Prestigious awards gain attention at `U'
Christopher Johnson
Daily Staff ReporterMarch 28th, 2002
Piquing students' interest to walk to class among ancient Gothic buildings and study under some of the leading intellectuals of our time, the University has implemented extended efforts to inform students about the Rhodes, Marshall and Mitchell scholarships.
These scholarships, often considered among the most prestigious honors that a student can achieve, allow its participants to attend schools in the United Kingdom and Ireland, among the oldest and most respected universities in the world.
Although many people identify each of these scholarships as a single program because of their similar prestige, they each have different components. Students who receive the Rhodes or Marshall scholarships receive funding for two or three years of graduate study in Great Britain. While Rhodes Scholars can participate in any program at Oxford, Marshall Scholars can opt to study at a number of universities in the United Kingdom. The Mitchell Program, a new program this year, allows students to participate in graduate studies in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland.
Despite the opportunities available in the program, the University of Michigan has had difficulty finding interested students in recent years.
"I knew about them before, I just haven't heard about anything through the University," Engineering sophomore Eric Stone said.
LSA Scholarship Coordinator Douglas Fletcher attributed the lull in interest of University students for these programs to the University's failure to release information in sufficient time for application.
He said the extended efforts "arose because we never publicized that this applies to all students, not only those in honors."
He cited numerous examples of the University increasing efforts to inform students, including placing numerous posters throughout campus and notifying potential students through e-mail.
Senior Vice-Provost for Academic Affairs Lester Monts offered additional examples of the University's extended efforts.
"We have put together a website and asked the provosts of all the colleges to inform students," he said. "Interviews take place in the early fall and there is not a lot of time to get out the information."
He added that the University has tried to add prestige to the awards by offering ceremonies to the winners of the scholarships and printing their names in the honors convocation.
Although he said the efforts would encourage more students to apply, Monts also asserted the difficulty of obtaining these scholarships.
"Students need to read about these scholarships to prepare for the interview on campus, which is quite rigorous," he said. "Students have to write very thoughtfully and speak with diligence during the interview."
Nevertheless, he maintained that students who participate in these programs often move on to prestigious careers.
"If you look at politics or look at business, these scholarships are sometimes the first step toward a successful career," he said.
Despite the University's extended efforts, many students said they still had little knowledge about the programs.
"I heard about the scholarships, but I haven't gotten anything from the University about them," LSA sophomore Maria Arnold said.
LSA senior Ryan Foley said he did receive some information but he wasn't really interested.
"I got an e-mail and I went to a meeting last year, but I don't really want to go to England or anywhere abroad," he said.
Those who are interested in the Rhodes, Marshall or Mitchell Scholarship can access the University's website at www.umich.edu/~provost/scholars.html.
Printed from www.michigandaily.com on Sat, 26 May 2012 19:18:00 -0400