Lycoming College has received a $100,000 grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The grant is the first from the Mellon Foundation in the College’s history.
“This grant from the Mellon Foundation is significant in two ways,” said President Kent C. Trachte. “First, we are honored that the premier foundation supporting liberal arts colleges has recognized Lycoming for its commitment to providing a first-rate liberal arts education. Second, by expanding collaborative research opportunities this grant moves the College forward on a key element of its strategic plan—providing more enhanced academic experiences for all students.”
This Mellon gift will fund a three-year pilot program that will involve small groups of faculty members and students collaborating in research projects within the arts, humanities and humanities-focused social sciences. In addition to expanding the scope of high-impact educational opportunities available to students, the project will also foster faculty development through a series of workshops with a consulting expert in the field of research education. Finally, the grant envisions the creation of new curricular offerings.
The college received an invitation to apply for a Mellon Foundation grant in April 2014 as part of the foundation’s initiative focused on maintaining the unique importance of liberal education at liberal arts colleges that make substantial economic, cultural and intellectual contributions to their communities.
Selection for the program will begin with summer research proposals submitted by faculty members. Faculty members will select students to collaborate on a project within the faculty member’s current research agenda. This model exposes students to the process by which faculty identify research questions, and furthers faculty understanding of how collaborating with undergraduates can both advance research and deepen student learning.
Selected faculty will be asked to make a commitment for two successive summers. During the first summer, the faculty member will collaborate with a student on a research project. The second summer will be devoted to designing an academic course or directed research program that employs a pedagogy of active research educational model, a process that will be supported by peer-to-peer professional development within faculty working groups.
This project has been designed both to enhance student learning through research experiences and to have a transformative impact on the educational process in the arts, humanities and humanities-focused social sciences.
Lycoming College is a four-year, residential liberal arts and sciences school dedicated to the undergraduate education of 1,400 students. Its rigorous academic program, vibrant residential community and supportive faculty foster successful student outcomes. Lycoming offers 36 academic majors and is recognized as a Tier 1 institution by U.S. News & World Report. Founded in 1812 and located near the banks of the Susquehanna River in Williamsport, Pa., Lycoming is one of the 50 oldest colleges in the nation. For more information, visit www.lycoming.edu.