Entrance to San Diego Mesa College. Photo by Alexander Nguyen

San Diego Mesa College announced this week it was renaming of its Humanities Institute to the Dr. Constance M. Carroll Humanities Institute in honor of the San Diego Community College District chancellor.

The institute, established in 1990, was supported by Carroll upon her appointment as president of Mesa College in 1993 and has continued to be at the forefront of work during her tenure with the community college district.

“We wanted to honor Dr. Carroll’s vision and commitment to the humanities, both as our past president and as our chancellor, so it seemed most fitting to bestow her name permanently upon this program,” said Pamela Luster, president of Mesa College.

Since it began as a campus-wide initiative in September 1990, the Humanities Institute has supported the work of faculty and staff to bring diverse programming and events to Mesa College. The institute serves as an internal vehicle for cultural, interdisciplinary, and Mesa College community priorities and activities are intended to increase student engagement, recruitment, and retention.

With a goal of enriching the student experience through the humanities, the institute focuses on and funds activities that promote diverse cultures and perspectives, such as a celebration of Black History Month, Women’s History Month, and Cultural Unity Week.

Carroll was appointed Chancellor of the San Diego Community College District in 2004, after 11 years of service as president of San Diego Mesa College. She holds a bachelor’s degree in humanities from Duquesne University, a Master’s and Doctorate in classics  — ancient Greek and Latin — from the University of Pittsburgh and a certificate of proficiency in Hellenic studies from Knubly University in Athens.

In 2011, Carroll was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the United States Senate to serve a six-year term on the National Council on the Humanities.

In 2019, the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship honored Carroll with a lifetime achievement award.

–City News Service

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