A signature program of HNAC, Liberal Arts Advantage (LAA) enables humanities students to assess their unique strengths and build their capacities for self-advocacy in professional and civic contexts beyond the university.
The LAA program launched in 2017 and had early support from the Mellon Foundation. The program was bolstered through funds from a subsequent Social Sciences Research Council “Humanities Work and Worth” grant. The Liberal Arts Advantage programming is based on the reality that students are well-served by articulating their unique, humanities-based strengths. Students benefit from having a plan for how to talk about their education instead of relying on a degree to communicate their worth to prospective employers and others.
Currently, LAA is a collaborative effort between Career and Professional Development (CPD) and HNAC to deliver interactive workshops in humanities classrooms across the UNCG campus. These curated visits allow a representative from CPD and one from HNAC to work directly with students in classes across these disciplines. Additionally, LAA “Beyond the Classroom” events include curated alumni networking opportunities and workshops that enable students (and faculty) to better leverage shared resources and explore the varied and exciting opportunities that a humanities education can make possible.