Program website: https://honors.ua.edu/apply/witt-university-fellows-program/
Following the classical purpose of education, the production of good citizens, The Dr. Robert E. Witt University Fellows Program strives to prepare the most able and dedicated students at The University of Alabama for remarkable lives of leadership in and service to their community, state, nation, and world. Thomas Henry Huxley wrote, “The great end of life is not knowledge, but action.” Similarly, our mission is to shape and enable students with exceptional innate gifts and abilities to use the knowledge gained for leadership and service. It is expected that throughout their lives, Witt Fellows will make a difference for the good, again and again.
Upon graduation, students should be able to address, through an understanding grounded in practice, the following critical questions pertaining to leadership, scholarship, and citizenship:
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Engaged citizenship: What does caring deeply about the world look like?
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Empathetic, dynamic leadership: What are best practices for effective leadership in today’s highly dynamic and diverse environments?
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Ethical, transformative scholarship: What does it mean to be a transformative ethical scholar?
Admission and Graduation Requirements
Acceptance into the Witt University Fellows Program is extremely competitive. Incoming freshmen with an ACT score of 32 or an SAT score of at least 1420 (evidence-based reading and writing plus math) and a high-school GPA of 3.8 or higher are eligible to apply. A student who meets the automatic eligibility requirements may access the application once accepted to The University of Alabama.
Any incoming freshman who does not meet the automatic eligibility requirements to apply may apply with an endorsement. Once accepted to The University of Alabama Honors College, an applicant may complete the WUFP application, which includes the endorsement section.
The Witt Fellows selection committee will consider record of impact in the community, leadership achievements, extracurricular activities and essays with equal weight to grades and test scores. This program seeks students who ultimately will make a difference throughout their lives; therefore, creativity, productivity, community engagement, leadership and personal growth are points to highlight on the resume and in the application. Semi-finalists are notified in early January; finalists are invited to on-campus interviews in February.
To complete the requirements of the Social Innovation and Leadership minor, Witt Fellows must maintain an overall GPA of 3.5 and complete 16 credit hours of coursework. Under extraordinary circumstances, course substitutions may be granted by the director.
| Social Innovation and Leadership Minor | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| YEAR ONE | ||
| UFE 101 | Understanding Poverty | 3 |
| UFE 102 | Soc Investing Black Belt I | 4 |
| Participation in the Black Belt Experience is mandatory to continue in the Program. This approximately two-week experience takes place each May, immediately following the conclusion of the Spring semester. | ||
| YEAR TWO | ||
| UFE 199 | Soc Investing Black Belt II | 1 |
| UFE 200 or | Fellow Citizens | 2 |
| UFE 201 or | SystemicChange:Soc Entrpren | |
| UFE 202 | Soc Innov:Collective Impact | |
| YEAR THREE | ||
| UFE 300 | Magnum Opus Experience | 2 or 3 |
| May be repeated for up to 6 credit hours. | ||
| YEAR FOUR | ||
| It is possible, though not advised, to complete the required 16 credit hours after three years, provided the student has had a Study Abroad experience or other international travel experience approved by the director. | ||
| UFE 401 | Challenges in a Global Society | 1 |
| UFE 402 or | Fellows in a Global Society | 1 |
| UFE 301 or | Leadership&Change:Global Persp | |
| UFE 302 | Impacting a Global Society | |
| UFE 402 is the cohort international trip that takes place during the fourth year in the Fellows Program. Fellows who have had a Study Abroad experience or other international travel experience approved by the director, may opt out of UFE 402 and instead fulfill their final credit hour (if needed) by registering for UFE 301 or UFE 302. In extraordinary circumstances, it may not be possible to offer UFE 402. | ||
| TOTAL REQUIRED HOURS | 16 | |
| YEAR TWO OPTIONAL | ||
| UFE 299 | Leadership Through Mentorship | 0 |
| Must be registered for 16 credit hours or more; may enroll in Fall and/or Spring. | ||
| YEAR THREE OPTIONAL | ||
| UFE 399 | Leadership for Social Impact | 0 |
| Must be registered for 16 credit hours or more; may enroll in Fall and/or Spring. | ||
Contact
For more information, contact The University of Alabama Honors College, The Dr. Robert E. Witt University Fellows Program, Box 870169, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0169; (205) 348-5500; honors.ua.edu.