Macalester receives $800,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

St. Paul, Minn. – Macalester College has received an $800,000, three-year grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for programming in support of the college’s vision of internationalism and multiculturalism as unified values along with Macalester’s strong civic engagement program.

The Institute for Global Citizenship (IGC), which was conceived in 2004 to exemplify Macalester’s commitment to academic excellence, internationalism, multiculturalism, and service to society, will administer the grant. Donna K. Maeda, former professor in the Critical Theory & Social Justice Department at Occidental College, begins her new position as Dean of the Institute for Global Citizenship on June 30, 2017.

“I look forward to joining Macalester College and the staff of the Institute for Global Citizenship during a significant time of institutional reflection on difference and diversity,” said Maeda. “With this award from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, we will engage in important discussions on multiculturalism, its interconnectedness to internationalism, and the deep and continuous deliberation that we must foster in both our students and our campus as a whole.”

The grant will run from September 1, 2017 through August 31, 2020.

The programming supported by the award will allow the college’s community to engage specifically with multiculturalism and internationalism, while also encompassing the whole of Macalester’s mission. Faculty will have opportunities to increase reflection of these values in their courses, through activities supporting collaborative teaching and individual course development, as well as by working alongside students as they pursue research related to diversity. Faculty development programming will allow groups of faculty to immerse themselves in national or international contexts to better understand navigating difference. Faculty and staff will have the opportunity to develop capacity, such as learning facilitation skills, to support greater inclusion on campus. Finally, the IGC will offer a seminar series to showcase the multiple perspectives of invited scholars and members of the college’s community. Overall, the college anticipates the programming will further enhance the preparation of its students for the increasing complexities they will face as global citizens.

“I am very pleased that the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is supporting our efforts to more tightly integrate multiculturalism and internationalism, along with civic engagement at Macalester,” said Karine S. Moe, Provost and Dean of the Faculty. “In addition to ongoing activities to better foster a culture of inclusivity, the award will enable programming, led by the Institute for Global Citizenship, that will ensure far-reaching and sustainable results.”