A $250,000 National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Challenge Grant has been awarded to the Dixie College Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, according to Tim Bywater, division dean.
Earnings from the endowment will finance faculty development programs for college and high school faculty. The Challenge Grant program provides $250,000 with the institution expected to raise an additional $750,000 for a total $1 million endowment.Dr. George Rampton, principal fund-raiser, has already secured $250,000 in private donations with an additional $500,000 to be raised in the next four years. The million dollars is then placed as a permanent endowment to fund humanities-based programs in two major areas.
The first area of emphasis will provide quarter-long instruction for college and high school humanities faculty from nationally known undergraduate teacher/scholars.
Bywater said this program will be offered at least once every year and will enable college and high school humanities faculty to participate in intensive quarter-long courses based on major humanities subjects and texts. Regionally and nationally known teachers and scholars will demonstrate their teaching techniques. The guest teacher/scholars will live in the community for a full quarter.
"The guest professors we have invited are some of the top people in their field," Bywater said. "We are fortunate to attract such prominent scholars."
The second major area of emphasis is to provide weeklong interdisciplinary humanities forums to promote dialogue with nationally known humanities spokespersons. Bywater noted funds for this portion of the Challenge Grant Proposal will be used to present multicultural and feminist issues, as well as other diverse, contemporary humanities issues.