2008 Woodie Awards
Scholarship inspired by USA Today contest
James Spung, Managing Editor
Issue date: 2/20/07
Last Updated: 8/9/07
Tremendous pressure is placed on the administration, the faculty, the trustees and staff of Whitworth to continually find ways to improve the college. Nearly a decade ago, the school invited students - the group that may know Whitworth's needs best - to join the effort with the Founder's Day scholarship competition.
"We invited students to submit applications and we were wide open and general in saying, 'You can suggest whatever you want to improve the college in some way'," professor of communication studies Gordon Jackson said.
The scholarship was inspired by a USA Today scholarship contest in 1999 that asked for great ideas from college students across the nation. The national publication asked Whitworth's administration to invite students to apply.
Some faculty, including Jackson, realized the minute chance of Whitworth students winning the national contest. Instead, they created the Whitworth competition and tied it to the annual Founder's Day celebration that occurs at the beginning of the Spring semester.
Jackson recalls the selection committee received around 20 ideas, and normally around half were strong, viable ideas that would have had a significant impact on the Whitworth community.
"There were many students who took it quite seriously," Jackson said.
Some significant ideas that have been implemented include a recycling program for the dorms, which was proposed for last year's competition, and a greater number of benches on campus.
"I would say that a lot of the good ideas on campus come from student suggestions," associate professor of education Barb Sanders said.
Sanders currently convenes the selection committee.
"We invited students to submit applications and we were wide open and general in saying, 'You can suggest whatever you want to improve the college in some way'," professor of communication studies Gordon Jackson said.
The scholarship was inspired by a USA Today scholarship contest in 1999 that asked for great ideas from college students across the nation. The national publication asked Whitworth's administration to invite students to apply.
Some faculty, including Jackson, realized the minute chance of Whitworth students winning the national contest. Instead, they created the Whitworth competition and tied it to the annual Founder's Day celebration that occurs at the beginning of the Spring semester.
Jackson recalls the selection committee received around 20 ideas, and normally around half were strong, viable ideas that would have had a significant impact on the Whitworth community.
"There were many students who took it quite seriously," Jackson said.
Some significant ideas that have been implemented include a recycling program for the dorms, which was proposed for last year's competition, and a greater number of benches on campus.
"I would say that a lot of the good ideas on campus come from student suggestions," associate professor of education Barb Sanders said.
Sanders currently convenes the selection committee.
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