Montclair State University

Rediscovering American Democracy: Teaching the Humanities in the Time of Covid [montclair State University Is a Hispanic-serving Institution in New Jersey, Which Has One of the Highest Rates of COVID-19 Deaths in the Nation. Yet This Terrible Hardship Offers a Chance to Transform the Teaching of the Humanities by Directly Engaging Social and Political Issues of Urgent Concern to Students. We Propose a Year-long Initiative to Bring Together Three Sets of Scholars: 4 New Postdoctoral Fellows in Humanities; 9 Current Montclair State Faculty; and 5 Experts From Various Disciplines of American Cultural Studies. Together These Scholars Will Create a New Academic Major That Will Engage Students by Illustrating the Relevance of the Humanities to the Desire for Social, Racial and Environmental Justice. the Collaboration Will Culminate in a Public Conference. Ultimately, It Will Launch a New Humanities Program and Maintain Demand for Current Ones by Examining the Historical Injustices and Inequalities in American Life That the Pandemic Has Brought to Public Awareness.] [purpose:  the Purpose of This Project Is to Create a New Academic Major in American Cultural studies At montclair State University.  Activities to Be Performed:  Core Faculty, Five Guest Scholars, and Four Post-doctoral Instructors Will Collaborate in a Year-long Seminar Series and in Informal Work Groups Which Will Culminate in an Interdisciplinary Conference and a Set of American Culture Course Proposals From Participating Montclair State University Faculty.     Expected Outcomes:  the Completed Course Proposals Resulting From the Seminar Series and Conference Will Be the Basis for a New Undergraduate Program in American Cultural Studies at Montclair State University.  Intended Beneficiaries:  Students at Montclair State University Will Benefit From Access to a New Program in American Cultural Studies Designed to Provide Trenchant Analysis of American History, Society, and Culture.  Subrecipient Activities:  the Recipient Does Not Intend to Subaward Funds. ]