The mission of the Teagle Foundation and the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, in the context of the Transfer Pathways to the Liberal Arts initiative, is to support and enhance the accessibility of liberal arts education. They aim to bring the lifelong benefits of a liberal arts education to students historically excluded from higher education, including low-income, first-generation, students of color, and immigrant students, viewing community colleges as essential gateways.
The grant program sponsored by the Teagle Foundation and the NEH is focused on reinvigorating the role of humanities in general education. It aims to expose a wide array of students to the power of the humanities, helping them to build a sense of belonging and community, strengthen the general education's coherence, and increase teaching opportunities for humanities faculty. The initiative is dedicated to the idea that transformative texts have a democratizing function, providing students with analytical tools and historical awareness. It seeks to create a common intellectual experience fostering community through engaging with enduring human questions. Proposals for the grant are expected to demonstrate a faculty-led initiative, integrate transformative texts into the curriculum, outline coherent pathways through general education, benefit a significant portion of the student body, ensure program sustainability beyond the grant period, include clear goals and assessment methods, and plan for the dissemination of knowledge gained. Implementation grants up to $350,000 will support institutions in enacting comprehensive curriculum development or redesign efforts, including stipends for faculty, outreach, and student recruitment activities. Limited support is also available for fellowships focusing on teaching in the humanities.