The Katy Library has scheduled free computer courses classes covering topics ranging from the basics to office productivity and special topics at its location at 5414 Franz Road.A seven-week course on basic computer skills will begin on Jan. 4. Sessions will be offered beginning at 10:15 a.m. and 5:15 p.m. on Mondays, and 1:15 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Wednesdays.
A five-week class on Microsoft Office Excel and PowerPoint 2007 will begin on Jan. 3. One-hour sessions will be given at 10:15 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, and 10:15 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Thursdays.Registration is not required. Class space is limited to 13 students per class session, with seating given on a first-come, first-served basis.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Students received scholarships from the MUS
The following students received scholarships from the Minnesota State University College of Business:
Richard and Leone Myers Finance Scholarship Christopher Wilke of North Mankato, $400.
Hickory Tech Foundation Scholarship Hannah Wasko of Mankato, $1,000.
CHS Foundation Scholarship Victoria Hagen of Mankato, $1,000.
Dean Bowyer/Baseball Endowed Scholarship Nick Kaus of North Mankato, $500.
The following International students received scholarships from the Minnesota State University College of Business for the 2011-2012 academic school year:
Elmer T. and Nina C. Anderson Endowed Scholarship Natsua Asai, $725; Anuka Rodrigo, $725; Guanyu Ma, $725 Mohammad Khan, $725.
Gaber Abouelenein Scholarship — Kirill Graminschi, $1,000 .
Finance Faculty Student Scholarship — Sanjesh Kumar, $1,000.
B.H. and Betty Chesley Endowed Scholarship — Anisha Pant, $475.
Essentials of Orchestra Management
MANKATO — Mankato Symphony Orchestra’s Executive Director Sara Buechmann was accepted into the Essentials of Orchestra Management program offered by the League of American Orchestras. Only 30 candidates are accepted each year based on leadership potential, application essays and letters of recommendations from other professionals in the field.
North Dakota State University
Hailey Colbrunn, daughter of Michael and Merilee Colbrunn of Mankato, was admitted to North Dakota State University “With Distinction” for fall 2012. Distinction means that NDSU is acknowledging Colbrunn as an honor student.
Study Abroad Programs
The following students are studying abroad during the fall 2011 semester through the Office for Education Abroad at the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph and Saint John’s University in Collegeville:
Andrew Thom, son of Jeff and Cindy Thom of North Mankato, is studying in Australia through St. Joseph and Saint John’s University.
Gretchen Osdoba, daughter of Dan and Kris Osdoba of Mankato, is studying in the Greco-Roman program. Osdoba is a junior chemistry major at College of Saint Benedict.
Mary Weber, daughter of Frank and Connie Weber of Kasota, is studying in the Roman-Greco program. Weber is a junior sociology major at College of Saint Benedict.
Welsh Association
The Board of Directors of the Minnesota Gymanfa Ganu Association, Minnesota Welsh Association, elected the following persons and committee chairs for 2011-2012: President Marcia Richards, Mankato; Vice President Robert Williams, Vernon Center; Secretary Karen Wojahn, Windom; Treasurer Helen Balcome, Lake Crystal; Membership Steve Alinder, Le Sueur; Historian Shirley Grundmeier, Mankato; and Publicity Ellis Jones, St. Peter.
Essentials of Orchestra Management program
Mankato Symphony Orchestra’s Executive Director Sara Buechmann was accepted into the Essentials of Orchestra Management program offered by the League of American Orchestras.Admission is competitive and only 30 candidates are accepted each year based on leadership potential, application essays and letters of recommendations from other professionals in the field.
Mankato Riverblenders Barbershop Chorus
The Mankato Riverblenders Barbershop Chorus placed second, 3 points out of first place, in “Harmony Internationals” 2011 Chapter Achievement Program. Each chapter was judged on Membership, Community, Chapter Management, Events/Contests, and Fulfillment. The Riverblenders score of 92 was the highest score in Community of the top ten chapters.The Riverblenders have 52 members on its roster and have five active quartets that performed or competed over 60 times during the past year. The chorus has won the Southwest District Contest 14 different times and then competes at the District level.
North Dakota State University
Emily Karkoska, daughter of Robert and Nancy Karkoska of Mankato, has been admitted to North Dakota State University “With Distinction.” She will enter NDSU in fall 2012. Distinction means that NDSU is acknowledging Karkoska as an honor student.
Marine Corps
Marine Corps Pvt. Marielle M. Schultz, daughter of Christine L. and Ronald V. Schultz of Easton, completed 12 weeks of basic training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, S.C
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Katherine Ann Ingman of Mankato graduated in December, 2011, from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Richard and Leone Myers Finance Scholarship Christopher Wilke of North Mankato, $400.
Hickory Tech Foundation Scholarship Hannah Wasko of Mankato, $1,000.
CHS Foundation Scholarship Victoria Hagen of Mankato, $1,000.
Dean Bowyer/Baseball Endowed Scholarship Nick Kaus of North Mankato, $500.
The following International students received scholarships from the Minnesota State University College of Business for the 2011-2012 academic school year:
Elmer T. and Nina C. Anderson Endowed Scholarship Natsua Asai, $725; Anuka Rodrigo, $725; Guanyu Ma, $725 Mohammad Khan, $725.
Gaber Abouelenein Scholarship — Kirill Graminschi, $1,000 .
Finance Faculty Student Scholarship — Sanjesh Kumar, $1,000.
B.H. and Betty Chesley Endowed Scholarship — Anisha Pant, $475.
Essentials of Orchestra Management
MANKATO — Mankato Symphony Orchestra’s Executive Director Sara Buechmann was accepted into the Essentials of Orchestra Management program offered by the League of American Orchestras. Only 30 candidates are accepted each year based on leadership potential, application essays and letters of recommendations from other professionals in the field.
North Dakota State University
Hailey Colbrunn, daughter of Michael and Merilee Colbrunn of Mankato, was admitted to North Dakota State University “With Distinction” for fall 2012. Distinction means that NDSU is acknowledging Colbrunn as an honor student.
Study Abroad Programs
The following students are studying abroad during the fall 2011 semester through the Office for Education Abroad at the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph and Saint John’s University in Collegeville:
Andrew Thom, son of Jeff and Cindy Thom of North Mankato, is studying in Australia through St. Joseph and Saint John’s University.
Gretchen Osdoba, daughter of Dan and Kris Osdoba of Mankato, is studying in the Greco-Roman program. Osdoba is a junior chemistry major at College of Saint Benedict.
Mary Weber, daughter of Frank and Connie Weber of Kasota, is studying in the Roman-Greco program. Weber is a junior sociology major at College of Saint Benedict.
Welsh Association
The Board of Directors of the Minnesota Gymanfa Ganu Association, Minnesota Welsh Association, elected the following persons and committee chairs for 2011-2012: President Marcia Richards, Mankato; Vice President Robert Williams, Vernon Center; Secretary Karen Wojahn, Windom; Treasurer Helen Balcome, Lake Crystal; Membership Steve Alinder, Le Sueur; Historian Shirley Grundmeier, Mankato; and Publicity Ellis Jones, St. Peter.
Essentials of Orchestra Management program
Mankato Symphony Orchestra’s Executive Director Sara Buechmann was accepted into the Essentials of Orchestra Management program offered by the League of American Orchestras.Admission is competitive and only 30 candidates are accepted each year based on leadership potential, application essays and letters of recommendations from other professionals in the field.
Mankato Riverblenders Barbershop Chorus
The Mankato Riverblenders Barbershop Chorus placed second, 3 points out of first place, in “Harmony Internationals” 2011 Chapter Achievement Program. Each chapter was judged on Membership, Community, Chapter Management, Events/Contests, and Fulfillment. The Riverblenders score of 92 was the highest score in Community of the top ten chapters.The Riverblenders have 52 members on its roster and have five active quartets that performed or competed over 60 times during the past year. The chorus has won the Southwest District Contest 14 different times and then competes at the District level.
North Dakota State University
Emily Karkoska, daughter of Robert and Nancy Karkoska of Mankato, has been admitted to North Dakota State University “With Distinction.” She will enter NDSU in fall 2012. Distinction means that NDSU is acknowledging Karkoska as an honor student.
