Dr. Honora Chapman, dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, is passionate about the value of a humanities degree.
“Humanities students are incredibly important in all parts of our economy, because humanists are trained to read and think critically, write cogently and communicate orally in ways that inspire people to do their best work.”
Chapman says the current prevailing narrative about humanists needs to be more comprehensive and focus on long-term success.
“Perhaps your first job will pay poorly. Perhaps it will be less than your friend, the engineer or the business major, earns. That often happens. But humanists have so much intellectual ability that they can move ahead in their careers and take it to the next level,” said Chapman. “Humanists are visionaries, essentially. They’re the ones who understand the past, analyze the present and imagine a better future in whatever sector of the economy they’re in. They are the leaders.”
In April, the Mellon Foundation and Fresno State announced a $5 million grant to establish paid internship programs for humanities majors.
Chapman said, “It is the single largest gift to the College of Arts and Humanities in Fresno State history. No one has given us $5 million, and that is something to celebrate in and of itself. And it could not have happened without the expertise of the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, especially Gayle Sherwood.”
The Mellon Foundation informed Fresno State of the grant opportunity in 2023, and the discussions began over the summer.
“This was truly a labor of love and team effort on behalf of the team,” said Gayle Sherwood, grants and research administrator.
Sherwood works in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs in the Division of Research and Graduate Studies. Her office provides professional assistance to faculty and staff to acquire funding for research and contract-based activities through grant applications.
“Gayle Sherwood and I were in constant contact from early August all the way through until the submission in October. She read drafts of that proposal. She assiduously worked on the budget,” said Chapman.
The humanities internship program will begin to roll out across the College of Arts and Humanities in fall 2024 under the coordination of Professor Betsy Hays. Recently, Hays became the internship coordinator in the Career Development Center and has been working with faculty across campus to improve students’ career readiness.
“We really want to provide internships to humanities students for as long as possible, and this design fits the bill,” said Sherwood. “Nora also worked with Fresno State Foundation to ensure allowability with regard to creating sustainable funding from the grant.”
The initial Mellon Foundation funding will support the initiative for 20 years, and plans are in place to continue the program further into the future.
“This is for the long run. We will make sure that over time, there is fundraising that sets aside more money in a foundation account for paid internships because they are so valuable,” Chapman said.
With the funding, Fresno State’s College of Arts and Humanities will design, implement and scale an internship program for its humanities majors that allows them to put theories learned during coursework into practice. By creating a new internship course, Fresno State will embed career preparation into the curriculum and transform student perspectives around the study of the humanities.
“For me personally, as an alum of CAH, it feels amazing to have played a tiny part in the success of this project,” said Sherwood. “Three members of our office are CAH alumni and really love this application because we know how much having work experience would’ve made a difference post-graduation.”
With this program, as humanities students go out and establish their careers, they will already have the experience of using their training on the job.
“Paid internships allow you to get the first job because you’ve essentially had a job. And that’s what our students need on a well-constructed résumé, and now résumé building will be part of the program,” said Chapman. “So this is a win-win. Everyone learns, and everybody benefits.”
The Mellon Foundation, established in 1969, is the nation’s largest supporter of the arts and humanities. It is awarding $25 million to five institutions: Fresno State, City College of New York, Old Dominion University, University of Missouri at Kansas City and University of North Carolina Greensboro.
The College of Arts and Humanities at Fresno State 