Annual Report 2006-2007 - The Council of Independent Colleges

Promoting High-Quality education (Cont’d)
Rosemont College, PA
The program’s core purpose is to create a network of institutions to
discuss the issues of critical language learning each year, implement best
practices to address language learning improvements, and join with
other Network participants in upcoming years to create an ongoing
community dedicated to language learning.
Participants left the summer 2007 meeting with ideas about how
they can invigorate their institutions’ current offerings, add additional
languages to the curriculum, and generate student interest in foreign
language study. In addition, the newly created alliance of institutions
is hosting consultants on campuses during the 2007–2008 academic
year and participating in an ongoing eCommunity that will share best
practices and language-learning resources through a confidential
NELL website.
The institutions participating in the first NELL cohort include
Bethany College (WV), Carson-Newman College (TN), Colleges of
the Fenway (MA), Saint Joseph College (CT), Salve Regina University
(RI), St. Edward’s University (TX), and Tougaloo College (MS).
NELL is made possible with the generous financial support of the
W.M. Keck Foundation.
Supporting Graduate Studies
American Graduate Fellowships—Now in its second year, this
initiative promotes and supports doctoral study in the humanities
by accomplished graduates of small and mid-sized private liberal arts
colleges. Two fellowships, worth up to $50,000 each and renewable for
a second year, will be awarded annually through 2011. The first two
fellowships were awarded in 2007 to Daniel Berntson of Northwestern
College (IA) and Adam Spry of Pacific Lutheran University (WA) (see
box). The fellowships are available to students from eligible institutions
who enroll in doctoral programs at any of 23 leading independent
research universities in the United States, Great Britain, and Ireland.
Eligible fields of study include history, philosophy, literature and
languages, and fine arts. The fellowships directly support a few stellar
graduates of small colleges but also foster two larger purposes: to
encourage the best students at CIC colleges to apply for PhD work
2007 American Graduate Fellowship Recipients
Daniel Bernston, Northwestern College (IA)
Adam Spry, Pacific Lutheran University (WA)
In 2007, CIC announced the inaugural recipients of the American
Graduate Fellowships. They are Daniel Berntson of Northwestern College
(IA) and Adam Spry of Pacific Lutheran University (WA). Each Fellow will
receive an award of $50,000 for a year of graduate study, renewable for
a second year.
Daniel Berntson, of Paullina, Iowa, graduated
summa cum laude from Northwestern College
in 2006 with a double major in philosophy and
English literature. Bernston received Northwestern’s
selective Peale Scholarship for four years, was
named to the academic dean’s list every semester
during his enrollment, and conducted honors
research in English literature and philosophy. In
addition, he was president of Sigma Tau fraternity in 2006, held an
internship at the National Endowment for the Humanities in Washington,
DC, in 2005, and was the opinion page editor of the school newspaper
for two years. Berntson will pursue a doctoral degree in philosophy at
Brown University.
Adam Spry of Whiterock, New Mexico, grew up
on the isolated Flathead Indian Reservation. He
graduated magna cum laude from Pacific Lutheran
University in May 2007 with a double major in
English and art. Spry received PLU’s academic
scholarship for four years, was named to the dean’s
list every semester, and did a summer internship
at the Santa Fe Contemporary Art Museum in the
art research and education department. Spry has accepted an offer to
study American literature, with a special emphasis on Native American
literature, at Columbia University.
10 • The Council of Independent Colleges