Marine Corps
Marine Corps Pvt. Marielle M. Schultz, daughter of Christine L. and Ronald V. Schultz of Easton, completed 12 weeks of basic training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, S.C
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Katherine Ann Ingman of Mankato graduated in December, 2011, from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Friday, December 16, 2011
State to fund more study abroad in Brazil, Russia, India and China
The Norwegian parliament's committee on education has asked the Ministry of Education to fund more Norwegians to study in Brazil, Russia, India and China the four original BRIC countries from 2012.Kyrre Lekve, junior education minister, said funding would be focused on attendance at good quality institutions listed in international rankings.We are working on a model, where the eligibility criteria will be coupled to the international ranking lists. We know that these lists have many weaknesses, but we have to try out some selection instruments, Lekve said.
We will use a simple rule: higher education institutions in the BRIC countries on the Academic Ranking of World Universities 400 or the Times Higher Education 500 ranking will be eligible for support for Norwegian students.The ministry is now working on how this will be implemented. Significant numbers of Norwegian students already travel to South Africa, which joined the bloc to create BRICS in 2010.The Association of Norwegian Students Abroad (ANSA) welcomed the focus on emerging countries.There were 165 exchange students in India, 94 in Russia and 279 in China, but only eight bachelor students were studying for a degree in China and none in India, said Kristiane Roe Hammer, president of ANSA.This proposal from
the parliamentary committee is something ANSA has been working for over many years.
But she said ANSA opposed the government's decision to concentrate funding at élite universities, as set out in the white paper on internationalisation of higher education 2008-09, and the use of rankings to decide who gets funding.She said:Such rankings are research-based and not a good instrument to measure the quality of teaching.ANSA thinks that all higher education institutions recognised by the Norwegian authorities should be eligible for support.
To ensure as many Norwegian students as possible have the opportunity to study abroad, it is important that not only élite institutions are eligible, Hammer told University World News.It is not only students with the straight As that are benefiting from going abroad to study.ANSA said that NOKUT, the government body responsible for approving quality in education, has a list of approximately 12,000 approved institutions around the world where Norwegians studying there are eligible for student loans through the Norwegian Government Loan Board.
These institutions have already been evaluated and found to have high standards. They include 4,000 institutions in the United States and 4,000 in Europe alone.According to ANSA, NOKUT, in approving higher education institutions, already works as a guarantor for quality in the education, and another 'quality list' would be redundant.Hammer said the next step after extending funding for study in emerging economies would be to include other countries of strategic importance for Norway, like Japan, Chile, Argentina, Malaysia and the US.This year 21,811 Norwegian students studied abroad, compared to 221,123 students studying in Norway, either for a full degree or as exchange students, with comparatively generous support from the Norwegian Government Loan Board.The number of Norwegian students financed by the Government Loan Board in 2010-11 was 21,811, of whom 14,154 studied for a degree abroad, and 7,657 were exchange students or students taking part of their degree abroad.
Three-year bachelor and masters students get grants and study loans to cover living costs and tuition fees to study abroad.ANSA has for many years called for Norwegian students abroad also to be supported in the freshman year of a bachelor degree in the US and in non-Western countries. These countries often have a four-year bachelor degree, and if Norwegian students want such study, they have to pay for the first year themselves.US Ambassador to Norway, Barry B White, wrote in the Norwegian newspaper Dagens Næringsliv that it would be strategically sound to extend the eligibility of freshman studies to countries like Japan, Chile, Malaysia and the US.The number of Norwegian students in the US has been almost halved over the last 20 years, he said.We have worked for funding of the freshman year since it was removed from the loan scheme, Hammer said.It is important to have more Norwegian students in these countries.Junior minister Lekve denied that there has been a sharp reduction in the number of Norwegian students in the US, or a lack of support for the freshman year.Both ANSA and ambassador White are focusing on the number of degree students in the US, which correctly has been reduced. But at the same time the number of exchange students has increased every year, with a top in 2009-10. This is positive,Levke said.The government has not had as a policy to reduce the number of degree students, but we are satisfied with the results that the total number of Norwegian students in the US is increasing.
We will use a simple rule: higher education institutions in the BRIC countries on the Academic Ranking of World Universities 400 or the Times Higher Education 500 ranking will be eligible for support for Norwegian students.The ministry is now working on how this will be implemented. Significant numbers of Norwegian students already travel to South Africa, which joined the bloc to create BRICS in 2010.The Association of Norwegian Students Abroad (ANSA) welcomed the focus on emerging countries.There were 165 exchange students in India, 94 in Russia and 279 in China, but only eight bachelor students were studying for a degree in China and none in India, said Kristiane Roe Hammer, president of ANSA.This proposal from
the parliamentary committee is something ANSA has been working for over many years.But she said ANSA opposed the government's decision to concentrate funding at élite universities, as set out in the white paper on internationalisation of higher education 2008-09, and the use of rankings to decide who gets funding.She said:Such rankings are research-based and not a good instrument to measure the quality of teaching.ANSA thinks that all higher education institutions recognised by the Norwegian authorities should be eligible for support.
To ensure as many Norwegian students as possible have the opportunity to study abroad, it is important that not only élite institutions are eligible, Hammer told University World News.It is not only students with the straight As that are benefiting from going abroad to study.ANSA said that NOKUT, the government body responsible for approving quality in education, has a list of approximately 12,000 approved institutions around the world where Norwegians studying there are eligible for student loans through the Norwegian Government Loan Board.
These institutions have already been evaluated and found to have high standards. They include 4,000 institutions in the United States and 4,000 in Europe alone.According to ANSA, NOKUT, in approving higher education institutions, already works as a guarantor for quality in the education, and another 'quality list' would be redundant.Hammer said the next step after extending funding for study in emerging economies would be to include other countries of strategic importance for Norway, like Japan, Chile, Argentina, Malaysia and the US.This year 21,811 Norwegian students studied abroad, compared to 221,123 students studying in Norway, either for a full degree or as exchange students, with comparatively generous support from the Norwegian Government Loan Board.The number of Norwegian students financed by the Government Loan Board in 2010-11 was 21,811, of whom 14,154 studied for a degree abroad, and 7,657 were exchange students or students taking part of their degree abroad.
Three-year bachelor and masters students get grants and study loans to cover living costs and tuition fees to study abroad.ANSA has for many years called for Norwegian students abroad also to be supported in the freshman year of a bachelor degree in the US and in non-Western countries. These countries often have a four-year bachelor degree, and if Norwegian students want such study, they have to pay for the first year themselves.US Ambassador to Norway, Barry B White, wrote in the Norwegian newspaper Dagens Næringsliv that it would be strategically sound to extend the eligibility of freshman studies to countries like Japan, Chile, Malaysia and the US.The number of Norwegian students in the US has been almost halved over the last 20 years, he said.We have worked for funding of the freshman year since it was removed from the loan scheme, Hammer said.It is important to have more Norwegian students in these countries.Junior minister Lekve denied that there has been a sharp reduction in the number of Norwegian students in the US, or a lack of support for the freshman year.Both ANSA and ambassador White are focusing on the number of degree students in the US, which correctly has been reduced. But at the same time the number of exchange students has increased every year, with a top in 2009-10. This is positive,Levke said.The government has not had as a policy to reduce the number of degree students, but we are satisfied with the results that the total number of Norwegian students in the US is increasing.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
NIDES to offer two fine arts and technology programs
North Island Distance Education School (NIDES) will be offering two new programs that focus on fine arts, technology, engineering and robotics in September 2012. NIDES is a publiclyfunded, accredited school that offers web-based courses as well as face-to-face classes and field trips for kindergarten students all the way up to adult learners.NIDES principal Jeff Stewart said one of the programs, Fine Arts eCademy, is the first of its kind in Canada. The program is for students enrolled in kindergarten through Grade 9 and will run for three days each week during the regular school year. During those three days, students will alternate between studies in world music, performing arts, visual arts and time with distributed learning teachers to focus on math and language arts. The other two days will involve home-based learning focusing on academics.
