Quill and UVU

Training world-class historians

The Quill Project’s work with Utah Valley University brings together students and academics from two institutions that could not be more different — one of the oldest universities in the world with one of the youngest. Utah Valley University started offering four-year degrees in 2008. 

In 2019, students at the Center for Constitutional Studies (CCS) at Utah Valley University will complete the model of the Utah 1895 Constitutional Convention. The fact that students are working locally and able to build relationships with state archivists has proved invaluable in overcoming some of these issues, confirming that local partners are the most effective mechanism for this kind of work. Students who may have originally enrolled UVU to pursue the most vocational of courses have become world-class archival historians.

The energy and commitment that UVU’s students have brought to the project has enabled us to accelerate our research agenda, while the partnership has given UVU’s students the chance to contribute to meaningful and ground-breaking research and to experience a different style of education at a summer school in Pembroke College. 

The Center for Constitutional Studies at Utah Valley University has worked closely with Quill since its inception, and formalized its relationship as a strategic partner in 2018. They assist us with most aspects of the project, including helping to set the future direction of the overall research effort.

Working with the Center, we have been able to thoroughly test our software platform, develop and refine our training materials, and use the platform to undertake a study of the creation of the 1895 Utah Constitution that will ultimately result in published materials. The Center’s researchers have contributed to prize-winning research papers and have become integral members of our research team.

We rely on UVU’s expertise in public engagement to help us understand the needs of educators in the US, their experience with funding sources in the country, and their engage-learning approach to undergraduate education.

Working with the academic staff of the Center and the leadership of Utah Valley University, we have designed as many ways as possible for students to become involved in the research undertaken by Quill, exposing them to the challenges of running a digital project while interpreting manuscripts and printed sources.

“I am immensely proud of our students’ contribution to this amazing and historic project, which provides a significant learning tool to everyday students as well as scholars looking to delve more deeply into negotiated texts.”

Matthew Holland, Former President of Utah Valley University

"As an aspiring academic, my involvement with Quill has provided me unique access to a research platform that will benefit me on my road to graduate school.”

Mark A. Wait, UVU Quill Research Assistant