Bachelor of Accounting & Financial Management

Fellowship

Quick Link: Fellowship Award Descriptions I Video on Fellowship


The School of Accounting and Finance (SAF) Fellowship Program supports undergraduate students enrolled in the University of Waterloo’s Accounting and Financial Management (AFM) program. The primary objective of the SAF Fellowship Program is to develop outstanding leaders and future professionals, by recruiting excellent students, providing them with additional opportunities to grow and develop, and recognizing their achievements.

Overview of Benefits

The SAF Fellowship offers students three types of benefits:

  1. Financial Aid
  2. Professional Development
  3. Recognition

Eligibility of Candidates

Only students enrolled in the AFM program are eligible for SAF Fellowships.

  • If a student switches into another program while at the University of Waterloo, the Fellowship is discontinued.
  • If a student interrupts completion of the AFM program for extraordinary reasons, eligibility for the Fellowship may be deferred; however, the student must clearly explain the nature of his/her circumstances and obtain approval of the deferral from the SAF Fellowship Committee prior to the interruption.

Students in the AFM program may receive a SAF scholarship and a President's scholarship in addition to a Fellowship award.

Selection Process

The Fellowship Program will fill the number of Fellowships available for a particular incoming class with newly admitted students, and with students beginning Year 2 for the remaining places.

2012 Fellowship selection and interviews for incoming students: The AFM Admissions Committee and the SAF Fellowship Selection Committee will be completing our assessment of all AFM qualified candidates for Fellowship consideration in the first half of May 2012. Students selected for a Fellowship interview will be contacted by phone during the period of May 14 - 18th. The 2012 Fellowship Interview date is scheduled for Saturday, May 26, 2012.

Students within driving radius are encouraged to come to campus to participate in the interview process. Location and timing will be provided to the students at the time of the phone call. For more directions and a map to the uWaterloo campus please visit: http://uwaterloo.ca/map/

The Fellowship Program Committee is looking to have a group of students in the Fellowship Program that represents in number about 10% of their total class size. Students entering the AFM program in the Fall of 2012 are in the Class of 2017. Committee members will fill a number of Fellowships available for a particular incoming class with selected newly admitted students. The rest of the Fellowship Program placements for that class will be filled with students at the beginning of Year 2, after students have had a chance to prove themselves as engaged AFM students.

The following describes the Fellowship selection process for incoming students, entering in Fall 2012.

Recipients are selected from the incoming class based on:

  • academic performance,
  • demonstrated leadership qualities
  • involvement in extracurricular or volunteer activities, and
  • enthusiasm for the opportunities that the Fellowship Program has to offer and commitment to participating in those opportunities.

To assess these attributes, the SAF takes into consideration:

  • the student’s academic average,
  • performance on the Accounting and Financial Management Admissions Assignment (AFMAA),
  • the Admissions Information Form (AIF), and
  • an interview.

Selection Process

Based on their academic records to date, qualified applicants will be invited to write the Accounting and Financial Management Admissions Assignment (AFMAA). Then based on the score achieved on the AFMAA, their admission average and Admission Information Form (AIF), selected applicants will be admitted to the AFM program. From this group of students, about 40-50 people will be invited to participate in a Fellowship Program interview on campus. No application is required for the Fellowship Program; qualified candidates will be invited to attend the interviews.

2012 Fellowship selection and interviews: The AFM Admissions Committee and the SAF Fellowship Selection Committee will be completing the assessment of all qualified candidates for Fellowship consideration in the first half of May, 2012. Students selected for Fellowship interview will be contacted by phone during the period of May 14 - 18th, 2012.

The 2012 Fellowship Interview date is scheduled for Saturday, May 26, 2012. Students within driving radius are encouraged to come to campus with their families to participate in the interview process. Location and timing will be provided to the students at the time of the phone call. For more directions and a map to the uWaterloo campus please visit: http://uwaterloo.ca/map/

This year the Fellowship Progra Interview Day is the being held in conjunctionwith You@Waterloo Day being hosted campus wide. See the events listing on http://findoutmore.uwaterloo.ca/ to learn more about You@Waterloo Day.


Interview Process

Interviews will take place on May 26, 2012 at the University of Waterloo in the School of Accounting and Finance building. In some cases, arrangements for a telephone interview may be considered and these will take place on Friday, May 25, 2012.