For most of their classes, students will be grouped together by grade, but a few times a week students of all ages will come together for presentations, celebrations and collaborative projects. Fine Arts eCademy will take place at the Tsolum Campus in Courtenay and it is will accommodate up to 150 students. The idea is to combine different areas of study and put them to use in a concrete way through the study of the arts.We need to shift the learning on its head," said Stewart. "By integrating the curriculum, we can tailor the learning to each child rather than forcing them through the same model.He added that students will have the chance to explore different cultures through the arts.The second program, ENTER, will focus on new technologies, engineering and robotics, for students in Grades 6 through 8. The course, which also runs three days a week, will take place at Aspen Elementary. Stewart said that Aspen is a good fit because it currently has a shop class sitting empty.The hands-on program will give students the opportunity to explore a number of technologies, as well as self-regulated learning and academic subjects. Stewart said that the idea is to incorporate other subjects, including arts, math and science, into the
practical aspects of working with machinery and technology.Students and their parents will also be expected to pursue further learning outside the three weekly sessions.The programs are still in their infancy and funding arrangements for the additional costs associated with both courses have not been decided. The Comox Valley School District will provide much of the funding and those enrolled will have to provide the rest. Just how much that is, and whether it will be supplied through program fees, fundraising, or a combination of the two, has yet to be determined, said Stewart. Before any decisions are made, NIDES will be gathering a list of interested students and asking parents how they would like to fund the additional costs for the programs.Two information evenings for students and parents are scheduled for Monday. Jan. 16 at the NIDES Tsolum campus and Thursday, Jan. 26 at Mark R, Isfeld Secondary. Both sessions run from 6: 00 p.m. to 8: 00 p.m.
Monday, December 12, 2011
German University, Taiwan NCKU to Beef up Exchanges
Germany's Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus (BTU) and Taiwan's National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) agreed to step up exchange of students and faculty members as well as cooperation in research projects on Dec 9.Prof. Dr. habil. Walther Ch. Zimmerli, president of BTU visited NCKU on Dec. 9 and exchanged views with NCKU President Hwung-Hweng Hwung, Vice President of International Affairs Cheng Hung Huang, and the dean of College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Yonhua Tzeng.President Zimmerli, who was visiting Taiwan for the first time, praised NCKU for being a distinguished university in southern Taiwan and said he looked forward to furthering cooperation with NCKU.
According to Zimmerli, BTU is very selective in choosing partners and NCKU, with its outstanding achievement in engineering education and research, is high on his school's list for cooperation.In 2009, the two universities entered an agreement for a dual degree master program in which electrical and mechanical engineering students can study in both institutions and earn the dual degree in Master of Science.NCKU President Hwung would like to expand the program to include students from other disciplines.Currently the dual degree agreement is signed at the departmental level, said Hwung.We hop
e to have exchange at the university level.
Yonhua Tzeng, dean of College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science of NCKU, talked about the combined strength of NCKU and the BTU on power engineering. BTU, being a young university of 20 years, has the newest facility and a specialty in environmental engineering and mobile power storage. NCKU's strength, on the other hand, lies in its comprehensive research into different sources of power engineering, as well as in computer science for monitoring power distribution. The cooperation between the two universities promises to yield good results, Tzeng said.Cheng Hung Huang, vice president of NCKU Office of International Affairs, said that NCKU currently has about 10 German students. To encourage international enrollment, NCKU offers free Chinese language courses.
Vice President Huang praised BTU for its success on attracting international students and asked President Zimmerli how best to motivate students to participate in the exchange program.Student exchange presupposes a strong exchange of faculty,said Zimmerli.To attract international faculty, universities must provide dual career opportunities for the faculty and their spouses, and offer strong language programs to participants.Located in Cottbus, the BTU was founded in 1991. The university hosts 6,800 students, 119 professors, and 571 scientific staff. Characterized by internationalism, the BTU's student body includes 986 international students from 92 countries. It aims to achieve 20% in the near future.
According to Zimmerli, BTU is very selective in choosing partners and NCKU, with its outstanding achievement in engineering education and research, is high on his school's list for cooperation.In 2009, the two universities entered an agreement for a dual degree master program in which electrical and mechanical engineering students can study in both institutions and earn the dual degree in Master of Science.NCKU President Hwung would like to expand the program to include students from other disciplines.Currently the dual degree agreement is signed at the departmental level, said Hwung.We hop
e to have exchange at the university level.Yonhua Tzeng, dean of College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science of NCKU, talked about the combined strength of NCKU and the BTU on power engineering. BTU, being a young university of 20 years, has the newest facility and a specialty in environmental engineering and mobile power storage. NCKU's strength, on the other hand, lies in its comprehensive research into different sources of power engineering, as well as in computer science for monitoring power distribution. The cooperation between the two universities promises to yield good results, Tzeng said.Cheng Hung Huang, vice president of NCKU Office of International Affairs, said that NCKU currently has about 10 German students. To encourage international enrollment, NCKU offers free Chinese language courses.
Vice President Huang praised BTU for its success on attracting international students and asked President Zimmerli how best to motivate students to participate in the exchange program.Student exchange presupposes a strong exchange of faculty,said Zimmerli.To attract international faculty, universities must provide dual career opportunities for the faculty and their spouses, and offer strong language programs to participants.Located in Cottbus, the BTU was founded in 1991. The university hosts 6,800 students, 119 professors, and 571 scientific staff. Characterized by internationalism, the BTU's student body includes 986 international students from 92 countries. It aims to achieve 20% in the near future.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Free computer courses
The Canara Bank Institute of Information Technology (CBIIT) has announced the launch of a host of free full-time programmes in computer education for the poor and unemployed youth.
The first programme, a 90-day course in Network Administration will commence on December 26, 2011.It will include fundamentals of computer, MS-DOS, Troubleshooting and Assembling, Laptop and Printer Servicing, Network Basics, Windows XP, Windows 2003 server and Red-Hat Linux.
The 45-day programme in Office Administration comprising fundamentals of computer, Windows, MS Office, and Tally Ver. ERP9 will begin on January 9, 2012.So will the 90-day programme in Desktop Publishing that comprises fundamentals of computer, Windows, MS Office, Corel-Draw, and Photoshop.Aspirants will have to write a selection test at 10 am on December 23 at the CBIIT premises, 8th Main, 15th Cross, Chitrapur Bhavan Complex, Malleswaram, Bangalore-55.
The first programme, a 90-day course in Network Administration will commence on December 26, 2011.It will include fundamentals of computer, MS-DOS, Troubleshooting and Assembling, Laptop and Printer Servicing, Network Basics, Windows XP, Windows 2003 server and Red-Hat Linux.
The 45-day programme in Office Administration comprising fundamentals of computer, Windows, MS Office, and Tally Ver. ERP9 will begin on January 9, 2012.So will the 90-day programme in Desktop Publishing that comprises fundamentals of computer, Windows, MS Office, Corel-Draw, and Photoshop.Aspirants will have to write a selection test at 10 am on December 23 at the CBIIT premises, 8th Main, 15th Cross, Chitrapur Bhavan Complex, Malleswaram, Bangalore-55.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
University will open two additional study abroad sites in Brazil and India
NYU's global network is about to get a bit bigger: The university will open two additional study abroad sites in Brazil and India.The university is in the very early planning stages of opening these two sites, NYU associate vice provost Anne Waters said.What is under discussion now is what is the best model and what would be the timing, she said.Waters thinks India and Brazil are the natural next steps in the university's global expansion plans.India and Brazil are two incredibly important world economies,Waters said.India is the world's largest democracy, and both India and Brazil are multi-ethnic, multi-racial, religiously diverse societies. It is incredibly important that these complex, dynamic societies, cultures and economies are part of our global network.
Since the multi-year planning stages for the Brazil and India sites have just started, academic offerings, specific locations and opening dates have not been determined.The university will conduct internal surveys to determine the structures of the two programs, said Christopher Nicolussi, senior director of student services and support at the Office of Global Programs. Once this is determined, he said. the next step will be to decide where in the countries the sites will be.
The work is mostly done with individual schools and faculty and departments here in New York before we start doing research on the ground in the country, Nicolussi said.Waters said she thinks NYU's global sites will play a vital role in the two countries. As these countries develop economically and politically, education will be a priority, Waters said.NYU's Global Network University is an intriguing model for leaders in those countries to consider,she said.
Since the multi-year planning stages for the Brazil and India sites have just started, academic offerings, specific locations and opening dates have not been determined.The university will conduct internal surveys to determine the structures of the two programs, said Christopher Nicolussi, senior director of student services and support at the Office of Global Programs. Once this is determined, he said. the next step will be to decide where in the countries the sites will be.
