By Jason Klaiber
Staff Writer
For the second straight year, the Francis E. Kelley Oxford Program is presenting its participants belonging to the honors program with the opportunity to take an honors course abroad with the assistance of scholarships at Oxford University in England.
This summer’s program will take place from July 3 through Aug. 14, 2015.
A new pair of directors have assumed leadership of the program, which is now in its 28th year. Michael Jones-Kelley, a journalism and mass communication lecturer and Claire Watson, associate professor and department chair in the School of Education, were named director and assistant director of the program respectively this past fall, replacing Brother Basil Valente and Father David Blake.
St. Bonaventure is able to grant either five or six total scholarships to honors students—each ranging between $250 and $500—with a remaining portion of a financial gift that community donors and alumni of the university gave to the program in the fall of 2013. Recipients of the scholarship are chosen based on academic standing within the honors program as well as financial need.
“Even though it’s a small scholarship, anything will help,” David Hilmey, chemistry professor and director of the university’s honors program, said. “If a student is $500 away from deciding that they want to do it, I’m hoping that this will defray some of that cost. It’s not necessarily that we felt there were any financial problems associated with it; we just felt that any little bit helps to get a student to have this opportunity because we believe it’s transformative. It’s unique. It’s a really good value, and it’s great for the students.”
The scholarship awardees are required to take an honors course while at Oxford, but the nature of the course has yet to be defined. In the past, however, these honors classes have been seminars, Hon. 299s, or equivalents of Clare Honors courses.
Aside from the scholarships, students can use Stafford Loans or college savings plans.
“Sometimes we ask students to work for local agencies, so an organization from the community may sponsor them,” Watson said. “Sometimes there are private scholarships. You have to be cautious with those, because if they tell you that you have to apply with a fee, that’s a warning sign to not go for it.”
For the upcoming summer, the overall cost of the program dropped from $7,995 to $7,800. This price tag includes tuition, room and board, breakfasts, afternoon tea, the majority of dinners and the Oxford tour.
“One of [Professor Kelley’s] big goals was to bring it [the price] down,” Watson said. “Our goal for next year is to bring it down even more if we can—not to take away from the value of it but to try to cut some of the little things that added up that would limit the students from being involved. It shouldn’t be a program that’s just for students that have more wealth in their families. It should be available for everybody.”
The prestige and cultural history of Oxford is noted by those involved with the Francis E. Kelley Program.
“You get to put the fact that you studied at Oxford on your resume,” Jones-Kelley said. “(It’s) perhaps the most prestigious university in the world.”
Jones-Kelley has planned a handful of adventures in London, such as visiting the Tower of London, the British museum and the London Eye.
“The chance to go to another country, to see things you haven’t seen before and to see beyond the horizons will change your life,” Jones-Kelley said.
The program is limited to a maximum of 30 students. Students can fill out applications can be filled out on www.sbu.edu and forwarded to either Jones-Kelley or Watson through March 1, 2015. A $200, non-refundable check made payable to St. Bonaventure University must accompany the deposit.
