Written by Adam Peachey, Staff Reporter.

VSU’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences has received the largest grant in its history, $2.4 million from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation that is set to be spread out over five years. 

The school received $1.1 million of the grant in December and is set to receive the remaining money in 2026. 

The school initially applied for the invitation-only grant in May with a concept note, becoming a finalist and sending their full proposal in August, requesting $2.2 million in grant dollars with a $250,000 endowment fund. 

The proposal was titled “Promoting Social Justice in the Wiregrass through Internships in the Humanities,” and that is exactly what the grant aims to do. 

Through the grant, students will be able to complete paid internships in social-justice related areas and receive $5,000 semester-long scholarships. 

Part of the money would go to a student’s account at the midterm and the bulk would be received at the end of the semester. 

“The grant is fundamentally about how we can improve the community around us,” said Dr. James LaPlant, dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.  

The grant is focused on the areas of racial, economic and educational inequalities, and could potentially be applied to internships related to mental health and environmental issues, as well as helping rural communities. 

Students with the grant will be partnering with nonprofit organizations, local governments, social-service industries, museums, historical societies and similar organizations. 

While the grant only applies to students in humanities majors (including sociology & anthropology) or students pursuing minors in women and gender, Africana, Native American, or similar studies, non-humanities students have an opportunity to utilize the grant, too. 

Through the grant, VSU is creating a Social-Justice certificate, with existing faculty with backgrounds in the subjects developing new curriculum for the course.  

Students pursuing the certificate will also be eligible for the grant. 

Although it is not through the grant, VSU is currently doing a job search for a humanities professor with a background in social-justice issues. 

While the $2.2 million is divided among five years, much of it is allocated towards the fourth and fifth year, with the last two years being able to fund around 75 students in the program. 

Apart from the $2.2 million, the Mellon Foundation has agreed to match up to $250,000 of money raised by VSU to continue the program after the initial five years. 

Until then, the money is being invested, with a reported 4% endowment year per year. 

The school is confident in its ability to fundraise for the endowment, with a capital campaign conveniently coming up, which would raise money for further scholarships and faculty, as well as infrastructure support and upkeep. 

“After I’m dead, the endowment will still be funding social-justice opportunities,” said Dr. LaPlant. 

The money that the school has received so far is already being put to use, with seven “pilot students” testing the waters for the project this semester. 

For students interested, they should consult their academic advisor or department head. 

An evaluation process would start before the internship and from there, the scholarship would be awarded. 

Students will need to log 150 hours at their internship, which is available for the spring, summer, or fall semesters. 

Each year has a set funding however, so if a student does not receive funding for one semester, they are encouraged to try again. 

Overall, the Humanities and Social Sciences College is very happy with the award and aims to encourage more students to join the program out of high school or two-year colleges. 

Receiving the grant is important for humanities, with Dr. LaPlant saying it “Shows you that the humanities are alive and well.” 

Photo by The Spectator.