The Chronicle: Colloquy Live Transcript

The New Competition for Fellowships

Thursday, September 13, at 3 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, 7 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time

How can colleges prepare students to pursue Rhodes, Marshall, and other top fellowships? Is the competition among colleges to have their students win such awards having detrimental effects?

In recent years, a decided shift has taken place in the competition for top fellowships like the Rhodes, Marshall, and Truman awards. Such prizes were typically thought of as the domain of Ivy League institutions, which dominated the competition for decades. But in the last five years, students from a much wider range of colleges have been winning the awards, encouraged by new efforts to identify possible winners and help prepare them for the competition. Some educators praise the new efforts for democratizing the fellowship programs and identifying talent off the beaten track. But others fear that too much coaching is going on and that colleges are starting to view the fellowships as trophies to be won at any cost.

» Ambitious Colleges End the Ivy Lock on Prestigious Fellowships (9/14/2001)

Robert Graalman is director of scholar development and recognition at Oklahoma State University and an adjunct professor of English. Over the past eight years, he has helped Oklahoma State students win a Rhodes scholarship, a Marshall scholarship, and seven Truman awards. He is a founder and the president of the National Association of Fellowship Advisers, a new organization for people in his field.

A transcript of the chat follows.

Question from Andrew Brownstein:
Good afternoon, and welcome to Colloquy Live. My name is Andy Brownstein, students editor here at The Chronicle, and I will be your moderator for today's discussion on preparing students for prestigious fellowships.

In recent years, a decided shift has taken place in the competition for top scholarships like the Rhodes, Marshall, and Truman awards. Such prizes were often thought of as the domain of Ivy League institutions, which dominated the competitions for decades. But in the last five years, students from a much wider range of colleges have been winning the awards, encouraged by new efforts to identify possible winners and help prepare them for the competition.

Some educators praise the new efforts for democratizing the fellowship programs and identifying talent off the beaten track. But others fear that too much coaching is going on and that colleges are starting to view the fellowships as trophies to be won at any cost.

Our guest today is Robert Graalman, director of scholar development and recognition at Oklahoma State and president of the National Association of Fellowship Advisers, a new organization for people in his field.

Mr. Graalman, thanks for being with us today--especially after this trying week in world events. Any opening remarks to start?

Robert Graalman:
I'm glad to be here. Thanks for inviting me. I hope everyone's families and friends are safe following the terrible events this week.

This topic is an exciting one, and we in NAFA (National Association of Fellowships Advisors) are happy that so many fruitful conversations have begun to insure the success of these programs for our students and the Foundations who provide such great opportunities.

Question from Andrew Brownstein:
It has been said that the scholarship movement represents the best and worst of what higher education has to offer. The best, in that it allows students to challenge themselves and really define who they are. The worst, in that it underscores the intense competition in academe. Do you agree with that assesment? How do advisers deal with these competing forces?

Robert Graalman:
An extremely high number of our colleagues in this area of recruitment/advising/instruction have best intentions for our students and attempt to serve them professionally and effectively. We're also experienced enough to know that indiscretions can occur--sometimes intentionally, usually not. While NAFA can never "police" behavior, and wouldn't want to, our mission to work together on general principles can be a comfort to all, whether new to the job or veterans.

These are competitive times, which all agree can be a healthy experience. The total number of regrettable situations so far is pretty small, I believe, and more publicity, such as we had at our Tulsa convention this summer, can provide information and comfort to those who feel "under the gun" to "produce winners," and are looking for guidelines. Other than the public description of the new Gates program that weekend, the featured program at Tulsa was an ethics panel, whose comments elicited much enthusiastic discussion throughout the weekend.

