L&S Halls Visiting Scholar Fund

This document contains the memorandum detailing the uses and application process for the Jay C. and Ruth Halls Visiting Scholar Fund, updated for 2021-2022.


March 12, 2021

TO: Chairs of Departments/Programs: African Cultural Studies, Afro-American Studies, Art History, Asian Languages & Cultures, Center for the Humanities, Classical and Near Eastern Studies, Communication Arts, English, English - Program in Creative Writing, French & Italian, German, Nordic and Slavic, History, Institute for Research in the Humanities, Integrated Liberal Studies, Jewish Studies, Language Science Program, Medieval Studies, Philosophy, Religious Studies, School of Music, Spanish & Portuguese, Gender & Women's Studies

FROM: Eric Wilcots, Interim Dean, College of Letters & Science
       Susan Zaeske, Associate Dean for the Arts and Humanities, College of Letters & Science

RE: Jay C. and Ruth Halls Visiting Scholar Fund

The Halls bequest to the UW Foundation, for the benefit of "classical and modern literary studies" provides for a Visiting Scholars Fund, available to, and meant to be shared among, the eligible departments. The sole purpose of the fund is to enable departments and programs to bring distinguished visiting scholars in classical and modern literary studies to campus for visits ranging from one week to the entire semester during the academic year. During their residencies, they would give at least one public lecture as well as seminars or workshops on predetermined topics, meeting with undergraduate and graduate students. Efforts should be made to coordinate visitors with instructional programs already in place, such as a senior honors seminar being taught in a given semester, a topics course in the visitor's area of expertise, etc. Please note that the Halls Visiting Scholar funds are not to be used for a course (mini-course) uniquely taught by the visiting professor; they are to be used as enrichment to regular courses in a department's timetable. Two or more departments may submit a joint request. 

Funds would pay for travel, honorarium, and per diem expenses, and to host one or more receptions for the visitor. Funds from the Halls Visiting Scholar fund will allow up to $400 for a reception(s). Please include a detailed budget in your nomination packet; calculate per diem expenses according to the UW Systems Lodging & Per Diem Calculator at https://uw.foxworldtravel.com/rate-calculator/. Airfare is limited to the lowest available fare. 

Visiting scholars will be selected on the basis of departmental nominations to a committee established by the Dean of the College of Letters & Science. The award is expected to circulate among departments. Nominations should be made well in advance of the semester in which the visit will occur to enable all parties to make the necessary preparations for a successful visit. 

Please submit your nominations as a single PDF file to my assistant Lori DeMeuse at lori.demeuse@wisc.edu by Friday, April 9, 2021. Nominations should be for the academic year 2021-2022 (either semester I or II). Departments whose nominations are approved will be notified the week of April 19. 

If you have any questions about the application process, please contact Lori DeMeuse at lori.demeuse@wisc.edu. 

xc: Ben Ball, L&S Administration
Mary Machaj, L&S Accounting 
Lori DeMeuse, Deans Office