The work is mostly done with individual schools and faculty and departments here in New York before we start doing research on the ground in the country, Nicolussi said.Waters said she thinks NYU's global sites will play a vital role in the two countries. As these countries develop economically and politically, education will be a priority, Waters said.NYU's Global Network University is an intriguing model for leaders in those countries to consider,she said.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Study abroad experience in China
This is what students and faculty will hearwhen they step off the plane in China this July as they embark on UDM's first study-abroad experience inChina.This is the launch trip to China," said Lara Wasner, director of Language and Cultural Training.The trip is duplicated from the Brazil study-abroad trip, which was launched in 2005. That trip went very well, but it started to get too expensive due to the planning for the 2016 Olympics and the World Cup.Ten to 20 UDM students traditionally participate in the Brazil trip.
We are hoping to gainthat amount for the China trip, Wasner said.The tripwill run July 1-14 with stops in megacities like Beijing, Shanghaiand Xi'an.Though this is the university's first time abroad to China, it will be Wasner's fourth.The first two times I went were for recruiting for university programs, said Wasner.My focus on the last trip was education reform in China. I enjoyed all of the visits, even when I was there on business.Wasner met with college students andvisited historical sites.The last time I was there, I dove into the educational aspects of China because of the rapid changes being brought on by the economic growth and development," Wasner said. "From there, planning for the China trip began"following requests by UDM students.
For many, the trip to China will be the trip of a lifetime.For the Rev. William Tillie, the trip will offera great chance to gain more knowledge pertaining to his career aspirations.I think that going to China will be very interesting, said Tillie. "I can't wait to study their cultu
re, religion, interpretation of the Bible,as well as seeing the business side of the country.While I'm there, I hope to gain more knowledge on how to run a business or businesses,he continued.I want to help people who are struggling in this economy and do God's will. This experience will help me grow and when I grow, other people grow as well.Courses will beoffered in comparativeeducation, cultural anthropology, urban issues and problems, and directed readings, a course being offered to students who already have taken one of the other classes, said anthropology Prof.Dr. Aloha Van Camp.
The readings class is a private study arrangement that can be worth anywhere between three to nine credits, said Van Camp.One example is a nursing student who is going to China and is using the directed readings to study the Chinese holistic approach to medicine and how the Chinese medical system is different than ours.Being in Van Camp's cultural anthropology class this semester, Tillie will be participating in directed readings during his trip to China.While I am in China, I have to take at least 100 pictures,said Tillie.Taking the pictures will be the first part of the course and then the second part will be presenting them after we get back.Van Camps hopes that her students will take the opportunity to immerse themselves in Chinese culture.
I think that the traditional classroom learning experience isgood, but the chance to immerse one's self in a culture such as China's is a once-in-a-lifetime experience,said Van Camp.Ms. Wasner has done a wonderful job with the study abroad opportunities here at the university. I am excited about seeing the Great Wall as well as some the megacities such as Beijing and Shanghai. It is a great opportunity for the students and faculty to see where China is going and, especially for the students, see how China will continue to play a key role in society for the future.Students will be attending a Chinese theatre, taking rickshaw tours and participating in many more memorable experiences.The costis not cheap, but Wasner saidfinancial aid and travel grants areavailable for students interested in studying in China.For those who are planning on studying abroad inChinaor in any other summer study abroad program, there is a discounted rate of tuition,said Wasner.You can also apply for financial aid. There is also a travel grant established by Jamie Dylenski and family three summers ago.
We are hoping to gainthat amount for the China trip, Wasner said.The tripwill run July 1-14 with stops in megacities like Beijing, Shanghaiand Xi'an.Though this is the university's first time abroad to China, it will be Wasner's fourth.The first two times I went were for recruiting for university programs, said Wasner.My focus on the last trip was education reform in China. I enjoyed all of the visits, even when I was there on business.Wasner met with college students andvisited historical sites.The last time I was there, I dove into the educational aspects of China because of the rapid changes being brought on by the economic growth and development," Wasner said. "From there, planning for the China trip began"following requests by UDM students.
For many, the trip to China will be the trip of a lifetime.For the Rev. William Tillie, the trip will offera great chance to gain more knowledge pertaining to his career aspirations.I think that going to China will be very interesting, said Tillie. "I can't wait to study their cultu
re, religion, interpretation of the Bible,as well as seeing the business side of the country.While I'm there, I hope to gain more knowledge on how to run a business or businesses,he continued.I want to help people who are struggling in this economy and do God's will. This experience will help me grow and when I grow, other people grow as well.Courses will beoffered in comparativeeducation, cultural anthropology, urban issues and problems, and directed readings, a course being offered to students who already have taken one of the other classes, said anthropology Prof.Dr. Aloha Van Camp.The readings class is a private study arrangement that can be worth anywhere between three to nine credits, said Van Camp.One example is a nursing student who is going to China and is using the directed readings to study the Chinese holistic approach to medicine and how the Chinese medical system is different than ours.Being in Van Camp's cultural anthropology class this semester, Tillie will be participating in directed readings during his trip to China.While I am in China, I have to take at least 100 pictures,said Tillie.Taking the pictures will be the first part of the course and then the second part will be presenting them after we get back.Van Camps hopes that her students will take the opportunity to immerse themselves in Chinese culture.
I think that the traditional classroom learning experience isgood, but the chance to immerse one's self in a culture such as China's is a once-in-a-lifetime experience,said Van Camp.Ms. Wasner has done a wonderful job with the study abroad opportunities here at the university. I am excited about seeing the Great Wall as well as some the megacities such as Beijing and Shanghai. It is a great opportunity for the students and faculty to see where China is going and, especially for the students, see how China will continue to play a key role in society for the future.Students will be attending a Chinese theatre, taking rickshaw tours and participating in many more memorable experiences.The costis not cheap, but Wasner saidfinancial aid and travel grants areavailable for students interested in studying in China.For those who are planning on studying abroad inChinaor in any other summer study abroad program, there is a discounted rate of tuition,said Wasner.You can also apply for financial aid. There is also a travel grant established by Jamie Dylenski and family three summers ago.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
College offers affordable study abroad
One of the most highly recommended, attractive experiences at university is the opportunity to study abroad. There are few better chances to experience the thrill of living outside your own country and broaden your horizons than in college.Sadly, for many brilliant young Korean students, the financial burden of paying tuition at a host university, plus room and board, can keep them grounded.However, Barnard College, a women’s college in the heart of New York City, offers all of the above plus more without the extravagant price tag for female Korean university students.
Through their Visiting International Student Program, Korean students are able to attend the top tier private school as a full-time student for the semester and also attend courses at Columbia University.The program allows students from Yonsei University and Ewha Womans University to study at the campus minutes away from Central Park for a semester
, only paying Barnard College’s room and board.According to Barnard College President Debora Spar, the program is a rare win-win offer that no other American college offers.It’s been a great way for us to internationalize our campus to get a large influx of students and I think it’s been a wonderful experience for the students,explained Spar, during an interview with The Korea Herald.So the faculty at Barnard tries to “internationalize our students by having them exposed to as many students from as many different countries as possible because that’s what they are going to need to function in the world.I’ve spent my career working on international politics and international economics and I firmly believe that the 21st century is going to be much more international than the 20th century was.”Her own personal experience amassed during her 17 years as a professor at the Harvard Business School helps her to see the importance of such international exposure for her 2,300 students.
I think we owe it to our American students to make sure that they are getting exposed to as much of the world as possible, said Spar, who was recently appointed a board member at Goldman Sachs.And the Korean students who have joined the program not only gained quality education and exposure to multiple cultures, but have taken advantage of the extracurricular education, seamlessly entering the academic atmosphere.They’ve done surprisingly well in terms of getting involved with things on campus and particularly student government, said the president, adding that there are a disproportionate number of Korean students in their student government.A great number of Korean women have also partaken in their strong economics program, with many moving into professional financial roles, according to the college.
With the strong background in women’s rights, including a Global Symposium on the topic three years and running, the college offers empowerment that female Korean students can use.Spar herself is familiar with the abysmal professional field for Korean women here, which may be why they are so actively engaged Barnard.According to the college, many of the Korean women from Barnard have gone on to successful financial careers, particularly in multinational firms, because of the resources the college offers.Statistics both within the country and the OECD have shown that local firms offer little opportunity and advancement for female employees.Although Korea is one of the primary countries in the program, it also attracts students from all over the world including China, South Africa and Denmark.And the program has seen a remarkable 500 percent increase in students over the past four years, which Spar modestly accounted to a start in a small base, but nonetheless a large surge.Founded in 1889, Barnard is known for successful graduates, especially in the literary world, including seven Pulitzer Prize winners.
