Call for Proposals

This year’s Mellon Foundation Humanities Conference invites proposals for sessions reflecting on the theme Humanities as the Foundation for the Future.

The Mellon Transfer Bridges to the Humanities program brings together Grand Rapids Community College, Henry Ford College, Schoolcraft College, and the University of Michigan in a long-term collaboration dedicated to encouraging and supporting rich engagement with the humanities for community college students. Together, we are pleased to announce this year’s Mellon Humanities Conference with the theme Humanities as the Foundation for the Future. 

A central goal for higher education has always been to empower students by preparing them to participate fully and freely in all aspects of life. Political philosopher (and former Mellon Foundation Board Chair) Danielle Allen, in her 2016 book Education and Equality, described this goal as the creation of “participatory readiness.” When students have it, they have developed the ability to participate in:

• Civic and political engagement
• Creative self-expression and world-making
• Breadwinning work
• Rewarding relationships in spaces of intimacy and leisure

Study of the humanities and participation in its core activities provide the essential foundation of participatory readiness. For this meeting, we invite contributions which share research results, describe promising practices, and promote dialog about how the humanities develop participatory readiness in our students to lead engaged and meaningful future lives.

Format of Sessions

All sessions will be one hour long, and we especially encourage proposals for creative, collaborative, participatory formats. Ideal sessions will be generative for participants, providing useful insights and effective implementation advice that can be adapted to their local contexts.

• Individual Presentations: Individuals are welcome to submit presentation ideas and will be paired with others presenting on similar topics. Presentations are welcome from individuals who play any role in Community College-University Partnership (CCUP) projects, including students, staff, faculty, or administrators.
  • Format: 12-14 minutes per presentation. These individual presentations will be combined thematically with other individual or group presentations by conference organizers.
• Group Presentations/Panel Session: We welcome submissions that include multiple presenters, particularly when the presenters represent different roles or institutions. Student panels are highly encouraged!  
  • Format: 25 minutes per group or panel. These group presentations will be combined thematically with other group or individual presentations by the conference organizers.
• Workshops: We invite proposals for interactive workshops that offer participants the opportunity to engage in a facilitated conversation on a specific topic or project.
  • Format: 55 minutes per workshop
• Mellon CCUP Grantee Roundtables: Roundtable sessions are specifically designated for Mellon Foundation grantees with CCUP grants.  We invite these grantees to submit proposals for roundtable sessions intended for grantees to discuss shared challenges, strategies, and projects, in order to best fulfill the mission of their CCUP grants.
  • Format: 55 minutes per roundtable discussion

We especially encourage submissions that include scholars and students of color, student collaborations, people with backgrounds historically underrepresented in the academy, and/or people with direct experience in community colleges.

Please submit proposals in PDF form to Nick Turinsky at [email protected] by Sunday, September 8th, 2024. Presenters will be notified by Monday, September 16th, 2024 via email.