PURPOSE

The King-Chavez-Parks Future Faculty Fellowship Program (KCP) was established in 1986 by the Michigan State Legislature.  The purpose of the program is to increase the pool of traditionally underrepresented candidates pursuing faculty teaching careers in postsecondary education.  Preference will not be given to applicants on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, sex, or national origin.  Applications from women, men, people with disabilities, and individuals from cultural, linguistic, geographic, and socio-economic backgrounds who would otherwise not adequately be represented in the graduate student and faculty populations are encouraged to apply. 

King-Chavez-Parks Future Faculty Fellowships (KCP) are funded from an annual State of Michigan appropriation to Oakland University.  Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning holds a competition for KCP awards and provides recipients with financial assistance to pursue master's and/or doctoral degrees.  A master's recipient can receive a maximum stipend of $20,000, and a doctoral fellow can receive a maximum stipend of $35,000.  Preference is given to those pursuing a doctoral degree.

The King-Chavez-Parks Future Faculty Fellowship Program is administered by Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning with the support of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth, King-Chavez-Parks Initiative.

CONDITIONS FOR ACCEPTANCE

Future Faculty Fellows agree to complete a master's degree within four years and a doctoral degree within eight years of receiving the Fellowship, and are obligated, by signed agreement, to remain in postsecondary faculty teaching or administration in a public or private, 2- or 4-year, in-state or out-of-state postsecondary institution for a minimum of three (3) years equivalent full-time.  

Fellows who do not fulfill the teaching and/or other obligations of their fellowship agreement may be placed in Default, which results in their fellowship converting to a loan (referred to as a KCP Loan) that the Fellow repays to the State of Michigan.

ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible for this Fellowship, a candidate must:

• KCP application form
• Two recommendation forms which should be current and speak to the Fellowship;. 
• A letter from the academic program coordinator or department chair indicating the student will satisfactorily complete the intended degree in a reasonable time. For students admitted to master's programs with the expectation of completing the doctorate at Oakland University or at another Michigan university, this letter must also address the likelihood of the student being admitted to such a doctoral program; 
• A personal statement which indicates the applicant's academic and career goals are in postsecondary education; 
• A resume or curriculum vitae - a brief statement of the applicant's educational and scholarly achievements.

SELECTION AND AWARD

A selection committee reviews applications annually and recommends the candidates to receive the award to the Executive Director of Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning. Selections are made on a competitive basis using criteria that include academic performance, research accomplishments and potential, recommendation letters, and the personal statement. Fellowship decisions are not subject to appeal.