"The public is asking for greater accountability in education, from kindergarten through college," said Hamilton Acting President Thomas J. Schwarz. "We welcome the opportunity this grant provides to assess the impact of a Hamilton education, especially as it relates to our new curriculum."
In announcing the grant, Schwarz said Wertimer Professor of Sociology Daniel Chambliss had been named to coordinate the project. Other members of the Hamilton faculty who have been appointed to the Mellon Assessment Working Group include Sally Cockburn (mathematics), Gene Domack (geology), Todd Franklin (philosophy), Kevin Grant (history), Stuart Hirshfield (computer science), Rob Kolb (music) and Edith Toegel (German).
In addition to providing support for Chambliss and the working group, the grant will fund surveys, data analyses, and workshops and meetings with experts in curricular assessment.
The Mellon grant represents one of three competitive grants Hamilton has received from prestigious national foundations in the past several months. In July Hamilton announced receipt of a grant from the Luce Foundation to establish a new tenure-track position in Asian Studies, and in August the Hewlett Foundation provided funds to establish a Program in Public Discourse.
