SEMO faculty member selected for NEH Institute on Higher Education

Southeast Missouri State University assistant professor of Leadership, Middle and Secondary Education Brooke Clubbs was recently selected to participate in a four-week program with the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Institute on the history of higher education in the United States.

According to a news release from the university, the institute will aim to “enhance understanding and teaching methodologies within the field of higher education administration.” Clubbs was one of 25 participants selected out of 133 applicants.

During the institute, she participated in intensive coursework and discussions on multiple aspects of higher education history. Participants worked to develop teaching activities while utilizing primary sources that culminated in a “comprehensive understanding of integrating historical narratives into higher education curriculum,” the release said.

"The institute broadened my perspective on the history of higher education and equipped me with valuable resources and connections," Clubbs said in the release. "I am eager to integrate these insights into our Higher Education Administration program to foster a deeper understanding of institutional history and its relevance today."

Clubbs plans to utilize new teaching activities inspired by the institute in her classroom, including a project where students will collaborate with Kent Library archivists to explore the university’s institutional changes and community impact over time.

"It’s important for the students who are in our master’s program, to become student affairs professionals, to understand the environments in which organizational changes take place, rather than consider them just dates on a timeline," Clubbs said. "This approach will allow students to connect theoretical concepts with real-world examples from our University's history."