Minnesota State University, Mankato
Department of World Languages and Cultures
Kaufmanis Scholarship
World Languages & Cultures Scholarship
For Students of German
Mrs. Kaufmanis was an enthusiastic, devoted and popular teacher of German and Russian at Mankato State in the 1950’s and early 1960’s. She is remembered particularly for her successful practice of approaching students standing in line at registration, asking them why they weren’t taking a foreign language and signing them up on the spot. Her husband is a well-known astronomer.
One scholarship in her honor in the amount of $500 will be awarded this year to an outstanding student of German. All students in German who will be attending MSU next year, graduate or undergraduate, on campus or on an approved study-abroad exchange program, are encouraged to apply. The possibility of consecutive awards is not precluded. Application forms are available from the department office or on line at http://www.mnsu.edu/languages/scholarships.html. In your application essay, please cite German language-related activities (be specific and detailed) and future plans for use of the language. Attach a current academic transcript.
A committee from World Languages and Cultures will review all applications. Committee members will consider the demonstrated performance and the perceived potential of each candidate in making their recommendations. In their deliberations, the committee members will give preference to German majors who have done the following:
1. Achieved at a minimum an overall GPA of 3.2 and a GPA of 3.5 in German coursework.
2. Completed at least one upper division course in the target language.
3. Demonstrated enthusiastic and consistent participation in one or both
of the following areas:
a) unpaid departmental activities.
b) unpaid activities outside the Department of World Languages and Cultures that
involve the use and/or promotion of German.
In the event of a tie between two candidates, their respective grade-point averages will be the determining factor. After all of the applications have been reviewed, candidates will be informed by letter of the Department’s decision. In the event that the recipient should drop below full-time student status at any time during the 2013-2014 academic year, the department will award the balance of the scholarship to the runner-up.
Applicants should submit a 250- to 350-word essay providing specific examples of foreign-language related activities in which they are involved and future plans to use their German language and cultural knowledge. This essay should include their projected coursework for the 2013-2014 academic year. Students must provide a current academic transcript (unofficial transcript is acceptable).
The application form should be returned no later than March 21, 2013.
For further information contact:
Dr. James Grabowska, Chair, or Theresa Dickey 389-2116 Armstrong Hall 227