The Community College Humanities Association (CCHA) is a formal, non-profit association of faculty members from the nation's

community colleges A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an "open enrollment" for students who have graduated from high school (also known as senior sec ...

. The organization seeks to advocate for the

humanities Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture. In the Renaissance, the term contrasted with divinity and referred to what is now called classics, the main area of secular study in universities at the t ...

in the nation's two year colleges; although, it does also engage in work with four-year institutions, and much of the association's work is done through grants and affiliations with the

National Endowment for the Humanities The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is an independent federal agency of the U.S. government, established by thNational Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965(), dedicated to supporting research, education, preserv ...

History

CCHA was founded in 1979 through the American Association for the Advancement of the Humanities. CCHA held its first conference that year in Summit, New Jersey, culminating in the publication of ''Challenges Before the Humanities in Community Colleges: Review and Proceedings of the Community College Humanities Association'.'' Through the years, CCHA has been at multiple institutions as the association has never been a "stand-alone" association and has always existed and been supported by a community college campus. Most recently, CCHA was housed at

Essex County College Essex County College (ECC) is a public community college in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. History In August 1966, the Essex County Board of Freeholders approved the creation of Essex County College and in September 1968, more than a ...

in Newark, NJ, until the end of 2015. At the beginning of 2016, CCHA moved to the

Community College of Baltimore County The Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) is a public community college in Baltimore County, Maryland, with three main campuses and three extension centers. Academics CCBC has more than 100 associate degree and certificate programs in ...

(CCBC) and it is currently housed on the Essex campus. The Community College Humanities Association is also a member of the

American Association of Community Colleges The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), headquartered in the National Center for Higher Education building in Washington, D.C., is the primary advocacy organization for community colleges at the national level and works closely wit ...

(AACC) Affiliated Council.

Governance

CCHA is governed by a board of directors composed of community college presidents and five elected regional presidents. The current chairman of the board is David A. Berry, Professor of Humanities at

, who won the

National Humanities Medal The National Humanities Medal is an American award that annually recognizes several individuals, groups, or institutions for work that has "deepened the nation's understanding of the humanities, broadened our citizens' engagement with the human ...

in 1997 for his services to the humanities. In addition, the regular day-to-day work of the organization is overseen by the National Director, Andrew Rusnak, Jr, who is an associate professor of English at the

Organization and conferences

The association is broken into five regional divisions. These divisions are the Central, Eastern, Pacific-Western, Southern, and Southwestern. Every other year, each of the divisions holds an annual conference within their geographical division. Additionally, national conferences are held in the years between the regional conferences. All conferences tend to be held near the end of October or beginning of November.

Publications

The organization has two publications. The primary and flagship publication is the ''Community College Humanities Review'', a peer-reviewed journal published bi-annually. The second is the ''Humanist'' newsletter, sent out at regular intervals during the academic year. CCHA also publishes shorter pieces to the blog ''Discourse'', which is maintained on their website.

Awards and prizes

Each year, CCHA holds a Literary Magazine Competition, through which the magazines of different institutions compete in multiple categories such as "best artwork" and "best poem." Submissions are generally due near the end of May, and winners are announced in August and recognized at the conference(s).

Workshops, grant projects, and summer institutes

CCHA has a long-standing relationship with the

, and this relationship has led to the creation and implementation of many workshops and summer institutes for humanities faculty. Examples of recent programs are listed below.

2016

On Native Grounds: Studies of Native American Histories and the Land (cont.)

2015

Transcendentalism and Reform in the Age of Emerson, Thoreau, and Fuller Slavery in the American Republic: From Constitution to Civil War On Native Grounds: Studies of Native American Histories and the Land Funding was also given to the 2015 documentary film ''

Poetry of Witness ''Poetry of Witness'' is a 2015 documentary film directed by Billy Tooma and Anthony Cirilo about the lives of six contemporary poets who have lived through, and survived, extremities such as war, torture, exile, and repression, using poetry to pre ...

2014

Pictorial Histories and Myth-Histories: "Graphic Novels" of the Mixtecs and Aztecs

2013

India's Past And The Making Of The Present

2012

The Legacy of Ancient Italy: The Etruscan and Early Roman City Advancing the Humanities at Community Colleges: An NEH Bridging Cultures Project Mesoamerica and the Southwest: A New History for an Ancient Land Georgia O'Keeffe: Santa Fe, Abiquiu, and the New Mexico Landscape

References

{{authority control Community colleges in the United States Educational organizations based in the United States Non-profit organizations based in Maryland Organizations based in Baltimore Organizations established in 1979