Strengthening Global Humanities at Virginia's Community Colleges: An NEH Bridging Cultures at Community Colleges Project

FAIN: ME-50023-13

University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA 22903-4833)
Rachel Stauffer (Project Director: August 2012 to April 2014)
Leonard J. Schoppa (Project Director: April 2014 to September 2015)

A cooperative agreement for a two-year faculty and curriculum development project on the religions and cultures of Asia, the Middle East, and Russia for thirty-six faculty and academic administrators from five Virginia community colleges.

A cooperative agreement for a two-year faculty and curriculum development project on the religions and cultures of Asia, the Middle East, and Russia for thirty-six faculty and academic administrators from five Virginia community colleges. In partnership with Blue Ridge Community College, the University of Virginia's Asia Institute received support for a project to help community colleges incorporate new content on Asia, the Middle East, and Russia in their curricula. In the first year, participants recruited from Southwest Virginia Community College, Piedmont Virginia Community College, J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, Blue Ridge Community College, and Virginia Western Community College focus on the ancient heritages of Japan, China, India, the Middle East, and Russia, with emphasis on literature, arts, and religion. In the second year, they study the modern societies that have developed in those regions through literature and film, with attention paid to their interactions with the West. A symposium each year introduces participants to the topics through common readings, discussion, and lectures from scholarly experts. In addition, participants choose a geographic or thematic area on which to focus, tailored to the specific needs of their institutions. Between symposia, participants work with each other and with the scholars using discussion forums, video conferencing, and site visits as they develop and implement new curricular materials. The Asia Institute draws on the expertise of project director Rachel Stauffer, as well as University of Virginia faculty members Daniel Ehnbohm, Paul Groner, Gustav Heldt, Haruko Yuda, Karen Lang, Robert Hueckstedt, Richard Cohen, Ahmad Obiedat, Edith Clowes, John Nemec, Michiko Wilson, Allison Alexey, Charles Laughlin, Mehr Farooqi, and Farzaneh Milani, Reginald Jackson (University of Chicago), and Matthew Marshall (Hollins University). Readings include such classic texts as The Dream of the Red Chamber, Doctor Zhivago, and The Tale of Genji, as well as secondary works by scholars including Jonathan Spence, Diana Eck, Leila Ahmed, and several of the presenting scholars. Participants also view and discuss several documentaries and feature films, including Mr. and Mrs. Iyer, Monsoon Wedding, Rashomon, Battleship Potemkin, and The Vanished Empire.