Sep 15, 2009 - Claremont, Calif. - A $419,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, a leading philanthropic foundation that supports higher education in the United States, will support the reform of Harvey Mudd College’s core curriculum. The core consists of foundational courses in each of HMC’s academic departments, designed to provide essential knowledge for upper division courses and to expose students to various disciplines.

The funds will allow the college to proceed with implementation of the new curriculum which includes, among other factors, a new writing course, staffed by faculty from all disciplines, new sophomore level labs that build upon the foundation of the broad core curriculum, and the opportunity for elective courses in the first-year that allow students to explore new interests. Past gifts from the foundation have focused on faculty development or support for academic programs developed in collaboration with other institutions. Twenty-five to 30 new courses will be developed over the next three years, and a modest number of adjunct faculty will be hired to help support the expansion of the curriculum.

According to Robert Cave, vice president, dean of faculty and professor of chemistry, “It’s a dramatic gift. In my 2.5 years as dean, I can’t think of any other funds that have so helped shape positive outcomes in the Harvey Mudd curriculum more than the Mellon Foundation. Without them, I don’t know how we would be able to launch the curriculum.”

The gift is a testament to the Mellon Foundation’s commitment to enriching the educational experience of future mathematicians, scientists and engineers.