Through their Visiting International Student Program, Korean students are able to attend the top tier private school as a full-time student for the semester and also attend courses at Columbia University.The program allows students from Yonsei University and Ewha Womans University to study at the campus minutes away from Central Park for a semester
, only paying Barnard College’s room and board.According to Barnard College President Debora Spar, the program is a rare win-win offer that no other American college offers.It’s been a great way for us to internationalize our campus to get a large influx of students and I think it’s been a wonderful experience for the students,explained Spar, during an interview with The Korea Herald.So the faculty at Barnard tries to “internationalize our students by having them exposed to as many students from as many different countries as possible because that’s what they are going to need to function in the world.I’ve spent my career working on international politics and international economics and I firmly believe that the 21st century is going to be much more international than the 20th century was.”Her own personal experience amassed during her 17 years as a professor at the Harvard Business School helps her to see the importance of such international exposure for her 2,300 students.I think we owe it to our American students to make sure that they are getting exposed to as much of the world as possible, said Spar, who was recently appointed a board member at Goldman Sachs.And the Korean students who have joined the program not only gained quality education and exposure to multiple cultures, but have taken advantage of the extracurricular education, seamlessly entering the academic atmosphere.They’ve done surprisingly well in terms of getting involved with things on campus and particularly student government, said the president, adding that there are a disproportionate number of Korean students in their student government.A great number of Korean women have also partaken in their strong economics program, with many moving into professional financial roles, according to the college.
With the strong background in women’s rights, including a Global Symposium on the topic three years and running, the college offers empowerment that female Korean students can use.Spar herself is familiar with the abysmal professional field for Korean women here, which may be why they are so actively engaged Barnard.According to the college, many of the Korean women from Barnard have gone on to successful financial careers, particularly in multinational firms, because of the resources the college offers.Statistics both within the country and the OECD have shown that local firms offer little opportunity and advancement for female employees.Although Korea is one of the primary countries in the program, it also attracts students from all over the world including China, South Africa and Denmark.And the program has seen a remarkable 500 percent increase in students over the past four years, which Spar modestly accounted to a start in a small base, but nonetheless a large surge.Founded in 1889, Barnard is known for successful graduates, especially in the literary world, including seven Pulitzer Prize winners.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Student engineers test real-world applications
Eight teams of industrial engineering seniors presented their projects designed to solve real world problems Friday morning to peers and potential clients.The exhibit, hosted by the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering in the Computing, Research and Education building on Busch campus, showcased a wide range of products with defects that students in the Design of Engineering Systems course remedied, said Basily B. Basily, an assistant research professor.They are given a problem and they have to find a solution for that. They actually start with an idea. We try to guide them through it until they find a good idea and create a prototype, said Basily, who teaches the class.
Students tracked the changes made on each product for the exhibit, making it easy for a buyer to mimic their designs, said Joseph Tadros, a member of the Machine for Assembling Modern Electronics team.We’re going to document all of our information and all our design specifications. If people come in with the same budget, they can develop the same machine,said Tadros, a School of Engineering senior.Teams from the system design course have placed in national competitions for the past six years, said Hoang Pham, chairman of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering.Pham said high success of their designs in the competition would have a positive effect on the students’ employability.Of those that graduate, about 75 percent of students get a job. Some of them also decide to compete for graduate school,Pham said.
The project helps students understand the actual process of creative problem solving, said Drew Flannelly, a member of the Shop Mate for Picking up Objects group.I think this class definitely prepares you for real life. It gives you the expectations and limitations, said Drew Flannelly, a School of Engineering senior. “It gives you a sense of how much work actually is involved in designing something, how much more goes into it than you expect.Niccole Marcial, a member of the “Fully Automated Elevator Maintenance System team, believes these projects help build up a résumé and boost professional credibility for the inevitable job hunt.
It gives us the skills for when we go on interviews. Any job interview I go on, I mention this project and the teamwork that goes into it,said Marcial, a School of Engineering senior.Blake Cignarella, a School of Engineering senior who worked on a lawn weeding and repair system, said the work required to complete the systems surpassed the skills of other engineering students who do not participate.We have the most intensive senior design project. They’re telling us that some of the stuff we’re doing like our coding and the amount of integration we have to do — is more than students in electrical and computer engineering, and that’s their forte, Cignarella said.The design class is unique for the curriculum, as industrial engineering has more of a technical concentration, said Keith Rodgers, a member of the Shop Mate for Picking Up Objects team.Industrial engineering typically goes into bookwork or statistical analysis, not anything with designing or mechanical or electrical components, said Rodgers, a School of Engineering senior. “This [project] definitely brings in other components of engineering which other universities don’t do.
Industrial engineering students appreciate the comprehensive program and its distinct hands-on style, said Zachary Shands, a member of the “Machine for Assembling Modern Electronics group.I don’t think any other course really challenges you as much as this design course does, Shands said, a School of Engineering senior. “Every other class, they kind of spoon feed you the information. We had to go out and attain the information and find ways to invent this, build this.Kang Li, an assistant professor who teaches in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, said the curriculum is textbook-oriented and welcomes the upcoming changes.We may add a programming class [this summer] to let them have the necessary knowledge to be prepared, rather than just rely on this course of two semesters, which we feel is not enough."
Students tracked the changes made on each product for the exhibit, making it easy for a buyer to mimic their designs, said Joseph Tadros, a member of the Machine for Assembling Modern Electronics team.We’re going to document all of our information and all our design specifications. If people come in with the same budget, they can develop the same machine,said Tadros, a School of Engineering senior.Teams from the system design course have placed in national competitions for the past six years, said Hoang Pham, chairman of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering.Pham said high success of their designs in the competition would have a positive effect on the students’ employability.Of those that graduate, about 75 percent of students get a job. Some of them also decide to compete for graduate school,Pham said.
The project helps students understand the actual process of creative problem solving, said Drew Flannelly, a member of the Shop Mate for Picking up Objects group.I think this class definitely prepares you for real life. It gives you the expectations and limitations, said Drew Flannelly, a School of Engineering senior. “It gives you a sense of how much work actually is involved in designing something, how much more goes into it than you expect.Niccole Marcial, a member of the “Fully Automated Elevator Maintenance System team, believes these projects help build up a résumé and boost professional credibility for the inevitable job hunt.
It gives us the skills for when we go on interviews. Any job interview I go on, I mention this project and the teamwork that goes into it,said Marcial, a School of Engineering senior.Blake Cignarella, a School of Engineering senior who worked on a lawn weeding and repair system, said the work required to complete the systems surpassed the skills of other engineering students who do not participate.We have the most intensive senior design project. They’re telling us that some of the stuff we’re doing like our coding and the amount of integration we have to do — is more than students in electrical and computer engineering, and that’s their forte, Cignarella said.The design class is unique for the curriculum, as industrial engineering has more of a technical concentration, said Keith Rodgers, a member of the Shop Mate for Picking Up Objects team.Industrial engineering typically goes into bookwork or statistical analysis, not anything with designing or mechanical or electrical components, said Rodgers, a School of Engineering senior. “This [project] definitely brings in other components of engineering which other universities don’t do.
Industrial engineering students appreciate the comprehensive program and its distinct hands-on style, said Zachary Shands, a member of the “Machine for Assembling Modern Electronics group.I don’t think any other course really challenges you as much as this design course does, Shands said, a School of Engineering senior. “Every other class, they kind of spoon feed you the information. We had to go out and attain the information and find ways to invent this, build this.Kang Li, an assistant professor who teaches in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, said the curriculum is textbook-oriented and welcomes the upcoming changes.We may add a programming class [this summer] to let them have the necessary knowledge to be prepared, rather than just rely on this course of two semesters, which we feel is not enough."
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Victoria College offers online course
Victoria College's Workforce and Continuing Education Department is offering an online program that makes it easy to master the art of public speaking.VC has partnered with ed2go to offer Mastering Public Speaking.In this course, participants will learn how to speak confidently and persuasively to both large audiences and small groups. They will master the art of verbal and nonverbal communication, find out how to overcome their fear of public speaking, learn how to organize and deliver a short or long speech effectively, and practice techniques for
communicating with ease and skill in any setting from a meeting to a job interview.