Most of all--when we talk to our faculty, administrators, regents, and alumni, we have to keep reminding them of the total number of students who stretch themselves in programs like this. Many think we identify a handful of students and restrict them to scholarship competitions. I'd say 90 percent of the students I counsel never apply for a prestigious scholarship, but I'm happy to report they're getting into graduate schools and obtaining good jobs at a high rate, because of the new skills they've learned. One of our advisors, Suzanne McCray of Arkansas, says if we begin to shape their dreams, then we've gone too far, but to support and refine are surely a critical part of our mission. In the article, I liked the reference to Steve Wainscott's student who applied three times, didn't "win," but reveled in the experience and new-found wisdom. All of us have had that, and need to cling to it, promote it.

And I affirm that those who do win at OSU are celebrated and feted with great pleasure and pride--and why shouldn't they be?

Question from Ann, midwest state university:
How can we at "middle of the road" state universities work to break through that "glass ceiling" of the Rhodes/Marshall, etc.? How do you go about making students competitive in that rarified atmosphere, and convincing them of their merit? How can you hope to compete with some of the "grooming machines" that we know exist at some of the ivys and military academies?

Robert Graalman:
The article gives some examples of how this is actually being done at the kind of university you describe. What many of us are doing is encouraging students to broaden their curricula, to read more widely, to participate in high-level research as undergraduates, and to associate with faculty who are familiar with these programs and who want to help. The results recently, as the Chronicle article illustrates, should give you confidence that students can achieve success. But most important, the students who participate, whether or not they win a Rhodes, will have experienced a more satisfying educational career.

Question from Anonymous, large state university:
What do you look for when selecting students who appear to have "potential" as early as their freshman or sophomore years? Please define "leadership potential."

Robert Graalman:
I think that the first thing we ask our faculkty to identify is a student who reads widely and has a certain flair in class for conversation and debate. Far beyond what the student's major is, his/her GPA, ultimately these competitions boil down to some important interviews in which a student's coursework and related academic achievements are not as important as the ability to communicate on a wide range of esoteric topics. As far as leadership component of these competitions goes, we look for students who have served in elective offices, and have not just joined a bunch of clubs, and for students who, on their own initiative, have gone out into the community to help other people. Having been elected and having shown that kind of social commitment gives us an indication of a student's leadership abilities.

Question from Suzanne McCray, University of Arkansas:
Do you think the terrorist acts of this week (and the response to come) will make students more reluctant to apply for Marshall, Rhodes, NSEP, Fulbright, and Gates/Cambridge Scholarships?

Robert Graalman:
I suppose the response to come is the wild card there. I don't think that what has happened thus far would discourage students, especially over the long term. The deadlines for those scholarships are coming up soon, and we're all stunned and dismayed and horribly saddened at this point, so I guess there could be a slight reduction in people who might finish their applications this year, but that's all hypothetical. Depending on what happens next, of course, I suppose I might have to reconsider. I do think that students who apply for these awards are interested in broadening their horizons and taking risks and doing the things that complete their education, and therefore I'm not apprehensive about any dramatic change.

Question from Andrew Brownstein:
Could Blaine Greteman have won a Rhodes scholarship without the help of the scholarship program at OSU?

Robert Graalman:
Yes and no. He had the potential to do that on his own and had acquainted himself with individuals who might have made it possible. I'm confident that he would have been a very strong candidate at any time. He also came to our school at a time when we offered high-level research experiences for undergraduates, and the class described in the article. So I believe that strengthened his candidacy.

Question from Rosemary Effiom, SUNY, Stony Brook:
What qualities would you like to see more of in candidates?

Robert Graalman:
My academic field is literature, and even among our best candidates, I'm sometimes concerned about their ability to make connections in terms of what they're reading. This is a common concern in all areas of higher education. We spend a lot of time with all the students we advise on the importance of their expanding their reading horizons regardless of whether or not they become scholarship candidates. Otherwise I believe today's students, in terms of their academic responsibility, their concern for others, their technical prowess, and many other factors, are as good as they've ever been. Working with our students makes me very optimistic about the current generation.

