University of Vermont Humanities Center

Start your summer write!

Join us a writing retreat! May 19-21.

Our writing retreat will offer faculty write, break room(s), the opportunity to talk with colleagues about works-in-progress, walk-and-talk sessions outside, and lunches together. Space is limited and reserved for faculty at all ranks in the humanities, arts, and social sciences.

Confirm your spot! (Link in comments.)

Alison Bechdel is coming to UVM! Alison Bechdel’s work includes the pioneering comic strip D***s to Watch Out For (1983-2008), and the graphic memoirs Fun Home, Are You My Mother? and The Secret to Superhuman Strength.

The public talk and Q&A will take place from 5-6:00 PM, followed by a book signing from 6-6:30 at the Davis Center, 401 Silver Maple Room. Phoenix Books will also be there, selling some of Allison’s books. The private (free, but by registration-only) social for UVM English majors will take place before the public event, and English majors can search “Alison Bechdel” in their email for the registration link that should have been sent to them directly. Tickets to the social are going quickly—get yours now!

Reviving the Promise of a Liberal Democracy: A Conversation with Alex Zakaras | College of Arts and Sciences | The University of Vermont Reviving the Promise of a Liberal Democracy: A Conversation with Alex Zakaras Culture & Society Share October 28, 2025 By Edited by Su Reid-St. John As democracy in America faces mounting pressure from rising inequality and populist backlash, it’s clear that, to save it, drastic steps will need to...

UVM CAS is thrilled to announce its first speaker of the year! On Wednesday, October 15th, UVM Associate Professor of Anthropology Teresa Mares will present the first installment in the CAS Scholar-Teacher Series. Her lecture, titled “Biting the Hands that Feed US” will explore the legal, social, and political contexts of labor in the food system. Join us on October 15th!

Turns out studying philosophy is actually valuable. Philosophy majors don’t just argue well, they actually become better thinkers and do better on tests.

Data from 600k students shows they outscore every other major on reasoning, curiosity and open-mindedness.

https://theconversation.com/new-research-suggests-that-studying-philosophy-makes-people-better-thinkers-262681

They’re Killing the Humanities On Purpose The crisis is not one of resources but of values.

“It is a well-kept secret of US higher education that undergraduate students who have earned a degree in the humanities fare quite well on the job market. Indeed, while students, their families, and their academic advisors alike tend to labor under the widespread misconception that humanities majors are ill-prepared for post-college employment—and that they in fact are generally unsuccessful in securing jobs after graduation—the American Academy of Arts and Sciences reports that, at latest count, 96.3 percent of terminal humanities bachelor’s degree holders between the ages of 23 and 32 were fully employed, a share that is on par with that for degree holders in the same age range across all fields. Further, the earnings of terminal bachelor’s degree holders in the humanities are comparable to those of their counterparts in the behavioral/social sciences and the life sciences, while the job satisfaction levels among humanities graduates are in line with those of degree holders in all fields.”

https://www.mellon.org/voices/humanities-graduates-can-find-a-great-job?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR6jQ_cUaL2yyF9tXplMJlJZA3OuNttKu21O_JrV-I6Q2Mapxx6XUYSM_7PyJg_aem_bIKCIIJ52B-xfFRi_5aIAQ

Mellon Foundation The Mellon Foundation makes grants to actively unlock the power in the arts and humanities that helps connect us all.

History in Action: A Conversation with Professor Felicia Kornbluh | College of Arts and Sciences | The University of Vermont show the image caption close caption Photo by Carmen George. History in Action: A Conversation with Professor Felicia Kornbluh Culture & Society Share July 29, 2025 By Su Reid-St. John Throughout her career, Felicia Kornbluh, Ph.D., has shown a knack for illuminating the present through the lens of....