Engaged Scholars


Connecting academic achievement with leadership development.

The Engaged Scholars program encourages and supports your participation in academic development, active learning and leadership development that extends beyond the classroom.

Engaged Scholars are recognized for completing a series of curricular and co-curricular experiences that expand your educational foundation and connect to future goals. You may also gain access to a scholarship for the academic year.

Benefits


Your Engaged Scholar experience will enhance your employment opportunities and distinguish you as a competitive applicant for post-graduate studies.

As an Engaged Scholar, you will create an educational and professional portfolio, which documents your LR journey. This portfolio will be developed through participation in a variety of academic, community and university experiences.

Additionally, you will be awarded the distinction of graduating as a university Engaged Scholar and will be recognized at commencement.

Requirements


Over the course of eight semesters, you will complete at least six learning experiences with accompanying reflective essays to build your portfolio. You’ll also attend one seminar class each semester.

In your senior year, you will submit a longer, more holistic essay and defend your portfolio before the Engaged Scholars Committee.

Continuation in the program stipulates that you meet all of these semester requirements and maintain a 2.90 GPA.

Program Overview & Applying


As an Engaged Scholar, you are required to participate in six learning experiences.

  • Learning Experiences

    The six learning experiences are drawn from a possible eleven categories as follows.

    • Independent research, accompanied by a university or community presentation or publication
    • Independent creative project, accompanied by a campus or community performance, presentation or publication
    • Service learning
    • Internship
    • Study abroad
    • Off-campus community learning and/or research
    • Peer tutoring
    • Co-curricular activity
    • Co-curricular leadership
    • Leadership development
    • Career preparation
  • Applying

    Incoming first-year students can compete for this award at the university’s invitation-only Scholarship Day. If spaces remain, incoming first-year students may apply to the program prior to their first fall semester through an online application process.

    First-year students already enrolled at the university may apply prior to their first spring semester.