Liberal Arts Scholarship

The College of Letters and Science is pleased to announce the Fifth Annual Liberal Arts Scholarship Competition for Undergraduate Students, sponsored by the four colleges of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and the University of Wisconsin System Advisory Group on the Liberal Arts (SAGLA).

The purpose of this scholarship contest is to encourage students to think about the significance of the liberal arts. The winner of the competition will be the person who makes the best case for his or her views about the liberal arts. The judges will consider the following qualities of the submissions: the originality of the ideas presented, the organizational structure of the essay and the quality of the writing itself.

2009-2010 Scholarship EssayTopic:

Liberal education is often characterized as transformative. Reflect on your education*—and on what it means to be “transformed.” When have you been affected by a transformative educational experience? What did you learn about yourself or about the world in general as a function of that pivotal experience? How have you been changed, and what do you imagine/hope will be the long-term impact of this change? The scholarship committee strongly suggests that essayists include both narrative and analysis in their submissions.

*Consider classes or particular teachers; you may also choose to consider experiences beyond the classroom, such as independent research, study abroad, service learning, and learning communities.

Your thoughtful consideration of this matter can help the College fulfill its mission within the University and the larger community.  The winning essay will be posted on the COLS Web site so it can be shared with all visitors to the site. The committee thanks you for taking the time to think about this very important aspect of your education.

Award:

• Two local winners will each receive a $1,000 scholarship.  One will be chosen from College of Letters and Science student entries; the other will be chosen from the entries of students from the College of Business, College of Education and Human Services, and the College of Nursing.
• Recognition at the University's annual Honors and Awards Ceremony

Note: The winning essays will be submitted to the UW System scholarship contest, with the possibility of winning a $2,000 prize.  More information on the UW System scholarship is available at the SAGLA web site.

Eligibility:

• Undergraduate student
• Minimum 60 credit hours of course work completed by the end of the Spring 2009 semester with at least one semester as a full-time student remaining in the 2010-2011 academic year
• Current GPA of at least 3.4

Application: 

• All submissions are to be original essays, 1,000-1,250 words in length, typed and double spaced.  Each essay must include a title page with the following information: title of essay, student’s name, major, institution, college, home and e-mail addresses, telephone number, and the following statement: “I hereby affirm that this is my own work, an original essay, and I agree that it will become the property of the UW System Board of Regents and that it can be reproduced in the public domain.”
• One letter of reference that describes your performance as a student

Submission:

• All application materials must be sent electronically to bowen@uwosh.edu.

Deadline:

• Due December 14, 2009 

Judges:

• Faculty and instructional staff members from the four divisions in the College of Letters and Science and from the College of Business, the College of Education and Human Services, and the College of Nursing.
  

Recipient of the 2008–2009 Liberal Arts Scholarship