The College of Humanities at the University of Arizona has achieved steady growth and attracted a diverse student population by investing in inclusive recruitment strategies and innovative curricula, according to a new report.
The National Humanities Alliance report, “Expanding Access to Undergraduate Humanities Education: Models and Strategies,” released in June, features 15 case studies that relate how faculty and administrators built initiatives that have succeeded in overcoming the barriers and expanding access to humanities programs, especially among underrepresented student populations.
“In a decade when many humanities divisions have experienced decline, the College of Humanities (COH) at the University of Arizona has grown at an impressive rate,” the report found, growing from 1,089 majors in 2010 to 1,972 majors in 2021, an increase of 81 percent compared to an overall increase in the student body of 15 percent.
Overall, the report lauded the college’s broader strategic vision that led the college to make such substantial investments in curricular innovation and marketing and to build recruitment into its management structure, which has helped it to attract a large number of students from historically underrepresented groups.
The report quoted COH Associate Dean of Research & Program Innovation Ken McAllister about initiatives to promote innovation, outreach and inclusion:
“From the creation of exciting new degrees and research centers to taking out billboards on major highways promoting the idea that ‘Humanities = Jobs,’ we all work constantly not only to grow the number of humanities majors, but also to ensure that the diversity of our college—its faculty, students, and program offerings—continues to expand,” he said.