Princeton University’s Program for Community College Engagement, the Princeton Humanities Initiative, the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, and the New Jersey Council of County Colleges are hosting the first of several planned convenings at Princeton University starting this spring to discover, celebrate, and support the innovative work being done in the humanities at New Jersey community colleges. Select humanities faculty from all 18 community colleges in New Jersey will visit campus to discuss humanities initiatives at their colleges and then engage with Princeton’s academic and cultural resources for inspiration to bolster or reimagine initiatives on their campuses. 

The theme of the convening is “Where are the Humanities?,” and community college faculty and administrators will first discuss where the humanities are thriving on their campuses and in their communities. They will then participate in a series of hands-on workshops in various Princeton facilities to imagine how collaborations between Princeton University and New Jersey community colleges might support and enliven humanities education across the state. These experiential sessions include a workshop in Special Collections at the Firestone Library; an architecture walking tour of campus; a “sandbox session” in a digital humanities makerspace; and a tour of the exhibit “Being at Home in Princeton,” a multi-disciplinary example of community-engaged scholarship. 

The day will start with a keynote address by Roberto Lugo, a world-renowned ceramicist who began his own education at a community college. Conference attendees will be invited to view his current exhibit “Orange and Black,” which is currently on view at Bainbridge House and is free and open to the public.

This convening will be the first of several planned events that invite community college faculty to Princeton’s campus to consider opportunities and challenges for humanities in higher education, to celebrate the humanities’ vital function in our classrooms and in society, and to revitalize the role of the humanities in New Jersey and beyond. 

Date: Friday, April 11, 2025
Time: 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Location: Princeton University