How many students do you select each year?
Up to 50.
What’s the time commitment?
The typical time commitment for Blackburn about 1-2 hours per week. There will be some weeks with no meetings and others with extended immersive off-campus events. Most of your involvement will be participating in in-person events, but we provide all of these dates ahead of time to give your predictability with scheduling (see required events above). The group civic engagement project is the only non-event based work.
Do applicants have to be from Alabama?
No. We are specifically looking for students who are interested in improving and advocating for the state of Alabama, but they are not required to be in-state residents.
Who can nominate me?
You can be nominated by UA Faculty/Staff, members of the Blackburn community, or you can nominate yourself. All nominations including self-nominations are weighted the same. The nomination process is strictly to ensure everyone receives the application at the same time.
Who is eligible to apply?
All UA students with at least one year remaining at the University. Students who are graduating but are enrolling immediately in a graduate program at UA are also eligible to apply.
What are the benefits of participating in the Institute?
The Blackburn Institute is one of the few places on campus where students have meaningful conversations and build deep relationships with peers with different perspectives and lived experiences. Students become more self-aware, develop a greater understanding of others, and learn how to conduct difficult conversations civilly and professionally.
Throughout the curriculum, students gain access to various national, state, and community influencers including government officials, business leaders, policy advocates and non-profit executives. This programming and the collaborative civic engagement project teaches students how to implement strategic initiatives when issues call them to action. The nuanced understandings they develop about Alabama, its people, and its history help students to build a vision of how to improve the quality of life for all people.
Relationships with Advisory Board members and Fellows who are committed to enacting change in Alabama and throughout the world provide students with inspiration, guidance, and partnership. Students also receive one-on-one advising from Blackburn staff to help them navigate their personal development, professional career pursuits, and passion areas for service. When students transition to Fellows upon graduation, the Institute continues to support their work and provide a lifetime of opportunities for networking and engaging with diverse individuals and critical ideas.
What type of applicants is Blackburn looking for?
We are looking for all types of students with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives, who are committed to making the state of Alabama better. We invite students from all classifications from undergraduate freshmen through graduate and professional students. We also look for evidence of demonstrated leadership potential and civic participation, which can come through holding positions of influence and other forms of service on campus or in the local community.
What does the application process like?
First, students are nominated by UA Faculty/Staff, a member of the Blackburn community, or may nominate themselves. Once nominations are closed, students will receive the application form which includes a written essay. Each applicant will also receive a group interview. After application essays and group interviews are reviewed, a select number of students will be invited back for individual interviews and the class of 50 will be chosen from this group.
What does Blackburn do on campus and in the community?
Blackburn hosts the Perspectives on Leadership speaker series, inviting industry leaders to campus to discuss leadership in their specific contexts. Additionally, we host an Annual Symposium each August, which features a keynote speaker and several content session open to all UA students. Finally, students develop a civic engagement project that is implemented in the local Tuscaloosa community or throughout the state of Alabama.
Is Blackburn a political organization?
No. We are not a partisan organization and we expressly do not advocate for any particular political stances. Because of Blackburn’s goal to improve the state of Alabama, our students and Fellows have diverse political views and many of our members choose to pursue change through political means.
Is Blackburn a community service organization?
No. While each cohort does implement a civic engagement project each year, community service is not the primary goal of the Institute. Although many projects have a direct service component, we also encourage students to affect change through policy advocacy.
Are there any costs associated with the Institute?
No. There are no direct fees associated with the Institute. All costs associated with meals and travel are covered by the Institute. Students may incur nominal costs to get to campus or purchasing toiletries for travel experiences. We encourage students to take advantage of the Crimson Career Closet for events that require business attire.
What causes does Blackburn support?
None. While the Blackburn Institute does not advocate for any particular causes, we empower our students and Fellows as change agents for issues they care about in any areas that align with our mission, vision and values.
Is Blackburn an honor society?
No. Although we have a rigorous application process, selection to the Blackburn Institute is not an achievement in itself. The work begins upon selection. We’ve adapted our student curriculum for a hybrid environment.
Is there a GPA requirement?
No. Although we have many high achieving students, there is no minimum GPA requirement.