Manhattanville University in Purchase, New York, has been awarded a $60,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) for “Reinvigorating the Humanities: Developing and Piloting Curriculum for the Interdisciplinary Studies Initiative.”
The project will develop and pilot a curriculum across disciplines that emphasize the value of the humanities, including English, history, philosophy, art history, legal studies and global studies in preparing students for an ever-evolving global society and increasingly challenging work landscape. This work is part of Manhattanville University’s larger Interdisciplinary Studies Initiative (ISI) that aims to reimagine how the humanities are taught through academic programs that share a core of three courses focused on important skills for the workplace, including data and information literacy, storytelling, problem solving, and ethical decision making. The initial two majors, Social and Criminal Justice and Global Justice and Human Rights are currently active and enrolling students. Future ISI majors include Health Advocacy and Justice, Environmental Justice, and Media Arts.
“Manhattanville University has a long history of curricular innovation in the humanities,” said President Frank D. Sánchez, Ph.D., of Manhattanville. “This kind of forward-thinking program development and delivery is exactly what will bring new life to the liberal arts for the next generation learner, merging the passions of students with the needs of tomorrow’s workforce. This grant will further our mission to educate ethical and socially responsible leaders in a global community.”
The project will culminate with Manhattanville hosting a conference in spring 2026 that will bring together Manhattanville faculty, staff, and students with attendees and speakers from other institutions to share the successes and challenges involved in building a robust interdisciplinary curriculum.
The award is one of 22 awards given as part of the NEH’s Spotlight on Humanities in Higher Education program.
Manhattanville University (formerly Manhattanville College) is a private liberal arts institution dedicated to academic excellence, purposeful education, and social responsibility. For three years in a row, “U.S. News and World Report” has ranked Manhattanville the number-one private, nonprofit institution in New York among Top Performers of Social Mobility in Regional Universities North.