This course is part of the college's growing catalog of more than 300 instructor-facilitated online courses. Through well-crafted lessons, expert online instruction, and interact
ion with fellow students, participants in these courses gain valuable knowledge at their convenience.These online courses offer students the flexibility to study at their own pace combined with enough structure and support to complete the course along with access to the classroom at anytime from anywhere with an Internet connection.New sessions of each course begin every month and each course lasts six weeks. Courses are entirely web-based with comprehensive lessons, quizzes, and assignments. A professional instructor facilitates every course: pacing learners, answering questions, giving feedback, and facilitating discussions.
communicating with ease and skill in any setting from a meeting to a job interview.
This course is part of the college's growing catalog of more than 300 instructor-facilitated online courses. Through well-crafted lessons, expert online instruction, and interact
ion with fellow students, participants in these courses gain valuable knowledge at their convenience.These online courses offer students the flexibility to study at their own pace combined with enough structure and support to complete the course along with access to the classroom at anytime from anywhere with an Internet connection.New sessions of each course begin every month and each course lasts six weeks. Courses are entirely web-based with comprehensive lessons, quizzes, and assignments. A professional instructor facilitates every course: pacing learners, answering questions, giving feedback, and facilitating discussions.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
WE need more Americans studying abroad particularly in China and soon
The U.S. Department of State and the International Institute of Education recently released new numbers on global study abroad in the annual Open Doors Report. Once again, China tops the list of countries sending students to study in the U.S. In the last academic year, the number of Chinese students studying in the U.S. grew by 23 percent to a population of nearly 158,000 students. American enrollments in China grew as well, but far more modestly at just under 2 percent keeping China the fifth-most-popular destination for Americans studying abroad and taking the total population of Americans studying in China to just under 14,000.
We welcome more Chinese students, alongside those from other countries, coming to the U.S. for our world-class education system. These students internationalize our campuses and contribute to the U.S. economy: In 2010, international students spent nearly $22 billion on tuition, housing and other expenses. But with just over 1 percent of U.S. college students pursuing study abroad, we face real challenges to growing a generation of global citizens. But we can and must do better.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has called China,One of our most challenging and consequential bilateral relationships.We welcome a strong, prosperous and successful China that plays a greater role in world affairs. It's good for the global economy and it's good for creating jobs back home in America. But in order for the U.S. to remain competitive in the global economy, we must ensure that our young people have the understanding and skills to engage with China during its impressive economic growth. Two years ago, President Obama announced an initiative designed to do exactly that.
The 100,000 Strong Initiative will increase the number and diversify the composition of Americans studying in China. Although it aims to increase to 100,000 the number of Americans studying in China over a four-year period, it is really the beginning of a long-term effort to encourage Americans to engage China constructively so that we can achieve our goal of global peace and prosperity. The initiative also enjoys personal support and engagement from Chinese President Hu Jintao.Building on successful U.S. government-funded educational exchange programs, 100,000 Strong is a partnership with the private sector. As such, the Initiative represents the best of America government, private sector, nonprofit and academic groups coming together to invest in both our young people's future and the long-term stability of the U.S.-China relationship.Private companies, foundations and individuals to date have pledged just more than $11 million to allow American students and educators from high schools, community colleges and four-year universities to study in China. Mega-artists like will.i.am, apl.de.ap and John Legend have signed on to do a December concert in Beijing that will open doors for underserved high-school students from five U.S. cities to study in China. Seattle joins leaders from Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., as partners with the Department of State to make this Initiative a reality for high-school students across the United States.
Recognized as a national leader in providing Chinese-language training for public-school students, Seattle should be quite proud of its role in this initiative. Funds raised from the private sector for Seattle through the 100,000 Strong Initiative will support national study-abroad program Americans Promoting Study Abroad and Seattle-based nonprofit OneWorld Now!, which give hundreds of underserved public-high-school students the chance to learn Mandarin and send them on life-changing summer programs to China.But we need more help. We estimate that at least $68 million in private funds will be required to achieve the president's goal of seeing 100,000 Americans study in China by 2014. The initiative needs the support of more American companies whose businesses are affected by the state of U.S.-China relations, and who need a strong, China-savvy pool of potential employees from which to recruit their future workforce.
The initiative needs corporations, foundations and philanthropists to create opportunities for underrepresented students across the United States to ensure that they have the same opportunities as other young Americans whose parents can afford to send them abroad. The initiative needs schools and study-abroad programs to leverage this presidential initiative to expand their study-abroad programs.Americans have a huge role in determining whether China ultimately presents a threat or an opportunity for us. What will make the difference is how well the next generation is prepared to engage China. Armed with language skills and experience interacting with Chinese peers, the next generation will be able to manage the U.S.-China relationship in a way that will allow both countries to thrive. Seattle is poised to lead the way.
We welcome more Chinese students, alongside those from other countries, coming to the U.S. for our world-class education system. These students internationalize our campuses and contribute to the U.S. economy: In 2010, international students spent nearly $22 billion on tuition, housing and other expenses. But with just over 1 percent of U.S. college students pursuing study abroad, we face real challenges to growing a generation of global citizens. But we can and must do better.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has called China,One of our most challenging and consequential bilateral relationships.We welcome a strong, prosperous and successful China that plays a greater role in world affairs. It's good for the global economy and it's good for creating jobs back home in America. But in order for the U.S. to remain competitive in the global economy, we must ensure that our young people have the understanding and skills to engage with China during its impressive economic growth. Two years ago, President Obama announced an initiative designed to do exactly that.
The 100,000 Strong Initiative will increase the number and diversify the composition of Americans studying in China. Although it aims to increase to 100,000 the number of Americans studying in China over a four-year period, it is really the beginning of a long-term effort to encourage Americans to engage China constructively so that we can achieve our goal of global peace and prosperity. The initiative also enjoys personal support and engagement from Chinese President Hu Jintao.Building on successful U.S. government-funded educational exchange programs, 100,000 Strong is a partnership with the private sector. As such, the Initiative represents the best of America government, private sector, nonprofit and academic groups coming together to invest in both our young people's future and the long-term stability of the U.S.-China relationship.Private companies, foundations and individuals to date have pledged just more than $11 million to allow American students and educators from high schools, community colleges and four-year universities to study in China. Mega-artists like will.i.am, apl.de.ap and John Legend have signed on to do a December concert in Beijing that will open doors for underserved high-school students from five U.S. cities to study in China. Seattle joins leaders from Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., as partners with the Department of State to make this Initiative a reality for high-school students across the United States.
Recognized as a national leader in providing Chinese-language training for public-school students, Seattle should be quite proud of its role in this initiative. Funds raised from the private sector for Seattle through the 100,000 Strong Initiative will support national study-abroad program Americans Promoting Study Abroad and Seattle-based nonprofit OneWorld Now!, which give hundreds of underserved public-high-school students the chance to learn Mandarin and send them on life-changing summer programs to China.But we need more help. We estimate that at least $68 million in private funds will be required to achieve the president's goal of seeing 100,000 Americans study in China by 2014. The initiative needs the support of more American companies whose businesses are affected by the state of U.S.-China relations, and who need a strong, China-savvy pool of potential employees from which to recruit their future workforce.
The initiative needs corporations, foundations and philanthropists to create opportunities for underrepresented students across the United States to ensure that they have the same opportunities as other young Americans whose parents can afford to send them abroad. The initiative needs schools and study-abroad programs to leverage this presidential initiative to expand their study-abroad programs.Americans have a huge role in determining whether China ultimately presents a threat or an opportunity for us. What will make the difference is how well the next generation is prepared to engage China. Armed with language skills and experience interacting with Chinese peers, the next generation will be able to manage the U.S.-China relationship in a way that will allow both countries to thrive. Seattle is poised to lead the way.
Friday, December 2, 2011
College students most likely to go study abroad
According to a recent study conducted by the Institute of International Education, the College of William and Mary has the highest percentage of undergraduate students who choose to study abroad of all public doctorate institutions in the United States.The IIE’s Open Doors 2011 Report showed that 43.9 percent of students at the College have studied abroad in the 2009-10 academic year. This is a 3.6 percent increase from 2008-09, when the percentage was 40.3, following a 6 percent decrease from 2007-08, when the percentage peaked at 46.3.
