Dr. Walter Vernon was a professor of psychology at Illinois State University from 1963 until his death in November, 1988. He was noted for teaching large sections of General Psychology, and for his love of writing. Friends and family wanted to honor Dr. Vernon with a scholarship that would be awarded to a student of similar abilities and interests.

Qualifications

Must be a full-time student admitted to the Major in Psychology;
Must have completed 30-59 hours by the spring semester;
Must have a 3.5 or higher grade point average on a 4.0 scale;
Must have received an A in PSY 110 Fundamentals of Psychology or PSY 111 Introduction to Psychology (taken at Illinois State, not a transferred course) and an A in an introductory writing class (ENG 101 or equivalent); and
Financial need is a factor for consideration.

Note: The award is generally given to a sophomore student.

Nominations

The department faculty member who taught PSY 110 or 111 at Illinois State may nominate their students. Nominations are submitted during the spring semester. Students will be notified of their nomination by April 1. Eligible students must complete the application process in order to be considered for this scholarship.

Application Process

Students should submit the following to the department's Awards Committee:

A completed application;
A current Academic Progress Summary (APS); and
Two (2) letters of recommendation, for which one letter must be from the faculty member who taught PSY 110 or 111 at Illinois State.

The application is an interactive MS Word document. Click on the link to download the form to the computer's desktop. The application should be completed on the computer, and then printed, signed, and dated.

Deadline

The student must must submit the completed application, current APS, and the letters of recommendation to the department's Awards Committee by April 15 of the nominated year.

Selection

The department's Awards Committee is responsible for awarding the Walter Vernon Scholarship in Psychology each year if there is an eligible candidate.

Stipend

The scholarship typically ranges from $300 to $900 each year. The number and amount of the scholarships will be determined by the department's Awards Committee. If the funds are left unused in the income account, the funds can be carried over for the next year or transferred to the endowment account.

Distribution

The Walter Vernon Scholarship in Psychology is an endowment fund and the scholarship is to be made in perpetuity. The department chair is responsible for distributing the scholarship funds and for appropriate publicity related to the presentation of the scholarships.

Other Considerations

The Walter Vernon Scholarship in Psychology fund is an "open" fund in the Illinois State University Foundation, which may be increased through additional contributions of cash, and may receive the proceeds from bequests, trusts, life insurance, real estate, and personal property. Additions to the fund shall be subject to the award conditions contained in these guidelines.