Prison_University_Project
Mount Tamalpais College
Liberal arts college in San Quentin, California, U.S.
Mount Tamalpais College, formerly known as the Prison University Project, is a two year liberal arts college that offers an associate's degree program in Liberal Arts and intensive college preparatory courses in math and writing to mainline residents of San Quentin State Prison. Courses are all taught on-site by volunteers, most of them graduate students, instructors, and faculty members from San Francisco Bay Area colleges and universities.[2] Until 2020, the college was operated as an extension site of Patten University by the Prison University Project, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.[3] All credits and degrees were issued by Patten. Since 2020, Mount Tamalpais College has issued its own credits and degrees as a Candidate for Accreditation by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. The college achieved Initial Accreditation in January 2022.
In addition to its academic programs and support services for students, Mount Tamalpais College disseminates information on prison education to the public at large.[1] From November 2007 to January 2008 it organized an exhibition at the San Francisco Public Library, including photographs by Heather Rowley of everyday scenes at San Quentin and essays by students in the College Program about their experiences;[4][5] a similar exhibition on Alcatraz Island ran from June 1 to October 22, 2008.[6][7] The Prison University Project received the National Humanities Medal from President Obama in September 2016.[8]