Question from Joanne Passaro, Ph.D., Special Assistant to the Provost, Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, NY:
In the recent Chronicle article, your "fellowship-prep" Windows on the World course seemed to focus on helping students from a non-elite "cow college" broaden their perspective of the world and develop their own voices within it. Regardless of the "fellowship-producing" intent of the course, this is a valuable academic goal. How much do you know about other schools' competetive practices? Do you think they tend to be student-development (as opposed to student- or Institutional-glory) centered?

Robert Graalman:
Interesting points, Joanne. The "fellowship intent" as you say must be secondary to the general educational ideals, and if realized, then the awards will occur. Can I say there's some trickle down here? And if we do our jobs right for 100 students (to pick a number), then only a very small few will actually receive awards, but some others get into better graduate schools, and all 100 are better graduates and citizens--and "winners," beyond a doubt. I recite that every day--to myself and others, because the the less attractive competitive elements can be alluring, for sure.

As far as other schools, one hears stories, and no doubt some are true. But the positive approach by most of our colleagues, much on display wherever I go and clearly displayed at our convention in Tulsa, would impress anyone who wonders how well institutions are educating these days.

I really like to ponder such examples as the ethics of "correcting" a candidate's spelling. Do we say "there's a misspelled word on this page; find it and fix it." Do we circle it and hope for the best? Or do we spell the word and get on with it? I don't think NAFA would ever presume to get that prescriptive or come up with a list of "dos and don'ts". According to the principles I referred to above, a conscientious and ethical advisor could employ all three without feeling guilty. But once the candidate's aspirations are being shaped to alter his or her ambitions in dramatic ways, therein lies trouble. It all has to do with whose goals are uppermost.

The fact that NAFA members are sharing their "secrets" with others (classes, interview techniques, readings, etc.) says to me we're focused on the students, and conscious of the boundaries we all face.

(And by the way, thanks for re-inforcing our "non-elite cow college status" at OSU. We embrace that. A lot of us think those principles on which our schools, many land grant, were founded--scholarship. leadership, service-- and the populations we serve are attractive to the selection committees. Helps us sneak up on people, you know. Look at K-State and Arkansas as well, and their magnificent records, orchestrated by legends such as Nancy Twiss and current NAFA officer Suzanne McCray!)

Question from Cheryl Foster, U. of Rhode Island:
If students are being "coached", perhaps it is because they are being made to audition for a social role that does not reflect the common environment of most colleges and universities in America, or America itself. If selection committees themselves were more diverse, less presumptive about educational quality and more representative of myriad educational and other institutions in America, then perhaps the particular virtues of students from public institutions would be more apparent. In other words, should we be less concerned about preparing students from public institutions for these processes and more concerned about broadening the views of those who control the programs?

Robert Graalman:
Yes Cheryl, that's another extension of the whole process for sure, committee growth that is. At the local level, I think you find faculty selection groups excited to participate because they do savor the collegial exchanges of ideas and student mentoring that is often lacking in their careers. One of my favorite experiences along these lines was observing an ag.econ. and an English professor sharing the mentoring duties for a student and driving to the airport together to greet the winner on his return. I assure you, Gen. ed discussions will never be the same for either one of them.

But more likely your question refers to the larger national selection committees, populated by not just faculty but leaders in business, politics, as well. What I sensed in Tulsa, where 15 Foundations sent representatives to the NAFA conference, was full involvement and partnership to see changes such as you suggest occur. I've told several that I knew our program would excite campus faculty and staff, but just as gratifying were the rewarding interactions with those who make the programs possible and perhaps the best indicator of future success for all.

Question from Valerie Scott, Indiana University Southeast:
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a fellowship versus a scholarship? What is the likelihood of getting one over the other? What is perception of one over the other for the workplace and one's furture in the academic world (in terms of access to grad. school or admission to a doctoral program)?

