About the fund

The fund is designed for women whose circumstances make attending the conference a personal hardship. Funding is prioritized for women who receive no institutional support (though the funding may be used to supplement limited professional development dollars based on the requests in a given year). This fund was created with a generous gift from Dr. Lynette Findley and is supported by the MI-ACE Women’s Network Board Members on an annual basis.

Who can apply?

Any woman working in a higher education institution in the state of Michigan, whose institution is an institutional member of the MI ACE Women’s Network, may apply.

How to apply?

Please submit a Statement of Interest and answers to the following questions (paper or electronic form accepted) by May 15 to the Lynette Findley Conference Scholarship Fund Committee chair Martha Grier, [email protected].

Your Statement of Interest must include:

• Name (last, first)
• Current title
• Phone/email
• Name of your institution

Personal Statement

A Personal Statement should address the following questions (not to exceed 500 words):

1. Please write a paragraph or two about your professional journey in higher education.
   • What are you currently doing?
   • How do you think the conference will help you grow?
   • What are your professional plans in the next five years?
   • What is your motivation for attending the conference?
   • How will attending the conference assist you in attaining your professional goals?

2. Please outline your financial limitations and financial request as they relate to the conference.
   • Is your institution providing you financial assistance for professional development?
   • Do you plan on attending both days of the conference or only one?
   • Do you require funding for accommodations?
   • The maximum scholarship is $280.  How much are you seeking?

3. The Lynette Findley MI-ACE Women’s Network Conference Scholarship recipient(s) may be announced at the annual conference and through other media. Please confirm that you grant your permission for your name and institution to be recognized.

The Michigan ACE Women’s Network, a chapter of the American Council on Education, has application materials available for scholarships to be awarded to qualified women faculty members and administrators who wish to pursue senior leadership positions in colleges and universities.

These scholarships are to be used to attend Regional Summits, sponsored by ACE. The applicants must have the support of their college/university deans, provosts or presidents to attend their chosen Summit. Please note that the college/university where the applicant is employed must be a member of the MI-ACE. Click here for a list of member institutions.

The applicant must demonstrate previous leadership in higher education, and have already established future educational leadership goals. The applicant, if selected for a scholarship, also must agree to prepare and present an information session about their experience at the MI-ACE Annual Conference in June.

Although the MI-ACE Women’s Network will not be providing scholarships for the ACE National Conference, information regarding the event is provided here for your reference. ACE’s Annual Meeting is the country’s most distinguished higher education event, attracting nearly 2,000 presidents, senior executives, and other higher education leaders from all institutional types to explore fresh perspectives for practical solutions on campus, network with top leaders across all higher education sectors, and bring data-driven insights back to campus. Click here for more information about ACE Events.