On March 9th, students and faculty from Norwich University traveled to Washington, D.C., for the three-day National Humanities Alliance (NHA) Annual Meeting and Advocacy Day, making their case for the importance of the humanities in higher education.
“From our perspective, it means we have a voice in these important conversations,” said Makayla Torrey, 20, a junior interdisciplinary engineering major from Windsor, Massachusetts. “By having these conversations on Capitol Hill and with other universities, it means that we are committed to advancing our initiative on campus.”
The conference highlighted the challenges facing the humanities, from declining enrollment to the struggle to secure funding. Panel discussions focused on ways to integrate humanities education with STEM and professional fields to make the discipline more accessible and applicable to a broader audience.
One major takeaway was the recognition that humanities advocacy transcends political divides. “Advocating for the humanities is not a partisan endeavor: it is nonpartisan but nonetheless committed and engaged,” said Dr. Timmothy Parker, associate professor of architectural history at Norwich.
Norwich students engaged directly with policymakers and higher education leaders, sharing their experiences and insights. “The most impactful discussion for me was during a conference meeting where I was able to say to a group of higher education department chairs that being supportive of those students who want to find ways to integrate the humanities into their major was very impactful for me,” Torrey said.
Owen Clapp, 26, a junior international studies and Spanish double major from Raleigh, North Carolina, emphasized the importance of building connections between institutions. “Some big takeaways I got from the conference were that we need to connect with others who are actively trying to build up their humanities programs at various universities on a regular basis in order to compare best practices and really grow humanities programs, and we need to do it as soon as possible.”
For faculty, the event underscored the necessity of interdisciplinary education and curriculum reform. “One thing that stood out as a takeaway for me was the value of interdisciplinary curriculum on the student experience,” said Dr. Woodbury Tease, professor of English at Norwich. “Designing courses that integrate the humanities with professional fields – such as Spanish for Law Enforcement, Chinese for Intelligence and Cybersecurity, and Narrative Medicine (all courses that we offer at Norwich!) – demonstrates the value that storytelling, communication, writing, and critical and creative thinking have in the real world.”
“My biggest takeaway from the conference is just how serious the situation is for the humanities and even higher education at large,” said Quinn Illi, 20, psychology major from Crystal Falls, Michigan. “It was amazing to see such a group of individuals come together in support of them though, and to say I was a part of it fills me with a great amount of pride.”
The visit to Capitol Hill was an opportunity to highlight the role of the humanities in shaping civic and cultural awareness, especially at an institution like Norwich, where STEM and military traditions dominate. “STEM education is obviously important, but the civic culture STEM fields would serve is equally deserving of study and nourishment,” Parker said. “The humanities are simply not as well represented at Norwich as are STEM fields.”
Students left the conference with a renewed sense of purpose and commitment to advocating for humanities education at Norwich. “It means that we are committed to advancing our initiative on campus, and by having students be able to share their experience within the conference, it makes the conversation all the more real and personal,” Torrey said.
Looking forward, Norwich participants plan to bring what they learned back to campus, strengthening interdisciplinary initiatives and exploring new ways to engage students. “I think we were all inspired in our individual projects, and we gained new insights on other projects we could implement at Norwich after hearing from the speakers at the event,” Clapp said.
For Woodbury Tease, one of the most striking aspects of the conference was the attention Norwich’s delegation received from lawmakers. “Having participated in Advocacy Day since 2018, I was surprised by how much time our Congressional representatives spent with our group this year. In every office, we were welcomed by staffers who spent at least 20 minutes with us,” Woodbury Tease said. “They asked how they could support our work and listened as we shared our stories.”
For Norwich students and faculty alike, the conference was not only an opportunity to advocate for the humanities but also a moment to reflect on the importance of their work. “Watching our students share their success stories with Congressional representatives has been the highlight of this experience,” Woodbury Tease said. “They are creative thinkers and future leaders, and they bring energy into the room that gets staffers engaged and asking questions.”
As humanities programs face ongoing challenges, Norwich’s delegation returned from Washington determined to ensure that the humanities remain a vital part of higher education.