These numbers correspond with the national trends indicated by the report. Overall, numbers slowed down after the economic downturn beginning in 2007, but began increasing again in 2009-10.I think we’ve been paying attention to this for a long time,Chair of the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures and associate professor of Hispanic studies Silvia Tandeciarz said about the popularity of study abroad at the College.I think that as a liberal arts college we emphasize maybe more than other state institutions, I don’t know the importance of breadth and depth in our education, and part of that breadth is an international exposure. I think that the faculty deserve a tremendous amount of credit because they are constantly recruiting students for study abroad programs.
Tandeciarz is the faculty liaison for the semester study abroad program in La Plata, Argentina and participates in the governance of study abroad programs at the College.I don’t see how you could be educated to be a citizen in the 21st century without some kind of global understanding and global perspective,Tandeciarz said.Tandeciarz attributed the College’s preponderance of students who study abroad in part to the nature of the student population and in part to the unique opportunities that students receive abroad.I think that our students tend to think about the global reality that they’re engaged in and are very active in terms of finding ways to make it possible to study abroad, whether it’s over the summer or on semester-long programs or even short research trips,Tandeciarz said.I think where there’s been a lot of growth has been in faculty-mentored research abroad. The culture of study abroad, I would say, has shifted over the years to more intense mentored undergraduate research experiences, where students aren’t simply going abroad and immersing themselves in the culture and the language and living with host families and studying in classes sometimes with foreign nationals, other times just with American students but they’re also going abroad thinking about original research that they can undertake in the field and so using that experience as a lab where they’re pursuing independent research questions under the guidance of faculty mentors. And I think that’s really very exciting and something that’s very special about in particular and our study abroad.
Kelsey Conway ’12 agreed, citing the students and the opportunities available to them as the reasons behind the College’s superior ranking.I think it’s the students and then the students mixed with the opportunities that we have available for us here [that] really make it so that we have a good study abroad program,Conway said.Though many students clearly do take advantage of the study abroad opportunities that the College has to offer, others feel as though obstacles such as finances, major requirements and extracurricular commitments impede them from going abroad. However, there are several solutions to these problems.
I’m on the golf team here, so I knew that I wasn’t going to be able to go abroad during the semester,Conway, who spent the summer after her freshman year in Galway, Ireland, said.I knew that the only time I would be able to do anything would be over the summer.Originally, Conway’s interest lay not in study abroad, but just in visiting Ireland.It wasn’t really to have the study abroad experience; it was more to visit Ireland specifically, but it turned out that I got a lot more out of doing it by studying abroad than going to visit personally,Conway said.The faculty of the College is also trying to make study abroad more accessible to those who believe it to be beyond their reach.Meanwhile, the Wendy and Emery Reves Center for International Studies is working to advocate and facilitate study abroad for students.I think it is getting the message out there over and over that this can be a really important part of your academic course, and then once students are convinced, helping them work out those practical problems the finances, the academics getting over those hurdles,Theresa Johansson, assistant director of the Global Education Office at the Reves Center, said.
These numbers correspond with the national trends indicated by the report. Overall, numbers slowed down after the economic downturn beginning in 2007, but began increasing again in 2009-10.I think we’ve been paying attention to this for a long time,Chair of the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures and associate professor of Hispanic studies Silvia Tandeciarz said about the popularity of study abroad at the College.I think that as a liberal arts college we emphasize maybe more than other state institutions, I don’t know the importance of breadth and depth in our education, and part of that breadth is an international exposure. I think that the faculty deserve a tremendous amount of credit because they are constantly recruiting students for study abroad programs.
Tandeciarz is the faculty liaison for the semester study abroad program in La Plata, Argentina and participates in the governance of study abroad programs at the College.I don’t see how you could be educated to be a citizen in the 21st century without some kind of global understanding and global perspective,Tandeciarz said.Tandeciarz attributed the College’s preponderance of students who study abroad in part to the nature of the student population and in part to the unique opportunities that students receive abroad.I think that our students tend to think about the global reality that they’re engaged in and are very active in terms of finding ways to make it possible to study abroad, whether it’s over the summer or on semester-long programs or even short research trips,Tandeciarz said.I think where there’s been a lot of growth has been in faculty-mentored research abroad. The culture of study abroad, I would say, has shifted over the years to more intense mentored undergraduate research experiences, where students aren’t simply going abroad and immersing themselves in the culture and the language and living with host families and studying in classes sometimes with foreign nationals, other times just with American students but they’re also going abroad thinking about original research that they can undertake in the field and so using that experience as a lab where they’re pursuing independent research questions under the guidance of faculty mentors. And I think that’s really very exciting and something that’s very special about in particular and our study abroad.
Kelsey Conway ’12 agreed, citing the students and the opportunities available to them as the reasons behind the College’s superior ranking.I think it’s the students and then the students mixed with the opportunities that we have available for us here [that] really make it so that we have a good study abroad program,Conway said.Though many students clearly do take advantage of the study abroad opportunities that the College has to offer, others feel as though obstacles such as finances, major requirements and extracurricular commitments impede them from going abroad. However, there are several solutions to these problems.
I’m on the golf team here, so I knew that I wasn’t going to be able to go abroad during the semester,Conway, who spent the summer after her freshman year in Galway, Ireland, said.I knew that the only time I would be able to do anything would be over the summer.Originally, Conway’s interest lay not in study abroad, but just in visiting Ireland.It wasn’t really to have the study abroad experience; it was more to visit Ireland specifically, but it turned out that I got a lot more out of doing it by studying abroad than going to visit personally,Conway said.The faculty of the College is also trying to make study abroad more accessible to those who believe it to be beyond their reach.Meanwhile, the Wendy and Emery Reves Center for International Studies is working to advocate and facilitate study abroad for students.I think it is getting the message out there over and over that this can be a really important part of your academic course, and then once students are convinced, helping them work out those practical problems the finances, the academics getting over those hurdles,Theresa Johansson, assistant director of the Global Education Office at the Reves Center, said.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Study Abroad Trip to Ireland
Genesee Community College will once again host a study abroad trip to rural Ireland this summer. Led by professors Charley and Connie Boyd, students as well as community members, are invited to join a tour of mid-land Ireland June 4-19, 2012. An informational meeting will be held on Tuesday, December 6 from 12:30-1:30 p.m. in T102 at the Batavia Campus.Students enrolled in the courses will study human relations and earn six college credits. Courses include HUM154: Introduction to Irish Culture, History, and Arts as well as HUR101: Introduction to Human Relations.
Participants will stay at Rathgillan Farm in the rural town of Nobber in County Meath about one hour from Dublin. Meath, the heritage capital of Ireland, is home to the historic Boyne Valley Region, an area rich in legend and folklore. Viking and Norman ruins, castles and crosses and numerous monastic sites enrich the Irish Midlands. Students will visit the historic cultural sites of Hill of Tara, Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth Neolithic burial chambers, Malahide Castle, Trim Castle, Loughcrew Cairns and the Hill of Ward.Other excursions include a day at the Irish American Folk Park, two or three days in Dublin, Ireland's largest city and its capital with a visit to see the Book of Kells, one of Ireland's finest national treasures. Students will also visit the Wicklow Mountains and participate in Irish music and language workshops. Optional trips to the Aran Islands and Blarney Castle may be offered.
Students discover much about Ireland and themselves, Charley Boyd, professor of English at GCC said.It promises to be a life changing experience.The approximate cost for this trip is $3500 includes airfare, lodging, most meals, transportation and college tuition.Interested participants should contact Connie Boyd, at 585-343-0055 x 6292 or Charley Boyd at 585-343-0055 x 6281 as soon as possible.
Participants will stay at Rathgillan Farm in the rural town of Nobber in County Meath about one hour from Dublin. Meath, the heritage capital of Ireland, is home to the historic Boyne Valley Region, an area rich in legend and folklore. Viking and Norman ruins, castles and crosses and numerous monastic sites enrich the Irish Midlands. Students will visit the historic cultural sites of Hill of Tara, Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth Neolithic burial chambers, Malahide Castle, Trim Castle, Loughcrew Cairns and the Hill of Ward.Other excursions include a day at the Irish American Folk Park, two or three days in Dublin, Ireland's largest city and its capital with a visit to see the Book of Kells, one of Ireland's finest national treasures. Students will also visit the Wicklow Mountains and participate in Irish music and language workshops. Optional trips to the Aran Islands and Blarney Castle may be offered.
