1993-1996
Georgetown’s Intellectual Life Report shows that students study fewer hours, work more hours for pay and report themselves as partying more than any of the other schools with which it competes for students. Alarmed at this news, the executive faculty sets up the Task Force on the Intellectual Life of the Undergraduates. The task force runs for about one year and concludes that many bright, academically motivated students feel isolated at Georgetown. Dr. John Glavin and Dr. Elaine Romanelli of the Business School suggest that a self-defining program of students interested in an intellectual environment be created, and the idea is combined with the existing John Carroll Scholarships for high academic achievers with financial need in the admissions office.
1997
The first class of the new John Carroll Scholars program is admitted.
2001-2002
The first few classes of John Carroll Scholars graduate. The program’s administrators realize that many of its students did not live up to the expected standards, and that many students who did not matriculate into the program should have been able to participate but found it closed. Dr. Glavin and colleagues begin to reformulate the program, opening it to current students.
2003
The concept of the Carroll Fellows is separated from the Carroll scholarships, which return to the control of Admissions. The Carroll Scholars receive simply the scholarship money, and the Fellows carry on the goal of fostering intellectual community, with a greater emphasis on research. The Carroll Clusters are introduced into the program.
2005
The John Carroll program is renamed the Carroll Fellows Initiative. Beginning with the class of 2009, incoming freshman are no
longer accepted directly to the program.