Robert Graalman:
For our purposes in this discussion of prestigious awards, there is no distinction between a fellowship and a scholarship. For this topic, they're interchangeable terms referring ot the students receiving a prestigious award for advanced study. I think that this question more likely refers to traditional graduate school appointments in the US in which there are certain connotations for scholarships and fellowships that we're not addressing here.

Andrew Brownstein (Moderator):
We are now halfway through today's chat. Keep those questions coming.

Question from Dan Shortridge, student, The College of Wooster:
What's been your experience with the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship program? At Wooster, we've had five students get Watsons in the last four years, but no Rhodes winners in recent memory. Is the allure of travel winning out over the chance to study at Oxford in students' minds?

Robert Graalman:
No, I have not had any experience with the Watson. As far as why students would prefer one over the other, the appeal of the Rhodes of course is the opportunity to study at Oxford and the enormous prestige that comes with receiving that award. As far as student seeking travel opportunities, I don't think there's any doubt that students in this day and age are very much oriented towards travel opportunities, and there are increasing numbers of other awards that allow this kind of travel.

Question from Robert S. Tannenbaum, University of Kentucky:
What are the three most important steps that a university should take to ensure that its students are competitive and successful in the fellowship application process?

Robert Graalman:
I would say the first thing is to motivate and reward faculty. These activities are usually exciting enough for faculty that they don't need a high level of reward. But the university does need to recognize that this is time consuming and important. Nothing can be accomplished without involved faculty. Secondly, the university needs to establish programs by which students can become involved at a level that refines their abilities in dramatic ways. Our solution was an expensive and effective research program for undergraduates. This could also take the form of leadership and travel programs. Third, I would say somehow to recognize the importance of curriculum, whether specialized courses or advisors' encouraging students to take more general education, add minors and double majors, etc. I'd like to add a fourth: Higher administration must become involved not only in the excitement of students' winning awards, but in recognizing how the effort increases opportunities for larger numbers of students.

Question from Bob Spurrier, Honors College, Oklahoma State University:
I know that at Oklahoma State University Bob Graalman (Director Scholar Development & Recognition) and I (Honors College) have a very close working relationship, and I know from experience in the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) that many member institutions' honors students have earned national and international prestigious scholarship recognition. My question for this discussion is whether such cooperative efforts are becoming more common across the United States.

Robert Graalman:
Clearly the relationship between honors programs and specialized scholarship activities is strong, but not always inevitable. My impression is that these relationships on other campuses are increasing in number. We know that many various administrative structures are being established to improve those relationships and take advantage of them. I suppose from the perspective of professionals in the field and the NAFA organization, these connections are healthy for our students. Another important feature is that students can become involved in one or the other, but not necessarily both.

Question from Janet Goebel, IUP:
How does a foreign student at a US university apply for a Gates-Cambridge fellowship? Some US scholarship advisors were told they apply like US students. My Polish student was advised to submit one-page screening application due September 21. What's the definitive answer?

Robert Graalman:
The summer conference in Tulsa was an occasion for the Gates program to describe its benefits and procedures. It was exciting to hear the plans that they have for their outstanding program. Having said that, I must confess that I'm not yet an expert on particular issues such as this question. I believe it's safe to say that for the Gates, everything begins with an application for Cambridge. Beyond that, I'd recommend you to go to the Gates Web site to get the information that is surely available there.

Question from Jane Curlin, Willamette:
How do you respond to the charge that scholarship advising is an artificial process, the Pygmalion effect? Have you ever found yourself mentoring, and ultimately endorsing as the university representative, a candidate who deliberately misrepresented himself and his achievements on the application--but who would not respond to your advice? How would you handle that situation?

Robert Graalman:
Let me speak first about the "artificial process": Perhaps I've been fortunate, but I have found the process to involve growth in students that is valuable and not artificial. I would say that extends all the way to advising on course selection, writing, interviewing, the works. At our school we have had students for a long time who could have competed for these awards, and it's gratifying to see them reach their full potential, not because of what one person or one office does, but because the whole campus participates in their development. Someone made an interesting observation not long ago that we don't recruit musicians, actors, or even athletes, and then put them on the performing stage without refining their skills. I consider this to be the same sort of commitment to education.

