Program Staff and Senior Advisors

Philip E. Lewis, Vice President
Carlotta M. Arthur, Program Officer
Eugene M. Tobin, Program Officer
Sharon Blackwell, Administrative Assistant
Susan I. Dady, Program Associate
Johanna R. Fausto, Program Associate
Kali Weeks, Program Assistant
Historically Black Colleges and Universities Program
Appalachian Colleges
Susan Perry, Senior Advisor

Overview

Upon invitation, the Foundation’s Liberal Arts Colleges Program provides multi-year grants to liberal arts colleges across the country. Approximately 67 liberal arts colleges receive direct support through this program, and over 125 institutions receive indirect support through consortia and various associations.

In general, grants awarded in this program are aimed at providing additional research and professional opportunities for faculty members (Faculty Career Enhancement), strengthening liberal arts college (Libraries), and assisting colleges as they refresh their curricular offerings (Curricular Development and Educational Effectiveness). In addition, Foundation staff work with liberal arts college presidents to devise grant support that addresses institutional and/or strategic planning goals (Presidential Support).

In recent years, the Liberal Arts Colleges Program has developed two initiatives to meet the needs of institutions of higher education:

• The National Institute for Technology and Liberal Education (www.nitle.org) is a non-profit organization that provides opportunities for faculty members in liberal arts contexts to incorporate emerging technologies in their teaching in innovative, effective, and sustainable ways.

• The Emeriti Consortium for Retirement Health Solutions (www.emeritihealth.org) enables member institutions to offer their employees a tax-advantaged way to accumulate assets during the working years to help pay medical costs in retirement.

Current Programs

Grants awarded in the Liberal Arts Colleges Program can be grouped into four main initiatives:

• Faculty Career Enhancement:
  The Faculty Career Enhancement initiative supports the professional needs of faculty members across the distinct stages of a professorial career. Institutions are invited to participate, either working individually or in groups, to design and launch their specific programs.

• Libraries:
  The aim of the Libraries initiative is to reaffirm the centrality of the library’s role in a rapidly changing technological environment. The program: (1) supports new intra- and inter-institutional collaborative and cost-saving efforts; and (2) assists faculty members, librarians, and information technology (IT) staff to make effective use of electronic resources for teaching and research.

• Curricular Development and Educational Effectiveness:
  This initiative enables institutions to: (1) address ongoing curricular needs; (2) promote new academic and research programs; (3) foster student and faculty research partnerships; and (4) support curricular continuity by ensuring some overlap of new and retiring faculty members.

• Presidential Support:
  Support for presidents’ initiatives aimed at strengthening their institutions, and realizing academic enrichment and cost efficiencies through collaboration and cooperative ventures.

From time to time, Foundation staff meet with academic leaders to share ideas about the latest developments affecting liberal arts colleges.

Program Contact Information

Please direct grant and reporting inquiries to:

Susan I. Dady
Program Associate