March 26, 2026

In her provocative 2022 article, “The Public Futures of the Humanities,” Judith Butler argues, “The case for the humanities can only be made if we start with the love for the humanities that exists outside the university, in the various publics who depend on art and literature to live and flourish, and then rebuild our institutions to respond to that love, that life call, to foster a critical imagination that helps us rethink the settled version of reality” (52). 

Our Core Curriculum Fellows cohort will include science, social science, and humanities faculty.  Humanities faculty will consider how people rely on art, literature, and humanistic endeavors to survive and flourish, and how we might orient our Core classes around these already-established public impulses.

Science and social science faculty will similarly consider how the work of their classes might flow from and contribute to an understanding of human flourishing.  Full-time, permanent Baylor instructors are eligible.  UPDs, Chairs, or any other faculty members or administrators may nominate colleagues by April 14.  Chairs and UPDs are also eligible to be nominated.  Nomination letters can be sent to Ginger_Hanchey@baylor.edu (cc’ing Grace_Hanlon1@baylor.edu) and should highlight the nominee’s excellence in teaching Core classes and capacity for collaborative work.  Selections will be made by Associate Deans in the Dean’s Office for Undergraduate Studies and by the Director of the Core.

Program Information

Who: Up to ten faculty members representing Common Core classes and various Distribution Lists across sciences, humanities, and social sciences, partnering with Baylor’s Institute for Global Human Flourishing.

When: May 18-21, 2026 with visits to other classes in fall or spring semesters. 

Task:  Consider how the work of Core classes might flow from an understanding of human flourishing. Cohort work will result in:

• Materials for sharing with prospective students and families
• Materials for sharing with other faculty members and current Baylor students (ex: handouts, web resources, SET)
• New interdisciplinary lesson plans for Common Core and Distribution List classes and/or new syllabus design
• Greater sense of purpose and responsibility for Core curriculum among faculty
• Reports at end of May and next academic year
• Honor for faculty members selected

Award: $1,000 per faculty member

Selection process: UPDs, Chairs, or any other faculty members or administrators may nominate colleagues by April 14.  Chairs and UPDs are also eligible to be nominated.  Nomination letters can be sent to Ginger_Hanchey@baylor.edu (cc’ing Grace_Hanlon1@baylor.edu) and should highlight nominee’s excellence in teaching Core classes and capacity for collaborative work.  Selections will be made by Associate Deans in Dean’s Office for Undergraduate Studies and by the Director of the Core.