Humanities Program Spotlight:

Pilot Program to Support Diversity Enhancement

Responding to the critical need for increased diversity among Humanities doctoral students and faculty members nationwide, the College has launched a pilot program that will carry two cohorts of underrepresented students from across the country through two years of mentoring, professional development, and research experiences.

The Program for Humanities Development (PHD), which will be directed by Maurice Stevens, associate professor in the Department of Comparative Studies, is designed for undergraduates pursuing advanced degrees in any of the Humanities disciplines and specializations. It provides two summers of guided coursework, research, mentoring, and cohort building beginning in the sophomore year.

Participating students will receive direction in navigating the transition between undergraduate and graduate study in the Humanities; build strong bonds with faculty mentors and students; receive classroom and one-on-one instruction from faculty at the cutting edge of their discipline; interact with students earning advanced degrees; and receive hands-on guidance for preparation of graduate school application materials.

In addition, participating students will earn eight hours of college credit and a monetary stipend of $6,000 over the course of two summers as well as free room and board.

While there is some evidence of progress made in the presence of student and faculty members of color, a great need for improvement still remains. The idea for the program originated from an ad hoc committee of the Association of the Departments of English, a project of the Modern Language Association on which Valerie Lee, chair and professor of the Department of English, served. The committee's particular charge was to recommend ways of improving the pathways to and within the academy for potential African American faculty members. The resulting report found that it was time for the next step, "a concerted and consistent kind of action, which we call affirmative activism. Affirmative action ensured that applicants of color would be considered in hiring and admissions processes; affirmative activism changes the culture and climate of the profession."

It is the hope that the PHD will inspire similar programs nationwide, and create a pipeline for potential faculty members from underrepresented groups. For more information, please visit the PHD Web site