above 3.0); have no more than 11 units of incomplete, no-grade, or non-record grades; be within departmental time-to-degree standards; not be in P3 status (more than 12 registered quarters since advancing to candidacy). Participants will be required to submit confirmation from the department endorsing their application.

To apply, complete the Mellon Engaging Humanities Graduate Fellowship application via this link by February 20.

Please contact Linda Adler-Kassner, PI, Mellon Engaging Humanities Initiative, with any questions​.