Bonner Scholar Program Rules

Section III: Administration

3.1 Program Staff

3.1.1 Staff Levels

• All Bonner Scholars Programs must have one staff person who administers the program full-time, year-round. This person should have the title of either director or coordinator.
• In addition to the above staff member, programs with more than 40 Bonner Scholars must have additional staff administering the program, as follows:
  • Programs with 60 or more Bonner Scholars must have at least one more half-time equivalent staff member supporting the program.
  • Programs with 80 or more Bonner Scholars must have at least one more full-time equivalent staff member supporting the program.
  • The second position may be filled through a combination of professional and work-study staff. For instance, a chaplain or assistant director of student life could be assigned to provide oversight of the program at 25% of his or her total responsibilities, with the remaining 75% covered by three 10-hour-a-week work-study students.

3.1.2 Reporting to President

• The director of the Bonner Scholars Program should report directly to the president on matters concerning the program, even if the director’s immediate supervisor is not the president.

3.1.3 Responsibilities

• The Bonner Scholars Program staff is responsible for coordinating the operation of all aspects of the Bonner Scholars Program, including recruitment, selection, orientation, training, placement, reflection, enrichment, and evaluation.
• Among other responsibilities, program staff should utilize and coordinate other available institutional resources to support students and the program, including the offices responsible for admissions, financial aid, student life, religious life, internships and career development, fundraising, public relations, alumni affairs, athletics, study skills, health, and counseling.
• The Bonner director is responsible for communicating the program rules (and all changes when they occur) to all relevant administrators on campus, as well as to the Bonner Scholars.3.2 Student Leadership

3.2.1 General

• Bonner Scholars should have opportunities for leadership roles in all aspects of the program.
• Programs are encouraged to have written Bonner constitutions that define the rights and responsibilities of Bonner Scholars and describe a student leadership structure for key program areas such as recruitment, selection, regular meetings, advisory committee, placement, budget, and communication. Bonner Scholars should be encouraged to write internal handbooks and guidelines that govern the establishment and operation of these committees.

3.2.2 Bonner Congress Representatives

• Selection

• Each school in the Bonner Program determines how it will select Bonner Congress representatives. Many schools hold elections while other institutions have different selection process. Whatever method is used, the foundation encourages student input in selecting the Bonner Congress members.
• Students should be selected at the beginning of the second semester or the second term. At least one Bonner Congress representative should be selected at this time. If a student or the director decides that he/ she no longer wants to remain a member of the Bonner Congress, a school should communicate to the Foundation that this person is no longer a congress representative and select a replacement to serve in the Congress.
• If a student goes aboard for a semester or a summer or is on leave from the Bonner Program, he or she can continue to serve as a Congress Representative when they return to the program provided that the student wants to remain active and the director approves of his/her participation.

• Number of Congress Representative Allowed per School

• Each school participating in the Bonner Program is expected to have at least two active Bonner Congress representatives. Because of overlap, students returning from being away from the campus (and/or the Bonner Program), or because someone was selected as a Congress member mid-way thorough their first year of the program, there may be more than two active congress representatives. All active Congress representatives are welcome at Bonner Congress meetings, but a minimum of two is expected to attend. New Bonner Congress members are required to attend the Summer Leadership Institute for orientation.

• Term Commitment

• Once a student is selected as a Congress representative he or she can remain in that position for as long as he or she is a student in the Bonner program, in good standing with the Bonner Program and fully active in his/her role as a member of the Bonner Congress. Each Congress member is expected to serve a minimum of two years as a Bonner Congress representative. The orientation for new Congress representatives is held at the Bonner Congress meting during the Summer Leadership Institute in June.

• Expectations

Bonner Congress representatives are required to:

• At least two active Congress representatives must attend and participate in Bonner Congress meetings.
• The Fall Congress meeting is traditionally the second weekend of November, after the Fall Directors meeting and the Summer Congress meeting is held during the Summer Leadership Institute.
• Contact other Congress Representatives, especially in those in same cluster.
• Respond promptly (within 7 days) to correspondence from the Bonner Foundation and other Bonner schools.
• Develop and maintain a working relationship with the Director and Coordinator of their Bonner Program.
• Be familiar with the Bonner Congress handbook as well as the Bonner Congress section on the Bonner Foundation website (www.bonner.org).

3.3 Committees

3.3.1 Selection Committee

• The Selection Committee should consist of at least one person from the following categories: coordinator/director, admissions office, financial aid office, Bonner Scholars, faculty, and community leader.
• The Selection Committee is responsible for overseeing the entire process of recruiting and selecting incoming Bonner Scholars, including reviewing:
  • appropriate marketing, recruitment, and application materials;
  • applicants for strength of qualifications;
  • the profiles of each incoming class to assure that students meet the selection criteria;
  • materials and history on Bonner Scholars who withdraw from the program, using insights gained as a guide to refining procedures for selection of future Bonner Scholars.
• Institutions may combine the Selection Committee with the Advisory Committee (below).

3.3.2 Advisory Committee

• The Bonner Scholars Program Advisory Committee should be made up of representatives from the same categories as the Selection Committee (see above).
• It is recommend that the Advisory Committee meet at least twice each year.
• The Advisory Committee is responsible for overseeing the entire Bonner Scholars Program, including:
  • Evaluating the quality and impact of the Bonner Scholars Program on and off campus;
  • Locating sources of needed support (financial and otherwise) for the program;
  • Receiving reports from the program director and the Selection Committee on issues related to student recruiting, selection, retention, and support, as well as on- and off-campus administrative, enrichment, and service activities during the school year and summer.