Each week The Spectator will showcase organizations, departments, majors or other aspects of UW-Eau Claire as a part of the centennial celebrations event known as “100 Reasons to Celebrate.”

All photos courtesy of Special Collections and Archives, W.D. McIntyre Library, UW-Eau Claire.

#93 – Blugold Fellowship

The Blugold Fellowship is offered to 20 incoming freshmen each year. With this award, students receive a $1,500 scholarship and a $1,200 stipend which can be renewed the following year. By accepting this fellowship, students are required to spend approximately five hours a week as university faculty assistants on special projects or research.

Projects and research topics can be found on the Eau Claire website. They range from American Indian Studies to Information Systems research to Nursing and Health Sciences. After spending a year on the topics, students get together annually to present their findings. This day is called The UW-Eau Claire Student Research Day and Celebration of Excellence in Research and Creative Activity (CERCA).

In order to qualify for the Blugold Fellowship, students must be in the top 25 perfect of their high school graduating class and earn a score of at least 25 on their ACT or 1700 on the SAT. They are allowed to apply after being admitted to the university and must turn their applications in by December 1 for the following year. The application can be found on the Eau Claire website. For more information, students can email [email protected].

#94 – Center for Excellence for Faculty and Undergraduate Student Research Collaboration

The Center for Excellence for Faculty and Undergraduate Student Research Collaboration was founded in 1888 by the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. They did this to keep the tradition of collaborative research between undergraduate students and faculty members alive.

The center is made up of seven different programs. These include the Student-Faculty Research Collaboration, Summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates, Diversity Mentoring Program, Graduate Student Research and Scholarly and Creative Activity, Student Travel for the Presentation of Research Results, Kell Container Corporation Scholarship for Student-Faculty Collaborative Research and the James R. and Vicki Lord Larson Undergraduate Research Fellowship.

All of the above programs are aimed at allowing students an opportunity to do research and scholarly or creative works. They are also all supported through grants. The results of these research projects are also showcased every spring through the Celebration of Excellence in Research and Creative Activity.

Students interested in applying for one of these programs or just looking for more information can either visit Eau Claire’s website or swing by the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs in Schofield Hall, room 17.

#95 –Teacher Education Program

Students who participate in Eau Claire’s Teacher Education Program can look forward to over $100,000 offered in scholarships and a 90 percent employment rate upon graduation, according to their website.

There are many degrees offered through the Teacher Education Program. These include elementary education, secondary education and special education with emphases in either unified early childhood, learning disabilities and regular education or learning disabilities and cognitive disabilities.

Individuals who have already received a bachelor’s degree also have the opportunity to become teachers through this program. Students can do this through the Post-Baccalaureate Certification offered through the Teacher Education Program. To apply for this, simply visit Eau Claire’s website.

To apply for one of these degrees or for additional information, students can Centennial Hall, room 3015 or email [email protected].

#96 – University Honors Program

At Eau Claire, there are currently over 700 honor students, according to the Eau Claire website. These are students who scored a certain ACT score and were ranked highly in high school.

Students who earn 3.66 GPA or better on at least 14 credits are also invited to join during their second or third semesters. Eau Claire’s website lays out the specific details of student eligibility. If a student is ineligible, but still enthusiastic to learn, they can petition for admission through the Honors program office.

There are over $200,000 in scholarships awarded to honor students each year, according to their website. Students also have the opportunity to enroll in small classes of only 20 students, which are offered only to honor students.

There are four different types of honors classes offered at Eau Claire. Colloquia are interdisciplinary courses created specifically for honor students. Electives are the same courses that all students take, but with special sections saved only for honor students. Seminars are 1-credit seminars offered to first-year students, seniors, for mentoring in honors and for tutoring in honors. Finally, there are special experience courses. These are courses that let students earn credits for special projects, independent studies, study abroad, internships and more.

Any student looking to join the University Honors Program or searching for more information can visit the McIntyre Library, room 2002 or email [email protected].