The School of Communication and Arts Dean’s Fellowship Program honors students who have achieved an outstanding scholastic record in high school and who have demonstrated leadership ability through activity in their school or community. The School of Communication and Arts Dean’s Fellowship Program offers a series of value-added experiences designed to enrich the entire collegiate experience and prepare Dean’s Fellows to make meaningful contributions to society upon graduation. The goal of the program is to engage the individual student in becoming a life-long learner through a variety of intellectual, social and cultural experiences.

Dean’s Fellowships are awarded in the amount of $2,000 per year to students with minimum qualifications of a composite 26 ACT or a top 10 percent class rank. In addition, the following is a list of value-added programming Fellows are eligible for throughout their time as students at Buena Vista University.

Freshman Seminar: Students will participate in a Freshman Seminar with other School of Communication and Arts Dean’s Fellows. One of the advantages of this class is field trips that illustrate the issues discussed in the classroom. Previous field trips have included visits to the Sioux City Art Center, KTIV-TV, and the Sioux City Symphony.

Exploratory Experience I: A $500 stipend will assist students in funding our domestic travel opportunity to New York City. This trip allows students to become aware of people, resources, and activities within communication and arts.

Exploratory Experience II: A $1,000 stipend will assist students in funding an international trip to Europe offered during the January Interim. The goal of this trip is to bring students in contact with professionals and political leaders, expose students to the richness of other cultures, and to add depth to one’s major in communication and arts.

Academic Assistantships: During the junior and senior years, students may have the opportunity to earn a maximum stipend of $1,000 with an Academic Assistantship. Academic Assistantships provide students with an opportunity to build close working relationships with a professor in the classroom or research activities or a significant experience related to one’s academic program/preparation.

Off-Campus Study: Dean’s Fellows are eligible to compete for openings within our study abroad semester program, with potential internship credit in the country of study. Possible study abroad opportunities include, but are not limited to, Japan, Taiwan, France, Germany and Mexico.

Internships: Dean’s Fellows will have an opportunity to engage in a rich variety of internships. These experiences can be completed during the summer, January Interim, or during a semester. One’s course of study will determine internship availability. Some places where internships have been completed in the past include:

• Sioux City Symphony
• KMBC-TV Aspen Publishing
• Jimmy Carter Center
• Phoenix Community Playhouse
• Columbia Records
• Museum of Contemporary Art
• The Des Moines Register
• Dallas Stars Hockey Team
• KDSM Fox 17

In order to maintain a School of Communication and Arts Dean’s Fellowship, students must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale by the end of their freshman year and a cumulative grade point average of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale during their sophomore, junior, and senior years. Students are also required to be in good standing with the University, and continue progress towards a major in communication and arts at Buena Vista University.

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