During the interview day:

  1. Applicants will begin their day with an introductory chat and refreshments with senior students who are Fellows (30mins).
  2. Applicants will participate in an interview with a panel comprised of a faculty or staff member, a current Fellowship student and an alumnus.


The Fellowships will be determined on the basis of the interview, performance in the AFMAA, the Admission Information Form (AIF), and their academic record. The interview will be the final deciding factor.

All applicants interviewed will be notified of their status for Fellowship consideration no later than the week of May 28, 2012.

For More Information

If you have any further questions about the Fellowship Program, please contact:

Lynn Graham, Student Relations Coordinator
Linda Robinson, Fellowship Program Director

    The Fellowship Program Committee is looking to have a group of students in the Fellowship Program that represents in number about 10% of their total class size. Committee members will fill a number of Fellowships available for a particular incoming class with selected newly admitted students. The rest of the Fellowship Program placements for that class will be filled with students at the beginning of Year 2, after students have had a chance to prove themselves as engaged AFM students.

    The following describes the Fellowship selection and application process for Year 2 and upper-year students as it applies in 2012.

    Year 2 and upper-year Fellowship recipients are selected based on:

    • academic performance,
    • demonstrated leadership qualities,
    • involvement in extracurricular or volunteer activities,
    • enthusiasm for the opportunities that the Fellowship Program has to offer and,
    • commitment to participating in those opportunities.

    To assess these attributes, the SAF takes into consideration:

    • the student’s academic performance at uWaterloo (minimum cumulative overall average of 80% and Major Average of 80%),
    • a review of their e-Portfolio,
    • 1-3 letters of reference with at least one coming from an SAF faculty or staff, and
    • an interview.


    Application and Interview Process

    Students will be made aware of the opportunity to apply for Year 2 Fellowships. The deadline for application is Monday, August 1, 2012. Interviews for Year 2 Fellows will take place on Friday, September 7, 2012, before the beginning of their 2A term.

    Upper-year Students

    Vacancies in the Fellowship Program - another opportunity to apply.

    Upper-year students may apply for Fellowships should places become available during their third and fourth years. Should Fellowships become available due to the loss of a student or students to the Program, the relevant class is notified of its availability, and applications are accepted for a Fellowship for the remainder of the original four-year term.

    The SAF Fellowship Committee manages the applications for lapsed Fellowships using the same process as that for Year 2 Fellowship applications. Replacement Fellows are chosen in early May for 2012.

    Year 2 and upper-year Fellowship recipients are selected based on:

    • academic performance,
    • demonstrated leadership qualities,
    • involvement in extracurricular or volunteer activities,
    • enthusiasm for the opportunities that the Fellowship Program has to offer and commitment to participating in those opportunities.

    To assess these attributes, the SAF takes into consideration:

    • A letter of intent
    • the student’s academic performance at UW (minimum cumulative overall average of 80% and Major Average of 80%),
    • a review of their e-Portfolio,
    • 1-3 letters of reference with at least one coming from an SAF faculty or staff, and
    • an interview.

    Upper-year Fellowship application deadline: April 15th, 2012

    Upper-year Fellowship interviews: Friday, May 4th, 2012.

    For More Information

    If you have any further questions about the Fellowship Program, please contact:

    Lynn Graham, Student Relations Coordinator
    Linda Robinson, Fellowship Program Director

Payment of Awards

Students newly admitted to the AFM program who are selected as a Fellow will receive $750 per term in Years 1 and 2 (a total of $1500 per year). In Years 3 and 4, students will receive payments of $1000 per term (a total of $2000 per year). Over the four years of study, $7000 will be awarded.

Students selected as Year 2 Fellows will receive a payment of $750 per term in Year 2, as well as payments of $1000 per term in Years 3 and 4. Over the three years of study, $5500 will be awarded.

Completion of Fellowship Program Activities

By accepting an SAF Fellowship, the student commits to complete the Fellowship Program activities. The activities include leadership training sessions, program events, and tasks. An important event for the Fellowship Program each year is the Awards Dinner that happens in the fall.

The tasks include the Ambassador Program and recruitment team commitment in Years 1 and 2, as well as a teaching, research assistance, tutoring, or peer leader assignment during each study term in Years 3 and 4. Fellowship Program students may also be invited to participate in special projects within the SAF to complete their Fellowship Program Task.

