Andrew W. Mellon Foundation support

In fall of 2016, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation awarded a generous grant of $2.59M to the School of Arts and Humanities at UC San Diego in partnership with the San Diego Community College District (SDCCD), marking the School’s largest grant received to date. 

• GRANT NAME:
  • Activating the Humanities in the 21st Century: A Collaborative Path for Transfer Students From Community College to Research University and Beyond

•  GRANT GOALS:
  • The main goal was to identify potential transfer students in the humanities, provide supportive services during their transition and insure that they graduate with appropriate and essential skills so they are prepared to choose a stimulating professional career and successfully enter the work force.
  • An equally important goal in this proposal is to change the perception of the humanities
    among students, their parents, and society as a relevant and valued course of study with
    measurable benefits.
  • It also aimed to increase the diversity of the UC San Diego campus whose enrollment lacked low-income under-represented and under-served minority students at the time.

• GRANT PROGRAMMATIC AREAS:
  • Student Outreach, Recruitment and Retention
    • How do we attract prospective students and once admitted ensure that they succeed at UC San Diego?
      • Academic Adviser Meetings
      • Faculty Visits
      • Kick-off Colloquium
      • Triton Transfer Day Info Events
      • Marketing: Brochure, web presence
      • Peer Mentor Program
      • Career Info Sessions
      • Internship
  • A Summer Academy
    • How do we prepare incoming transfer students for the demands of a research university from both an academic and enrichment perspective?
      • 2 Lower Division Courses
      • Tutoring and mentoring
      • Academic Advising
      • Study Skills
      • Professional Development
      • Community Involvement
  • Faculty Connections
    • How will faculty members from both institutions re-invigorate humanities education for the 21st century? How will they build an Inter Campus team who will plan, participate in, and reflect upon all the various facets of the Collaborative and set the foundation for the next three-year plan?
      • New Pedagogies conference training
      • Institute for Teaching Writing across the Humanities training
  • Student Enrichment
    •  How can UC San Diego expose community college students to their campus and to a selection of humanities courses and other activities?
      • Summer Academy Humanities courses
      • Workshops on Digital Literacy, Professionalism
      • Roundtable with Humanities speakers
  • Digital Commons
    •  How can we foster digital literacy and campus community through the use
      of digital networking tools?
      • Digital Pedagogy
      • Digital common place for blogging, resources and connection between UC San Diego affiliates and SDCCD

In December 2019, another grant was awarded to continue the programs work. Phase II of the grant will continue to improve upon the effective components of the first phase, while expanding meaningfully upon new initiatives.

• GRANT NAME:
  • Activating the Humanities in the 21st Century: Phase II of the Collaborative Path for Transfer Students From Community College to Research University and Beyond

• GRANT GOALS:

  • Phase II of our Mellon grant expands meaningfully with brand new initiatives, alongside continuance of the effective programs implemented in Phase I, improving on them based on rigorous assessment protocols.

  • Our overarching goal is both simple and bold: we are committed to bringing about a better world; one that is defined not just by technological progress or economic development, but by diverse peoples with finite resources leading happier and more enriching lives in conjunction with one another. At UC San Diego and SDCCD, we are proud of not only having built a pipeline of successful humanities transfer students, but of having joined forces to educate a new generation of leaders who will reshape the value and meaning of humanism in the 21st century.

• NEW INITIATIVES:
  
  • The Integrated Internship Initiative for Ph.D. Students, devoted to the innovative cross-institutional training of a new generation of graduate students who desire to teach and serve within community colleges
  • “Writing for Professional Success,” a new course in the Summer Academy
  • Counseling support especially geared toward transfer students
  • New service-learning opportunities outside the classroom for university undergraduate students, devising pedagogies and experiences that will continue to prompt students to see themselves as problem solvers with the capacity to contribute across a wide range of career paths 
  • PATH Passport Program and the competitive PATH Scholarly Activity Award to foster
  • career preparation and skills development for peer mentees at SDCCD, creating a foundation from which to build upon after transfer to UC San Diego through graduate or professional school and/or employment
  • A Digital Technology for Collaborative Innovation Initiative involving a series of workshops with the opportunity of earning a certificate in digital literacy.

• IMPROVEMENTS:
  • Expanded faculty involvement in recruiting efforts and targeted transfer events 
  • Student testimonials and increased media presence for more effective recruiting efforts
  • Enhanced mentoring program for student retention, to support a total of 69 mentees over the next three-year grant period 
  • Increased “early” support initiatives when students are considering whether or not a university education is within their future goals.
  • Expanded engagement of community-college stakeholders involved in university transfer and diverse student populations with outreach, recruitment and retention activities 

In November 2024, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation awarded a third grant to continue the development of the program. In particular, the latest funding focuses on faculty professional development, curriculum innovation and career preparation with a focus on social justice, outlined above.

• GRANT NAME: 
  • Phase III of A PATH Collaboration between the San Diego Community College District and the University of California San Diego: Integrating the Arts & Humanities for A Career and Social Justice Impact

• GRANT GOALS:
  • Sustain and strengthen collaborative initiatives between the San Diego Community College District and UC San Diego, with a specific emphasis on advancing career legibility in the arts and humanities for transfer students, undergraduate students, and Ph.D. students.
  • This initiative seeks to bolster support across these academic levels by integrating faculty development and curriculum innovation. By enhancing pedagogical practices and fostering innovative curriculum designs, we aim to enrich students' academic journeys and prepare them for diverse and influential careers within the arts and humanities disciplines.
  • More specifically, our focus on faculty development, curriculum innovation, and career legibility has concrete goals: to integrate social justice principles and career legibility into the arts and humanities curriculum and pedagogy through collaborative professional development; to host a careers-focused Cultivating the Humanities Success Summit; to establish a paid student internship program (Humanities4Careers); to create an expansive arts and humanities career preparation program that includes an internship database; an enhanced Ph.D. student social justice-focused mentorship and fellowship program; and event programming targeted at careers in the arts and humanities.

• NEW INITIATIVES:
  • Faculty Development: Establishing and sustaining the UC San Diego & SDCCD Faculty Professional Development Collaborative, including organizing workshops and conferences to support faculty growth and pedagogical innovation. This includes planning and executing the "Cultivating the Humanities Success Summit" and coordinating ongoing professional development workshops.
  • Curriculum Innovation: Developing and implementing new curricular frameworks and initiatives such as the Community of Practice, Humanities 4Careers Internship Program, and integration of innovative pedagogical strategies within UC San Diego and SDCCD. This also encompasses planning and hosting career exploration events and internship preparation workshops.
  • Career Legibility: Coordinating career-focused programming, including internships, career exploration events, and student internship symposiums. This includes the "Humanities 4Careers Internship Program," which will connect students with career opportunities in the arts & humanities and organize events to prepare students for successful career paths.