I have not had the experience of finding someone after the process is concluded and detected any behavior of the type you describe. That sort of thing should be detectable earlier than that. We have often made discoveries in the middle of an application process that caused a student to decide not to proceed or to revise his/her candidacy for the better. In fact, helping students discover early that they may not be candidates, or that there may be more appropriate directions for them, is another positive feature of having these kinds of programs.

Question from Susan Whitbourne, University of Massachusetts Amherst:
How are applications going this year? Are other schools experiencing any changes in their numbers of applicants for Rhodes, Marshall, or Fulbright?

Robert Graalman:
It's not possible for me to comment on how application procedures are changing at other schools. I will say that following the exciting NAFA conference in Tulsa, where over 200 new and veteran advisors met to discuss these programs, along with representatives from 15 foundations, including the Rhodes, Marshall and Fulbright, I would anticipate much more activity in all areas because NAFA provided information for streamlining applications and illustrated why more and more schools should be nominating students.

Question from Sandy Dugan, Eastern Michigan University:
How does one counsel an applicant to maximize the chances for success but to allow for possible failure?

Robert Graalman:
I would repeat the involvement in research, broadening general education experienced, enlarging reading practices, as ways to ensure more success. It is clearly important to involve the student in discussions concerning the probablity of not receiving the awards, because the odds are so high. If the student is reminded regularly of the benefits he/she is receiving during every stage of the process, then the outcome, whether or not it involves receiving an award, can be positive.

Question from Todd Breyfogle, University of Denver:
I thought the NAFA meeting in Tulsa struck a fine tone (captured nicely in Mr. Brownstein's article) in emphasizing that the application process is an extension of the university's pedagogical mission. I hope NAFA will continue to resist the (sometimes) inadvertent drive of administrators to focus only on getting a scholarship winner.

Yet, for many bright students, resume-building for its own sake now begins at a very early age, with pressure from parents as well as school officials. As a Fellowship Advisor with longtime service on state Rhodes selection committees, I am increasingly concerned about how these pressures form students before they get to college. How can those of us in higher education impress upon high school officials and others that (to be trite) there is more to life, and education, than winning?

Robert Graalman:
I couldn't agree more. First, I'm grateful for the compliment regarding the NAFA conference and what we're trying to accomplish. NAFA began because a small group of successful advisors recognized not long ago that the atmosphere was such in prestigious scholarship competition that we could become an industry in which the motives were not always the purest. There was a conference in Fayetteville, further meetings over the last two years leading to the organization of NAFA. We don't believe we can prescribe a system whereby unfortunate behaviors can be avoided. We do know that we can outline some parameters and support each other with shared stories and strategies to make our advising and our teaching more beneficial and less dangerous. The last part of the question is interesting because many of us are beginning to take our programs to the public and even to the high schools in order to try to capture interested audiences. All I can say is that those of us who are participating in that are trying as best we can to promote the general educational opportunities of these programs. If the results of involvement are a prestigious scholarship, then we're happy about that as well.

Question from Clare Cowen, University of Pennsylvania:
Do you think there is a tangible difference between applicants who win the Rhodes versus applicants who win the Marshall?

Robert Graalman:
I would have to say no. I think that that might have been observable in the past, but I haven't been involved long enough to clarify that in any productive way. Now we are seeing students who apply for both, a rare few will win both, and some will win one or the other, but I don't believe that I am experienced enough to draw any conclusions such as your question implies.

Question from honors advisor, large public university:
I am curious about the National Association of Fellowship Advisers. Is there a website for information about this organization--its purposes, activities, membership requirements, etc.? If the basic idea is to share useful information among members about how to help our students become more competitive in the various Fellowship/Scholarship sweepstakes--as I assume it is--doesn't that very dissemination of information tend to level the playing field?

