Explore what it means to be human in UNC Asheville’s nationally recognized humanities program, which examines the human experience by looking at what we’ve achieved in our several thousand years of recorded history, including our diverse values and beliefs, and how these concerns and passions influence our time.
Why Minor in Humanities at UNC Asheville?
Compatible With All Majors
Whether you’re majoring in a social science or exploring other subjects, the humanities minor is open to everyone. The program draws together subject matter from multiple disciplines including history, literature, philosophy, religion, natural science, social science and fine arts.
Student and Alumni Spotlight
Humanities Outside the Classroom
Service learning and community engagement are core values that are woven into the culture of UNC Asheville. Some Humanities students have worked with the following community organizations.
Helpmate
For 25 years, Helpmate has been Buncombe County’s primary provider of crisis services to victims of domestic violence and their children. We are proud to be part of an agency working with our community to eliminate abuse and fear.
Emma Elementary School – English as Second Language (ESL)
Emma Elementary School’s ESL program is presently serving a total of 169 students whose first language is not English. These students receive daily ESL classes or in-classroom support until they exit the program. Many people from the community and UNC-Asheville volunteer their time to tutor these students and to help ESL children succeed.
South Asheville Cemetery Clean-Up
Many Humanities classes go, as a group, to The South Asheville Colored Cemetery once each semester for cleanup. The South Asheville Cemetery began as a slave burial ground before the Civil War, and continued to be used as a black cemetery until the late 1930s.
The Key Center for Community Citizenship and Service Learning helps UNC Asheville students and professors find meaningful projects ranging from a few hours in length, to short-term projects lasting a few days or weeks, to long-term internships with local service organizations and schools.
Faculty
Our faculty encourages you to reach your full potential and explore your interests in whatever exciting direction they may take you. Bringing expertise and experience to the classroom, they aim to make your time at UNC Asheville meaningful and impactful so you can do great things in the world.
Eva Hericks Bares, Ph.D.
Humanities 214 Coordinator, Lecturer of Art History
| Office: 213 Owen Hall |
| Phone: (828)-258-7724 |
| Email: ebares@unca.edu |
Alvis E.Dunn. Ph,D.
HUM 324 Coordinator ; Associate Professor of History
| Office: 206 Whitesides Hall |
| Phone: (828)-251-6620 |
| Email: adunn1@unca.edu |
Megan R. Underhill, Ph.D.
Department Chair and Associate Professor of Sociology
| Office: 206 Zageir Hall |
| Phone: (828)-251-6976 |
| Email: adunn1@unca.edu |
Giovanny Pleites-Hernandez, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
| Office: 204 Zageir Hall |
| Phone: 251-6634 |
| Email: gpleites@unca.edu |
Lise Kloeppel
Coordinator of K-12 Theatre Arts Licensure, LA 478 Coordinator
| Office: 112 Whitesides Hall |
| Phone: (828) 251-6940 |
| Email: lkloeppe@unca.edu |
William Bares
NEH Distinguished Professor
| Office: 222 Lipinsky Hall |
| Phone: (828) 250-2312 |
| Email: wbares@unca.edu |
Leslee Johnson
HUM 124 Coordinator and Lecturer of English
| Office: 209 Karpen Hall |
| Phone: (828) 251-6581 |
| Email: ljohnso5@unca.edu |
Reid Chapman
Lecturer in Education; Coordinator of 6-12 Social Studies Licensure
| Office: 119 Zageir Hall |
| Phone: (828) 251-6768 |
| Email: rchapman@unca.edu |
Keya Maitra, Ph.D.
Professor of Philosophy, Director of Humanities
| Office: 239 Whitesides Hall |
| Phone: (828) 251-6365 |
| Email: kmaitra@unca.edu |
Kelly McEnany, M.A.
Adjunct Instructor of Sociology & Humanities
| Office: 203 Zageir Hall |
| Phone: (828) 251-6808 |
| Email: kmcenany@unca.edu |
Humanities Careers & Outcomes
Studying humanities adds an additional dimension to your career prospects. A minor in humanities allows students to aquire a better understanding of the context in which they live, gain insights into their identity and place in society, and gain valuable intellectual experience in a wide range of topics.
A valuable addition to any major, students in the humanities minor program have majored in a wide range of disciplines. Graduates have gone on to graduate programs, started their own businesses, and cite the Humanities curriculum as playing a key role in their success.
Related Programs
Explore the Human Experience with UNC Asheville’s Humanities Minor
Humanities courses aren’t just about history; they draw together faculty and subject matter across subjects including history, literature, philosophy, religion, natural science, social science, and fine arts. Humanities helps us make educated and ethical decisions as we strive to solve problems and make progress as a civilization.
Contact Us
| Humanities |
| Phone: (828) 251-6808 |
| Email: humanities@unca.edu |
