MLA Pathways
Overview
Made possible by a generous grant from the Mellon Foundation, the Modern Language Association's new initiative, MLA Pathways: Recruitment, Retention, and Career Readiness, will equip humanities departments and programs with the tools, networks, knowledge, and resources to help students find success throughout their education and after graduation. MLA Pathways promotes recruitment and retention of students in the humanities, especially students of color, first-generation college students, and Pell Grant recipients.
The Pathways initiative will include a tool kit to support equitable departmental practices, a regranting program, and backing for the MLA’s Institutes on Reading and Writing Pedagogy.
In conjunction with the recent award announcement, Paula Krebs, the executive director of the MLA, shares in a brief video models of humanities programs that are thriving by making changes to meet the needs of all our students. Hear about what’s working and how you can submit your success stories for our forthcoming Pathways Initiative Tool Kit.
Pathways Step Grants
As part of the Pathways initiative, the MLA is offering Step grants of up to $10,000 for a twelve-month period. These grants can support individual faculty members or small, local teams developing ways to improve recruitment, retention, or career readiness of undergraduate students in literature, language, writing, culture, area studies, and related disciplines.
Eligibility requirements, submission guidelines, and the application form are now available on the new Pathways Step Grants web page. The application window for the 2023 cycle closes on 10 October 2023.
The MLA Institutes on Reading and Writing Pedagogy at Access-Oriented Institutions
The MLA Institutes on Reading and Writing Pedagogy are a series of regional summer institutes designed to strengthen the teaching of reading and writing together at access-oriented institutions (AOIs)—community colleges and other colleges that prioritize access over selectivity in admissions. Now in their fifth year, thanks to funding from the Pathways initiative, these teaching institutes have provided more than 200 graduate students and faculty members with an overview of the needs and circumstances of students at AOIs as well as the pedagogical foundations behind reading- and writing-to-learn practices. Learn more about the Institutes on the MLA website.
ADE-ALD Summer Seminar and MAPS Leadership Institute
In summer 2024, join us for our signature professional development offerings for new, experienced, and aspiring department chairs and program leaders in languages and literatures: the ADE-ALD Summer Seminar and MAPS Leadership Institute. As part of MLA Pathways, the MLA is excited to offer stipends awarded by lottery to attend the virtual MAPS Leadership Institute, which offers plenary sessions, workshops, and discussion groups. Information about the summer seminar and leadership institute themes, as well as the summer seminar location, will be updated soon.
The Pathways Initiative Tool Kit
An integral part of MLA Pathways is the creation of a tool kit for departments, institutions, and individuals that will help humanities programs build more equitable practices for humanities students, including students of color, first-generation students, and Pell Grant recipients. Containing successful case studies from institutions nationwide, the tool kit will provide suggestions on ways to create welcoming environments for student retention and growth through both curricular and extracurricular activities; help faculty members identify skills, values, and perspectives gained through language and literature study; and offer other tactics to help individuals and departments, as well as the students they support, succeed. To be notified when the tool kit is live, join our mailing list. To share your success stories with the MLA, please use this form.