Thinking & Advocacy
Growing up as a farm kid in northwest Florida, books and public television were my windows to the world beyond my rural community. My combination of isolation and curiosity led me to pore over stories from history and foreign lands and challenge myself to read literary classics before they were assigned in school. When I got older, I was able to experience the visual and performing arts courtesy of my local community college. This early exposure to the humanities shaped my journey to a far greater extent than anyone in my family ever imagined it would. I was a first-generation college student who earned two degrees in art history because the work felt like a calling. Deconstructing visual media to find meaning in iconography and reveal a side of history not always recorded in books took me closer to understanding the “why” that has always fueled my curiosity.
I began my career in community colleges as an art gallery director, charged with the task of bringing the humanities to a working-class community — much like my own hometown — through exhibitions, cultural events, and teaching Introduction to the Humanities. This course is one of several designated by legislative action at the state level as a requirement for an associate degree in Florida. Most students enrolled in the class are there because they must be, not because they chose humanities as a major like I did. Teaching these students, a diverse mix of high school students, veterans and active-duty military, and adult learners of all stripes, I observed in real time what we know to be true of adult learning theory: context matters. Humanities for humanities’ sake does not resonate when priorities must be juggled or the wolf is at the door. Adult learners need a “why” of their own.
Culturally responsive, contextually appropriate pedagogy makes learning stick with students by demonstrating the relevance of the content to students’ lived experiences. So, in the spirit of instructional transparency and to encourage metacognition, I devised a question on my Introduction to the Humanities final exam (an essay question, naturally, as humanities disciplines develop communication skills) that required students to reflect on why they were where they were, completing that course. The essay prompted students to argue for or against the state mandate that they earn credits in the humanities, and over 12 years of teaching that particular course, across literally thousands of students, fewer than five chose to write against the requirement. Most arguing in favor of the course answered with a version of the adage that those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
Some, however, constructed the kind of persuasive essay that reminds an educator why they do what they do. These students reflected on moments of epiphany they’d experienced during the course. They highlighted the importance of studying the beauty of human creation when the world can be so very ugly or situated the political struggles of the current era within the long, tumultuous history of humankind. Some made straightforward statements like, “learning about other cultures/religions/people is how we prevent world wars,” while others cited the value of studying ethics in their pursuit of allied health or computer science degrees or wrote about how their chosen professional path lacked meaning without the context of culture to uphold it.
Higher ed’s focus on workforce alignment can sometimes set up an either/or proposition, pitting career preparation against the humanities in a competition for student enrollment, constrained resources, and attention from college administration and the community, but this is a false dichotomy. My students’ outlook on the relationship between their career preparations and humanities education presented a microcosm of what we know to be true at the macro level: the humanities are vital to developing a strong workforce, a civically engaged society, and healthy, vibrant communities. A report from the American Academy of Arts & Sciences Humanities Indicators Project¹ noted that over 80% of Americans frequently use at least one humanities skill in their jobs, and over 30% of Americans feel that their career advancement was at least partially hindered by a deficiency in one or more humanistic skills.
The rise and rapid ubiquity of artificial intelligence have further set the stage for a renewed discourse around the value of the humanities. Dr. Paul LeBlanc², Dr. Karen Stout³, and Thomas Chatterton Williams⁴ have all recently positioned the humanities as the antidote to the threats AI poses to higher education and society. Each suggests a different means by which the value of the humanities remains steadfast, but all make clear the importance of humanities education. At community colleges, the humanities can be a community endeavor. These institutions serve more than 10 million students right where they are, providing them a forum for exploring the “why,” even in the age of AI.
At this pivotal moment in the intersection between human-centered education and technology, Achieving the Dream is excited to launch Transforming Community College Education Through the Humanities, a grant-funded, cohort-based initiative designed to foster student success, deepen civic engagement, and strengthen institutional impact by embedding humanities more fully into the student experience. Through projects customized to their local context, five community colleges will meaningfully connect the needs and opportunities of students in their local community, while deepening students’ critical thinking, communication, cultural awareness, and creativity. Selected institutions will strengthen humanities education through program development, including work-based learning opportunities, cultural programming, or curriculum redesign; develop institutional capacity in the humanities; enhance faculty development; and increase institutional commitment to the humanities by aligning organizational goals.
Interested applicants are invited to attend Transforming Community College Education Through the Humanities Office Hours on Jan. 22, at 2:00 p.m. ET. This informational webinar will provide an overview of the grant opportunity, application process, and criteria, and will provide an opportunity to ask questions. The session will be recorded for those who cannot attend.
_________________
[1] The Humanities in American Life
[2] Dr. Paul LeBlanc Discusses Liberal Arts and the Future of AI – Penmen Review – Penmen Review
[3] https://www.amacad.org/sites/default/files/publication/downloads/The-Humanities-in-American-Life.pdf
[4] Stop Trying to Make the Humanities ‘Relevant’ – The Atlantic