Humanities Planning Group

The Humanities Planning Group are faculty in the humanities and related fields, who have a mutually beneficial vision of moving a grassroots effort toward the formation of a Center for the Humanities in the academic community at Washington State University.  This group realizes that a Center can enhance our lives—both academically and as a society—in support of bringing humanities back into mainstream academia.

Programming and activities have included:

1) annual selection of a cohort of Humanities Fellows (see related news release) through a  competitive process

2) scheduling presentations throughout the academic year by the Humanities Fellows

3) creating a reading group related to our 2016 Humanities Week theme, “Humanities in the Natural World,”  and invited speaker, William “Bill” McKibben, an American environmentalist, author, and journalist

4) hosting our annual Humanities Week

5) partnering with Whitman County Libraries and Neill Public Library to present workshops, enhance collections, provide ally training, and continue community discussion for public employees, school staffs, teachers, and youth

6) actively pursuing grant possibilities and submitting applications

7) partnering with units at WSU to bring in humanities-related guest speakers and special projects by providing promotional and, in some cases, monetary support for these endeavors

We anticipate submitting our Center for the Humanities proposal for approval by the Faculty Senate so that we can move ahead with plans to pursue additional grant funding and alumni involvement in building a viable and fully functioning entity at Washington State University.

We encourage faculty interested in increasing the visibility of humanities at Washington State University and who conduct humanities research to become involved with our ongoing efforts by applying for Humanities Fellows funding (we currently award three per year in the amount of $12,500 each–funded by the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s office). We welcome all humanities faculty participation in our activities and events. Feedback is always welcome.