The Program Coordinator will organize the completion of the task commitments in each of these years. The expected participation during Years 1 and 2 is approximately 20-30 hours/term (2-3 hours/week). For each term the student is on campus during Years 3 and 4, they will take on a Fellowship Program Task. The expected workload during years 3 and 4 is approximately 40 - 50 hours/term (about 4 hours/week).

The goal of the task assignment process is to provide the student with an experience of all the tasks, creating a mixture of peer leading, teaching, tutoring, and researching experience. Where possible the assignment will take into consideration some continuity in the relationship between a student and an individual professor. Students are invited to give suggestions of which course or professor they would like to work with. The assignment process is completed before the start of the term and students are notified in advance of their task.

For Teaching Assistants (TA), the faculty member will assign any of the traditional TA responsibilities. At the end of the term the student will receive an evaluation from the faculty member with whom they worked.

For Research Assistants (RA), the faculty member and the student will finalize specific assignment objectives and milestone deadlines. The student documents their objectives and planned actions in a Personal Term Plan. During the term, the student receives informal feedback and coaching from the faculty member. At the end of the term, the faculty member and student meet to determine a performance evaluation based on the student's Personal Term Plan.

For Peer Leaders, interested Fellowship Program students will apply to be a Peer Leader for one of the clusters (up to 20 students), which make up the residence Living-Learning Community. They will work with other Peer Leaders and the Coordinator of the Living-Learning Community, in providing mentorship support to junior students and in planning and running a number of programs within the Living-Learning Community. At the end of the term, a student will receive feedback from not only the Coordinator of the Living-Learning Community, but also from the junior students they have been supporting.

Working in the SAF Academic Coaching Centre, Fellows will be assigned office hours where they will work with 1st and 2nd year SAF students on required AFM courses. Training in tutoring will be provided. An evaluation form will be completed at the end of the term for the staff. Academic Coaching Centre Staff will be supported by the Student Relations Coordinator, and asked to meet with these individuals at scheduled intervals.

For students assigned to special projects as they arise in the SAF, their work will fall within the required number of hours and will have clear definition of purpose. Deadlines will be set as well as regular briefing sessions with the faculty or staff person overseeing the project.

Students selected as 3rd or 4th year Fellows will complete the required assignments for the years during which they are part of the Fellowship Program. Many of these opportunities also exist for students not in the Fellowship Program.

Term of Award and Continuation Requirements

The term of the SAF Fellowship is for a maximum of four years. Continuation of the Fellowship requires the maintenance of both an overall cumulative average of 80% and a major cumulative average of 80% in each of the 4 years. Continuation of the Fellowship is subject to the following requirements:

  • Maintenance of both an overall cumulative average of 80% and a major cumulative average of 80% in each of the 4 years.
  • Attendance at and active participation in leadership training sessions and  events held throughout the term .
  • Professional Behaviour including maintaining communication with program coordinator and completing all reporting documentation.
  • Satisfactory completion of co-op work terms, including work term reports.
  • Participation in the Ambassador Program and student recruitment activities in Years 1 and/or 2.
  • Notice from the student's assigned faculty/staff member(s) of satisfactory completion of Fellowship Program Task responsibilities (two terms) in Years 3 and 4.
  • Notice from the Residence Living-Learning Community Coordinator of satisfactory completion of a peer leadership placement (two terms) in Years 3 and 4.

Should a student fail to meet the continuation requirements, a meeting will be held between the student and the Fellowship Program Committee to review the situation. Unsatisfactory performance in a Fellowship Program task will also be cause for a review session with the Fellowship Program Committee. The assessment includes the possibility of a probationary period or loss of Fellowship as determined by the Fellowship Program Committee. For More Information If you have any further questions about the Fellowship Program, please contact: Linda Robinson, Fellowship Program Director Lynn Graham, Student Relations Coordinator.

 
 

AFM
The School of Accounting and Finance is the only English speaking professional school of its kind in Canada. We offer 2 undergraduate (Accounting and Financial Management and Computing and Financial Management) and 3 graduate (Master of Accounting; Master of Taxation; PhD in Accounting) programs to provide students with the technical, analytical, evaluative, and communication skills needed to prepare for successful careers in public accounting, finance, industry, government and not-for-profit sectors. In conjunction with the Faculties of Mathematics and Science, the School also administers 2 undergraduate programs (Mathematics/Chartered Accountancy; Biotechnology/Chartered Accountancy) and 1 graduate program (Master of Quantitative Finance).