Robert Graalman:
I'm very very pleased to promote the new NAFA organization. We have a newsletter that is published twice a year. We have had one outstanding summer conference, and we hope to provide further educational opportunities and even travel opportunities at some point for our members. The one resource that has helped NAFA get organized during the past year is a listserve which is managed by Suzanne McCray, vice president of NAFA at the University of Arkansas. To begin one's involvement in NAFA, I recommend participants contact Suzanne at smccray@uark.edu. For information on NAFA materials, sites, and opportunities, please contact our secretary, Ann Brown at Ohio University at browna@ohio.edu.

In regard to heightening the competition or leveling the playing field, I can affirm that's true, and I can also affirm that NAFA members are excited to help each other and share relevant information. These programs are growing, they are extremely complicated, and it seems to me that those involved believe that this kind of interaction is ultimately a greater benefit than keeping the information for their own students.

Question from Dr. Donna Cohen, University of South Florida:
Guiding and counseling students for these prestigious scholarships creates an instructional relationship where there should be ethical standards for the process. What are examples of best practices for grooming students to be competitive?

Robert Graalman:
I can best answer this question by discussing the candidate's process through the experience of multiple drafts in the written work. A large percentage of students with these abilities have never had the experience of being critiqued in any significant way for what they've written. Sometimes it causes them to lose confidence and perhaps decide that they aren't as capable as they had been led to believe. By encouraging the students that this is a process which will elevate their capabilities, that they are responsible for working through rough areas in their work, they become better candidates, and their development is achieved in a way that is also ethical. I suppose one could make the same claims about the development of a resume, becoming a better speaker and debater, just as easily.

Question from Tracy - a student:
What are your thoughts on mentioning a specific professors name who you would like to study under in an essay? Do you feel it is advisable to mentioned financial difficulties in my essay? Please advice.

Robert Graalman:
This sounds like a question that could have general scholarship relevance. If the program involves specific study in a certain area and the student is familiar with the professor and his/her work, that disclosure could certainly help. Many scholarships do request information on a student's financial status. For these awards, if no request is made, I would think it would be hazardous to bring up that subject out of the blue.

Question from Susan Whitbourne, University of Massachusetts Amherst:
Could you briefly describe the content of your scholarship preparation course? I teach a similar course at the University of Massachusetts and am interested in learning more about how to make this course as effective as possible.

Robert Graalman:
The course is a one-hour honors seminar available to any student with special permission. We try to keep the enrollment below 20. The primary content of the course is current events, especially pertaining to local, national and international news, and most importantly, cultural issues. Students are expected to moderate the news on their assigned day, to comment on the positions they would take regarding the stories, and then defend these positions as best they can while being questioned by their fellow students. They also practice writing personal essays of the type that might be used in a variety of scholarship competitions. From time to time, guests may appear to speak about important topics that the students have identified. There is no text other than recommending they subscribe to influential newspapers, political journals, etc.

Question from Rosemary Effiom, SUNY, Stony Brook:
What one piece of advice would you give to a prospective candidate?

Robert Graalman:
Read, read, read.

Andrew Brownstein (Moderator):
Unfortunately, that's all the questions that we have time for today. Thanks for joining us, Mr. Graalman. A transcript of this chat will be posted on the web site shortly.

Robert Graalman:
I want to thank The Chronicle for its attention to this subject, which has been very exciting for the NAFA membership and everyone who works in this field.

I personally would encourage all participants in this discussion to become involved in NAFA and I also hope that everyone participating enjoys working with students who have these ambitions. All of us at NAFA believe that our work is an exciting element in contemporary education. The foundations who generously make these programs available feel the same way. We're confident that we can work together and see these programs thrive and, most importantly, help more and more students reach their goals.