Deadline for Nominations February 23, 2024

The Goizueta Foundation, founded by Roberto C. Goizueta (former Chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company), established The Goizueta Foundation Graduate Scholars Fund to enhance the education and skills of graduate students committed to improving Latino education. The Center for Latino Achievement and Success in Education (CLASE), housed in UGA’s Mary Frances Early College of Education, administers The Goizueta Foundation Graduate Scholar program and trains and supervises the outstanding graduate students from departments across UGA who are awarded the assistantships. Scholars are expected to contribute to the educational improvement of underrepresented groups in the U.S. after graduate school.

THE AWARD

This position will receive a 1/3-time College of Education graduate research assistantship, paid over ten months. In addition, students awarded these assistantships are eligible for a reduced tuition rate, paying only $25 per semester plus student fees. The Goizueta Foundation Graduate Scholars work with CLASE 13 hours per week starting at the beginning of the academic year, to support Center research, instruction and outreach projects. GA activities can include but are not limited to:

• Supporting the CLASE professional development activities

• Supporting CLASE’s outreach activities

• Conducting literature reviews

• Grant writing to support CLASE’s activities

• Data collection and analysis to support CLASE’s research

• Preparing papers and presentations from CLASE research

• Presenting about CLASE research and outreach at conferences

• Supporting CLASE’s social media presence

• Performing administrative tasks to support CLASE as needed

As part of their work activities, Awarded Graduate Assistants work in collaborative teams that offer them structured support while providing them with opportunities to investigate, discuss and apply the theories and practices which are the foundations for our research on reducing the academic achievement gap for culturally and linguistically diverse students. Assistantships are awarded for one year, and may be renewed based on funding availability, excellent performance and satisfactory progress towards their degree.

125 Aderhold Hall

110 Carlton Street Athens, Georgia 30602 TEL 706-542-3997 | FAX 706-583-8207 clase@uga.edu https://coe.uga.edu/clase

ELIGIBILITY

Eligible students are current or incoming graduate students (preference given to doctoral students) who have been admitted by the award notification deadline to the UGA Graduate School and a graduate program in any college at the University of Georgia and who have:

● An outstanding academic record
● Interest/expertise/experience in Latino education and/or potential and intent to

contribute to Latino education in the United States during graduate school and

afterwards.
● Bi/multilingual or proficiency in Spanish and/or Portuguese preferred
● Citizenship, permanent residence, family in the U.S., or other strong indication of

intent to remain in the U.S. following graduation preferred
● Preference given to students whose graduate studies align with CLASE’s mission and

strategic goals

APPLICATION MATERIALS
New Applicants must prepare the following materials:

● A letter of interest written by the student:
o describing how the applicant meets the eligibility and selection criteria

(including Spanish (other language) proficiency, program/department

applying to, academic goals, and commitment to Latino education/outreach) o reflecting how the student believes they could contribute to and benefit from

CLASE’s mission and current projects and goals

• A current resume/CV with contact information

• Two letters of recommendation from faculty familiar with student’s work with

  contact information

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Graduate Coordinators may submit two nominees per department by the deadline of Friday, February 23, 2024. Students preparing application materials should submit them to the graduate coordinator of the department where the student is applying. The student should provide the faculty writing the recommendation letter with contact information for the departmental graduate coordinator and inform the graduate coordinator of the faculty who will be recommending. Reference letters should be emailed directly to the graduate coordinator of that department with “Goizueta Graduate Assistantship Reference” and the full name of the student in the subject line. The Graduate Coordinator of that department will compile the documents (in the order listed above), save them as a single pdf file, and submit the application packet electronically in GradStatus form G109 (http://grad.uga.edu/goizueta).

Current Goizueta Foundation Graduate Scholars who are applying for an additional year of funding should provide directly to CLASE, 125 Aderhold Hall (by February 23, 2024):

• A letter from the Department Head or Graduate Coordinator indicating that the student is making satisfactory progress towards his/her degree;

• A letter from the candidate expressing interest in the request for an additional year of funding. This letter should identify what the student considers their key accomplishments as a Goizueta Graduate Scholar and how the Assistantship has benefited them in their professional and academic trajectory.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION

Priority for these awards will go to students based on the following criteria:

• ●  Interest in Latino education, culture, and related research

• ●  Strength of academic record

• ●  Strength of applications and departmental and professional references

• ●  Strong commitment to and potential for positively impacting the education of

  culturally and linguistically diverse learners in the United States after completion of graduate school as scholars and/or professionals

NOMINATION DEADLINE AND TIMELINE

All nominations for new applicants should be submitted electronically by department’s graduate coordinator to GradStatus form G109 (http://grad.uga.edu/goizueta) by 5 pm on February 23, 2024. Applications will be reviewed and select candidates will be interviewed (in person or by phone) in March/April. Students will be informed of a decision by no later than April 12, 2024. Please direct any questions regarding these assistantships to, Dr. Paula Mellom, Interim Director of CLASE, at pjmellom@uga.edu.