Our Mission 

The Humanities Collaborative takes a wide view of humanistic inquiry, including research and conversations that cross disciplines, schools, and the academic / public divide. Our programs include intellectual, creative, and investigative endeavors that span traditional humanities disciplines, the creative and performing arts, the social and natural sciences, as well as questions that arise from schools such as law, business, medicine, and public health. Our programs are part of a new vision of the humanities that includes public outreach and community collaboration with partners across our state, the US, and the world.   

Founded in January, 2021, the Humanities Collaborative sponsors grants, lectures, workshops, seminars, and working groups to bring humanities scholarship to broad and diverse audiences within and beyond inside and outside the University of South Carolina.

What Are the Humanities? 

In the humanities, we study human culture and society. The humanities include academic disciplines ― from anthropology to philosophy, from art to religion ― that explain and enhance the human condition, giving us new ways to look at the world. Many fundamental aspects of everyday life fall under the umbrella of the humanities, including literature, film, television, video games, politics, religion, and social media.  
  
Some people might think the humanities are the opposite of the sciences, but in fact the two share a close relationship. If the sciences teach us new things about the world, the humanities allow us to communicate how that knowledge affects the lives of our fellow humans.  

By exploring the humanities, we can ask and answer compelling questions, such as:   

• How do art and culture influence each other?   
• What can we learn from major religious and political movements that have shaped history?   
• How can we find more meaningful relationships to those physical places that we share? 
• How do our digital lives influence how we see each other or communicate with each other as human beings?  

Leadership 

The Humanities Collaborative is led by Holly Crocker, director, with the assistance of the Steering Committee and the Advisory Committee. 

• Maureen Ryan, Associate Director 
• Mary Elizabeth Smith, Graduate Associate 
• W. Maclane Hull, Graduate Associate
• Jessica Elfenbein, History
• Laura Kissel, SVAD

 

Expand allSteering Committee 

• Jeanne Britton, Library 
• Thaddeus Davis, Theatre and Dance   
• Peter Duffy, Theatre and Dance 
• Tony Jarrells, English  
• David Kneas, SEOE  
• Kathryn Lindeman, Philosophy  
• Maureen Ryan, FAMS  
• Pat Sullivan, History  
• Nancy Tolson, African-American Studies  
• Ashley Williard, LLC 

Advisory Committee 

• Susan Courtney, English
• April Langley, African-American Studies
• Matthew Kisner, Philosophy
• Paul Malovrh, LLC
• Stephanie Milling, Theatre and Dance

Affiliations

The Folger Institute Consortium

The Humanities Collaborative is proud to be a founding member of the Folger Shakespeare Library, which is the largest Shakespeare collection in the world that maintains the mission of preserving and advancing Shakespeare's work and knowledge of early modern culture by making it accessible to all.

Consortium of Humanities Centers and Institutes (CHCI)

CHCI is a collaborative of humanities researchers, scholars, and educators united by the goal of supporting the future of the humanities by fostering global interdisciplinary collaboration.

National Humanities Alliance

The National Humanities Alliance (NHA) is a nationwide coalition advocating for the humanities on campuses, in communities, and on Capitol Hill through grants, advocacy, and education.