ACLS has a long history of convening scholars, administrators, learned society directors, leaders of national and international academies, and public figures to share ideas and solve problems. As outlined in our Strategic Priorities, ACLS seeks action on major challenges facing humanistic studies and continues to expand our capacity to serve as a key resource for societies, scholars, and administrators, with a focus on students and scholars who have not historically had a seat at the table in discussions about institutional change.
Situated in the middle of the flows of ideas and people across the higher education landscape, ACLS works to advance what we call the “new academy”—where a vibrantly curious, diverse professoriate can pursue scholarly inquiry with creativity and a sense of wonder; where collaboration and mentorship are valued; and where faculty are rewarded for their efforts to connect with an emerging generation burdened by financial worries and the pandemic. Through higher education initiatives designed to accelerate institutional change by improving practices and processes that were designed in and for a different age, we hope to encourage creativity and experimentation, recognize the full range of scholars’ work, and recruit and retain a more diverse community of scholars.
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Explore ACLS initiatives designed to accelerate changes in higher education that will benefit us all in the present and the future.
ACLS department focused on re-envisioning academia’s culture, policies, and practices
Leading practitioners share recommendations to improve support, access, and sustainability of digital humanities projects related to social and racial justice
A community for sharing and uplifting the work of creating more just, humane, and innovative colleges and universities
Fostering humanistic scholarship of the highest quality means expanding the topics, methods, and forms of writing we humanists value as scholars; increasing the number and types of people we reach; and supporting those most in need. We are especially concerned about PhDs lacking full-time employment; students and faculty at resource-constrained institutions; and scholars of color and first generation scholars, still too few in every discipline.
ACLS Strategic Priorities: 2020-2024
Related News & Events
In fall 2023,ACLS presented “What Counts: MacArthur Fellows Reflect on Academic Reward Structures,” a public panel series examining promotion and tenure structures for humanities and interpretive social sciences faculty in higher education today.
Jovonne J. Bickerstaff introduces the new Intentional Design for an Equitable Academy unit.
News Article
October 11, 2023
A virtual discussion featuring Luce Design Workshop participants who developed practical solutions to the challenges we face, from declining undergraduate enrollments to faculty diversification
Watch members of the Commission on Fostering and Sustaining Diverse Digital Scholarship present at the Coalition for Networked Information’s spring 2023 closing plenary.
News Article
April 10, 2023
New LINA pilot program brings promising faculty leaders together to forge career paths in higher education administration to strengthen the humanities and drive forward-looking change
News Article
January 12, 2023
In a new video conversation, Jovonne Bickerstaff discusses the Intention Foundry, a collaborative project convening learned society directors, emerging scholars, and university administrators.
News Article
July 13, 2021
