University Scholars & Global Scholars
Details
University Scholars Program
The University Scholars Program was founded in the spring of 1982 by Judge Deanell Tacha, then Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, and Professor Francis Heller, then the Roy A. Roberts Distinguished Professor of Law and Political Science. The program now counts as alumni over 750 students.
University Scholars receive a one-time $3,000 scholarship. In addition, they are connected with a faculty mentor who helps them deepen and expand their academic interests.
Global Scholars Program
The Global Scholars Program assembled its first cohort of 15 students in 2011 and has been attracting high achieving, internationally engaged students ever since. In addition to taking the Global Scholars Seminar, Global Scholars conduct internationally focused research on a subject of their own choosing, which they present at the Global Scholars Research Symposium their senior year.
Seminars
Both programs require enrollment in an interdisciplinary seminar that addresses an important topic in contemporary society. Below are course descriptions for 2025's seminars:
Instructor: Sarah Deer, University Distinguished Professor of Law, Public Affairs & Administration, and Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies
4–6:30 p.m. Mondays, Nunemaker 102
Despite the argument that the United States is the wealthiest country in the world, today, the United States continues to see massive rates of inequality in a variety of social contexts, including poverty, incarceration, poor health outcomes, and overall quality of life. The U.S. stands out for its high levels of both income and wealth inequality among advanced economies, with a relatively lower degree of social mobility, placing it in stark contrast to many other wealthy nations, particularly those in Europe.
In this course, we will read legal documents and public reports that help elucidate the persistent inequalities in the United States, with a particular focus on the 20th and 21st centuries. We will also delve into scholarly secondary sources that propose policy reforms that have concrete action steps.
During the first few weeks of the course, we will explore the historical context of the development of the United States in the late 18th century, and its impact on Indigenous populations and the enslaved population, largely those forced into slavery from Africa. From there, we will learn how inequality is identified, documented, and communicated to the public. We will explore inequality based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
The final few weeks of the course will give us an opportunity to review international entities and their approach to human rights protection. We will review several documents and resolutions from international organizations, such as the United Nations and the World Health Organization, and assess the United States’ compliance with and relationship to these reports and resolutions. Students will come away from this semester with the knowledge to be able to identify inequality and develop policy solutions.
Instructor: Dr. James Yeku, Associate Professor of African Digital Humanities
1–3:30 p.m. Thursdays, Bailey Hall
Digital humanities as the interdisciplinary study of the application of digital technology tools and platforms to traditional humanities inquiry enables an understanding of how these tools go beyond print culture and become used in humanities research and beyond. In this introduction to the digital humanities (DH), students are invited to think critically about the role of digital technologies in the humanities through the lens of postcolonial studies.
Rather than focusing primarily on the digital cultural record from canonical North American and Western European authors and artists, this seminar overturns the centrality of such dominant modes of thinking and introduces students to how computational methods enable a deeper understanding of postcolonial knowledge-making.
The seminar aims to cover how the digital humanities promote the democratization of knowledge and access to information, considering the gaps and absences in the field. Participants will also examine how a postcolonial (and even decolonial) approach might shape the larger field of DH and foster principles of collaboration and community.
In light of Africa and other places in the Global South, we will explore topics such as digital archives and their historical holdings that overlap with the legacies of colonialism, textual analysis, social media and digital storytelling, mapping and visualization. We will investigate what ethical and political considerations result in digital representations of the histories and cultures of these regions.
Eligibility
To be considered, applicants must have a cumulative KU GPA of 3.5. (At the beginning of the fall semester, second-year students with a strong academic record are invited to apply.) Students do not need to be members of the University Honors Program to apply to either program.
Scholars are selected on the basis of academic credentials, commitment to their education, intellectual promise, involvement and interests outside of the classroom, expressed interest in the topic of the seminar(s) to which they have applied, and recommendations.
Application process
While these two programs share a joint application process, they differ in terms of structure, activity, recognition, and compensation. Students should review both programs and the seminars planned for each as they decide which program to apply to.
The application process takes place through the University of Kansas Award & Scholarship Hub (UKASH), powered by AcademicWorks. During the application window, students will sign in, then search for and complete the online form, which asks for a personal statement for each scholars program to which a student is applying.
A complete application will include student essay responses and recommendations from two individuals familiar with your achievements. At least one of your recommendations should come from someone who has taught you in a KU course.
A prompt with a link to the recommendation form is sent once students add their recommenders' names and email addresses and save their applications, not submit them. We encourage students to do this so that faculty members have as much time as possible to receive their request for recommendations and complete them (Students may send additional reminders to their recommenders through AcademicWorks if necessary.) Recommendations must be submitted by the same deadline as the applications.
Applications for the 2025 cohorts will close Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, with finalist interviews taking place on Sunday, Oct. 20.
Have questions? Contact Harry Swartz with the University Scholars Program at hswartz@ku.edu or Global Scholars Program coordinator Michelle Ward at mmward@ku.edu.