The Global Liberal Arts Alliance is an organization of 25 liberal arts colleges and universities, located in 13 nations, whose purpose is to strengthen education in the tradition of the liberal arts through the exchange of experience and the development of mutually beneficial programs.

The Alliance is managed by the Great Lakes Colleges Association.

Funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the New Directions Initiative provides support for the renewal and continued professional growth of liberal arts faculty members in 'mid-career' - the extensive professional period between receiving tenure and thinking seriously about retirement. A particular emphasis of this program is to help faculty members think outside traditional boundaries and divisions of their discipline and of typical faculty work - to chart a course that leads beyond the familiar waters of one's early academic achievements and embarks on the extended journey of a stimulating faculty career. Funding has been awarded to support 246 faculty projects.

The Teagle Lattice Program takes a communal, multi-college approach to faculty development through: a cadre of Teagle Pedagogy Fellows that will travel to our member colleges in a series of Colloquies on Pedagogical Research and Practice; peer-reviewed Research-Based Alternative Pedagogy Projects; and a Digital Communication Network that allows for timely and substantive follow-up of campus engagements while providing convenient venues for interaction among faculty engaged in the exploration of alternative pedagogies as a form of scholarly research.

In creating a more visible and interactive cohort of faculty members who share an interest in strengthening teaching across our colleges, the program creates an environment that encourages more faculty members to engage in forms of professional practice that broaden the accepted domain of faculty work. Summary Description      General Program Description     Request for Proposals     Teagle Pedagogy Fellows   Selective Annotations of Research on Learning and Pedagogy

To foster the effectiveness, vitality, and efficiency of education in the tradition of the liberal arts and sciences, the GLCA actively fosters the development of partnerships among our institutions and with selected other organizations.

Examples of these collaborations include a shared center for the support of teaching innovation, shared/collaborative student recruitment in new areas, programs for the development of leadership capabilities among faculty and also students, and a tuition exchange program.