Scholarships and Awards
The Lester Wolfson Poetry Prize was established to honor the memory of IU South Bend’s first and longest-reigning chancellor, Lester Wolfson. An English Professor by training and a lover of poetry, Wolfson’s legacy continues to inform the arts and humanities programs at IU South Bend. The Lester Wolfson Poetry Prize for new English MA Students awards a $2,000 scholarship to one outstanding student-poet who starts the English MA program in a given calendar year.
ELIGIBILITY
- First enrolled in the IU South Bend English MA Program in Spring, Summer, or Fall of the calendar year
- Ongoing interest and activity in the writing of poetry
- Willingness to contribute to the creative writing community at IU South Bend
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
- A cover page with the following information: full name, university ID, mailing address, email, semester and year of first enrollment, and expected graduation date.
- A personal statement not to exceed 500 words that describes the student’s ongoing interest in the writing of poetry, including a detailed discussion of the student’s creative activities.
- Three sample works of original poetry written by the student.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: November 1st
The application deadline for the Lester Wolfson Poetry Prize is 5pm on November 1st. Applications should be emailed as Microsoft Word or PDF attachments to the Director of the English MA Program at enggrad@iusb.edu. The prize selection committee will announce the award winner two months after the deadline.
WOLFSON PRIZE WINNER RESPONSIBILITIES
The Lester Wolfson Poetry Prize Winner will be expected to contribute actively to the creative writing community at IU South Bend. Contributions may include the following activities: presenting at a poetry reading hosted by the creative writing program, actively attending campus poetry readings, submitting manuscripts to the IU South Bend Graduate Journal, or presenting at the IU South Bend Multidisciplinary Graduate Conference.
The Eileen T. Bender Scholarship was established to honor the memory of IU South Bend English Professor Eileen Bender, who made immense contributions to both women’s studies and the scholarship of teaching and learning. It awards $500-$2,000 to a graduate student in the English M.A. Program who works in the area of women’s/feminist issues and plans to teach at the college level. This student will be known as the “Bender Fellow” for the term of the scholarship.
ELIGIBILITY
- A minimum grade point average of 3.3
- Prior work in the area of women’s studies
- A record of community service
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
- A cover page with the following information: full name, university ID, mailing address, email, degree program (English), credit hours completed as of application deadline, grade-point-average, and expected graduation date.
- A personal statement not to exceed 1,000 words that describes the work that the student has completed in the area of women’s studies and addresses the student’s plans to teach at the college level.
- A curriculum vitae that includes the student’s contributions to community service.
- A letter of recommendation from an English faculty member.
APPLICATION DEADLINE
The application deadline for the Eileen T. Bender scholarship is 5pm on March 1. Applications and letters of recommendation should be emailed as Microsoft Word or PDF attachments to the Director of Graduate Studies. Award winners will be determined by a committee comprised of English faculty and will be announced by the end of the spring semester.
BENDER FELLOW RESPONSIBILITIES
To retain the scholarship, the Bender Fellow must:
- Maintain at least a 3.3 GPA.
- Continue involvement in community service.
- Attend at least one workshop provided by the University Center for Excellence in Teaching (UCET).
The Regional Campus Graduate Fellowship Awards a scholarship of up to $4000. All incoming and continuing graduate students are considered for this scholarship; no need for extra application materials. Winners are announced in September each year.
A number of our graduate students teach part-time in the Freshman Writing Program, through which they gain valuable experience that can make them marketable after graduation. Students may apply for a teaching position after they have completed 16 hours of coursework (4 courses), including ENG-L 502. For more information or to apply, please email engsb@iusb.edu.