Whittier College

Whittier College seeks support for the establishment of two Centers: for Science, Health and Policy; and for Interdisciplinary Collaborations with the Arts. These Centers will maximize student learning by advancing the College’s deep commitment to interdisciplinary curricula, collaborative teaching, undergraduate research and internships, and the integration of student learning experiences within local, national and international communities. A centerpiece of the project will be the Keck Undergraduate Fellows Program which will give financial and mentoring support to 21 of the College’s best students, providing funds for internships and research assistantships in the summer following their junior year and for continuing scholarly activity during their senior year. Requested funds also will support the development of eight new interdisciplinary courses tied to the two Centers; travel to external communities; visits from field leaders to campus; interdisciplinary symposiums; and course release time for the Centers’ faculty Directors as they lead faculty in the execution of new Center activities. The primary goal, building upon Whittier’s curricular strengths, is to establish the Centers as interdisciplinary and community-oriented focal points of intellectual activity and high student achievement on campus.