News

Press Release

New York, NY (January 10, 2007) - The Teagle Foundation today announced over $1 million in grants to fund innovative projects at eight higher education associations and universities. Six grants will extend the Foundation's Fresh Thinking initiative, providing support for projects that seek to strengthen liberal education by developing more systematic relationships between the goals of undergraduate concentrations in several disciplines and those of liberal education. Two additional grants will extend the Foundation's Outcomes and Assessment initiative, funding new research on the development of instruments for assessing student learning in the liberal arts.

"It is time to rethink the relationship between undergraduate majors in the liberal arts and sciences and the habits of thought and mind widely recognized as goals of a liberal education," said W. Robert Connor , president of The Teagle Foundation. "These Fresh Thinking grants will generate ways for faculty to better align students' concentrations with the goals of a liberal education, thus invigorating student learning and better preparing students to graduate with the skills to excel in their field and in life. Our Outcomes and Assessment grants will help faculty and institutions get out ahead of current demands for accountability in higher education by supporting the development of assessment instruments specifically designed to address liberal learning goals."

American Academy of Religion -- $75,000
"The Religion Major and Liberal Education"

American Economics Association -- $74,500
"The Purpose and Practice of Economic Education as Related to Liberal Education Goals"

American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology -- $75,000
"Evaluation of the Biochemistry / Molecular Biology major as defined by the American society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology"

Center for Hellenic Studies -- $74,912
"Classics and Undergraduate Liberal Education"

Modern Language Association -- $74,505
"Language, Literature, and Liberal Education"

National History Center -- $75,000
"The History Major and the Undergraduate Liberal Education"

Indiana University (Center for Postsecondary Research) -- $97,356
"Assessing Deep Approaches to Learning"

Marywood University -- $68,138
"Expansion of the Mission Perception Inventory (MPI) and Design of the Institutional Mission Engagement Index"

Teagle's Fresh Thinking initiative encourages analysis of issues and implementation of ideas that can help strengthen liberal education. Over the past two years, Teagle has awarded 29 Fresh Thinking grants totaling over $2.4 million. White papers from the first round of Fresh Thinking grants can be found on Teagle's website. The Foundation's Outcomes and Assessment initiative seeks to promote the development and use of faculty-driven value added assessment to improve learning outcomes and teaching methods. Teagle has funded 29 grants as part of its Outcomes and Assessment initiative, which totals over $5.2 million and over the past two years has involved over 100 institutions around the country.

Please visit www.teaglefoundation.org to read detailed descriptions for these projects as well as for more information on the Foundation and all its programs.

About the Teagle Foundation
The Teagle Foundation is committed to providing intellectual and financial leadership in the effort to promote and strengthen liberal education.

Contact information:

Teagle Contact:
Donna Heiland
212-373-1972