W. Timothy Rogers Student Leadership Development Fund | Clay and Debbie Jones Center for Leadership and Service

The W. Timothy Rogers Student Leadership Development Fund provides opportunities to individual students who are interested in participating in/attending a leadership development conference that provides significant training and/or professional development.

Requirements and Restrictions

Applicants must be full-time students pursuing an undergraduate degree, must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and be in good standing with the University.
Students must demonstrate exemplary leadership potential.
Funding cannot be granted for conferences that take place after a student’s official gradutation from the University.
If applying for summer travel, the student must be registered for classes at UTK in the coming fall.
Only one award can be received per student, per academic year.
Students must list a faculty or staff as an *official mentor/partner/advocate for the opportunity.
All students who receive funding are required present to the UTK campus community (department, organization, mentor, etc.) about their experience no more than 45 days following the conference or event, during the academic year in which they received their funds.

Required Documentation

Before applying for the W. Timothy Rogers Student Leadership Development Fund please review the list of required documentation below to ensure that you are prepared to include all necessary information.

A completed online application form includes:
- demographic information
- conference/event information
- 2 Short Essay Questions
A letter of recommendation from your faculty/staff mentor.
- This letter should include your mentor’s thoughts on how attending your selected conference or event will impact your leadership development.
- Letters can be uploaded to the application or emailed to leadserve@utk.edu with Attn: Travel Fund.
Current résumé

Notification of Selection

Response time depends on receipt of your application, the letter of recommendation, and résumé. Please allow two to three weeks for the review process to be completed. You will receive an email of the decision prior to you attending the conference/event. For questions, email leadserve@utk.edu.

Receiving of Funds

Funds will be provided to students prior to attending the conference/event via a travel advance if the application and review process is completed in enough time to do so. Students will receive instructions about how to obtain the funds and the steps necessary in reconciling funds after the event when they are notified of selection. Funds are to only cover the following expenses:

Conference/Event Registration
Travel (UTK car rental or gas for personal vehicle)
Lodging

Funds will not cover meals or flights.

Application Deadlines

Applications may be submitted up to six months in advance and no later than 30 days prior to the start of the conference. Funds are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis per semester.

W. Timothy Rogers Student Leadership Fund Application

Please complete the following application in addition to submitting a current resume and letter of recommendation from a faculty/staff mentor to leadserve@utk.edu, if you did not include it in the application. Application, resume and recommendation letter must all be received in order for the application to be considered complete.

Name*
Legal First Name Preferred Legal Last Name
UTK Email*

@vols.utk.edu - do not enter a gmail or other non-university related email
Phone Number*
Local Address
Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code Country
Academic College
Current Resume*
Max. file size: 29 MB.
Conference and Event Information
See a list of conference options above. Other conference options will be considered.
Name of Conference/Event*
Please provide the website to the conference below.*
Start Date of Conference/Event*
MM slash DD slash YYYY
End Date of Conference/Event*
MM slash DD slash YYYY
What is the anticipated cost for attending the conference?*
Please list out each expense along with a total (i.e. conference registration = $150, lodging = $150, total cost = $300)
How will you be traveling to the conference/event?*
Will you be presenting at the conference/event?
If yes, what is the title of your presentation?
Name of Faculty/Staff Mentor*

Students must select a faculty or staff as their official mentor/partner/advocate for this opportunity. The individual must submit a letter of recommendation for the student. The letter should include your mentor's thoughts on how your leadership development will be impacted by attending the conference or event. The letter must be uploaded to this application or submitted to leadserve@utk.edu prior to the application being evaluated.
Email of Faculty/Staff Mentor*
Department of Faculty/Staff Mentor

i.e. Center for Health Education and Wellness, Department of Sociology, etc.
Recommendation Letter from Faculty/Staff Mentor
Max. file size: 29 MB.
Essay Questions
How will attending this conference/event impact your leadership development and prepare you to be an effective leader on the UTK campus?*
In 500 words or less.
Define leadership and provide an example of when you demonstrated positive leadership qualities.*
In 500 words or less.
Post Conference Presentation
All students who receive funding are required to present to the Jones Center for Leadership and Service, their faculty/staff mentor, and/or campus partners about their experience no more than 45 days following the conference or event, during the academic year in which they received their funds.
I understand the requirements of the expectations for this application and agree to the term set forth.*

Initial below if you agree with the above statement.
Any Additional Relevant Files
Max. file size: 29 MB.

Clay and Debbie Jones Center for Leadership and Service

W. Timothy Rogers Student Leadership Fund Application

Conference and Event Information

Essay Questions

Post Conference Presentation