Students discover much about Ireland and themselves, Charley Boyd, professor of English at GCC said.It promises to be a life changing experience.The approximate cost for this trip is $3500 includes airfare, lodging, most meals, transportation and college tuition.Interested participants should contact Connie Boyd, at 585-343-0055 x 6292 or Charley Boyd at 585-343-0055 x 6281 as soon as possible.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
More funding available for students interested in studying abroad
Each year, the Telluride R-1 School District sends a handful of high school students to exchange programs in countries such as Italy, Hungary, Japan and Sweden. And now more funding is available to help kids afford studying abroad next year.Since 1996 the Carstens Family Fund at the Denver Foundation has offered Telluride students need-based scholarships to study abroad through AFS Intercultural Programs, a worldwide organization offering exchange programs in more than 50 countries. The foundation recently added a merit-based scholarship to further encourage students to apply for exchange programs.
The scholarship was created when Bill Carstens a land developer who passed away six years ago saw the transformative experience studying abroad provided to Swiss students he hosted.The confidence and the growth in that two weeks really impressed him,said Cheryl Miller, Carstens’ daughter, who serves as the foundation’s adviser.My dad wanted to support exchanges because it’s such a life changing experience.Miller said the foundation has provided needs-based scholarships for AFS in the past, but now they will also offer a merit-based scholarship. They’re still in the process of figuring out the exact dollar amount.The foundation will give $10,000 to the Telluride AFS program: $2,000 to cover the cost of hosting students and the remaining $8,000 for student scholarships.
Enrollment for AFS opened this fall and will extend through the beginning of April. Miller encouraged interested students to apply sooner rather than later because host countries have a limit to how many students they will take. The most popular countries will fill up first.When a country is full for applicants, then the country is closed,she said.But you can still apply for countries that are not yet full.AFS programs typically last a year, and students spend that time with one family. Other programs, such as the Rotary Exchange, place students with multiple families throughout the year.In 2001, Stephen Allen studied abroad in Santiago, Chile during his junior year at Telluride High School through AFS.It was great,Allen said.The family that I got placed with was absolutely amazing. It was a pretty rich family life. I call them and speak with them on the phone once every six months or so.
Allen said he applied through AFS because it seemed to take care of all the details for his trip.There was a great support network, he said.We had regular check-ins with advisors in Chile. They really bent over backwards.Miller said that the foundation recommends students to study abroad their sophomore or junior year of high school. She also said that previous knowledge of a language is not required.For example, her son went to Hungary, and the program assumes that students don’t know Hungarian.AFS provides language classes while you’re there,Miller said.
The scholarship was created when Bill Carstens a land developer who passed away six years ago saw the transformative experience studying abroad provided to Swiss students he hosted.The confidence and the growth in that two weeks really impressed him,said Cheryl Miller, Carstens’ daughter, who serves as the foundation’s adviser.My dad wanted to support exchanges because it’s such a life changing experience.Miller said the foundation has provided needs-based scholarships for AFS in the past, but now they will also offer a merit-based scholarship. They’re still in the process of figuring out the exact dollar amount.The foundation will give $10,000 to the Telluride AFS program: $2,000 to cover the cost of hosting students and the remaining $8,000 for student scholarships.
Enrollment for AFS opened this fall and will extend through the beginning of April. Miller encouraged interested students to apply sooner rather than later because host countries have a limit to how many students they will take. The most popular countries will fill up first.When a country is full for applicants, then the country is closed,she said.But you can still apply for countries that are not yet full.AFS programs typically last a year, and students spend that time with one family. Other programs, such as the Rotary Exchange, place students with multiple families throughout the year.In 2001, Stephen Allen studied abroad in Santiago, Chile during his junior year at Telluride High School through AFS.It was great,Allen said.The family that I got placed with was absolutely amazing. It was a pretty rich family life. I call them and speak with them on the phone once every six months or so.
Allen said he applied through AFS because it seemed to take care of all the details for his trip.There was a great support network, he said.We had regular check-ins with advisors in Chile. They really bent over backwards.Miller said that the foundation recommends students to study abroad their sophomore or junior year of high school. She also said that previous knowledge of a language is not required.For example, her son went to Hungary, and the program assumes that students don’t know Hungarian.AFS provides language classes while you’re there,Miller said.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
The first grading of MBA course launched by CARE Ratings
CARE Ratings has launched ‘CARE EDU GRADE’, a grading product for Educational Institutes. There are numerous institutions offering courses in higher education across India. Every year, the student community grapples with a large number of educational institutes to choose from for professional education.CARE EDU GRADE’ is, therefore, being launched to assess the quality of the courses offered based on effectiveness of resources provided and processes followed in achieving the objective of the course.
With a large clientele of Educational Institutions, CARE Ratings is one of the leading rating agencies in the education sector. CARE Ratings undertakes credit rating of all the debt and related obligations in the education sector. In the realm of grading of educational courses, CARE Ratings has been undertaking grading of Maritime courses for Maritime Training Institutes, under the aegis of Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) for quite some time. ‘CARE EDU GRADE’ is the latest offering from CARE Ratings catering to the specific need of the education sector.
‘CARE EDU GRADE’ is course specific grading. Presently CARE is grading management courses. CARE also has a product for grading of courses offered by Engineering colleges, which is unique in the industry. The grading measures the quality of a course based on various factors including quality of infrastructure, faculty, academic & non-academic activities, management, student mix and teaching methodology & assessment. For Management courses, CARE assigns grading both at state and national scale and it ranges from ‘A Triple Star’ to ‘B’, with ‘A Triple Star’ being the highest.Speaking at the launch of ‘CARE EDU GRADE’, Shri D.R. Dogra, Managing Director & CEO, CARE Ratings, said With mushrooming of large number of institutions across India, both parents and students face difficulties in choosing a particular institute for pursuing higher education. Further, prospective employers are also spending vast resources on selection and recruitment of a right candidate. To help the student and parent community, CARE Ratings has launched ‘CARE EDU GRADE’, a course specific grading which can be relied upon as a quality benchmark.
Besides student and parent community and indeed the Institute being rated, CARE EDU GRADE would be beneficial to various stakeholders such as financial institutions, banks, corporates and government/regulatory authorities. Grading enables the Institute to attract good quality students, faculty and recruiters. Grading can be relied upon as quality benchmark while assessing the funding requirements of colleges and while designing/pricing its loan products depending on the grade of institute. Grading also will help the government to design schemes to promote quality higher education, identify good quality institutions and ultimately channelize flow of funds to the sector.
With a large clientele of Educational Institutions, CARE Ratings is one of the leading rating agencies in the education sector. CARE Ratings undertakes credit rating of all the debt and related obligations in the education sector. In the realm of grading of educational courses, CARE Ratings has been undertaking grading of Maritime courses for Maritime Training Institutes, under the aegis of Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) for quite some time. ‘CARE EDU GRADE’ is the latest offering from CARE Ratings catering to the specific need of the education sector.
‘CARE EDU GRADE’ is course specific grading. Presently CARE is grading management courses. CARE also has a product for grading of courses offered by Engineering colleges, which is unique in the industry. The grading measures the quality of a course based on various factors including quality of infrastructure, faculty, academic & non-academic activities, management, student mix and teaching methodology & assessment. For Management courses, CARE assigns grading both at state and national scale and it ranges from ‘A Triple Star’ to ‘B’, with ‘A Triple Star’ being the highest.Speaking at the launch of ‘CARE EDU GRADE’, Shri D.R. Dogra, Managing Director & CEO, CARE Ratings, said With mushrooming of large number of institutions across India, both parents and students face difficulties in choosing a particular institute for pursuing higher education. Further, prospective employers are also spending vast resources on selection and recruitment of a right candidate. To help the student and parent community, CARE Ratings has launched ‘CARE EDU GRADE’, a course specific grading which can be relied upon as a quality benchmark.
Besides student and parent community and indeed the Institute being rated, CARE EDU GRADE would be beneficial to various stakeholders such as financial institutions, banks, corporates and government/regulatory authorities. Grading enables the Institute to attract good quality students, faculty and recruiters. Grading can be relied upon as quality benchmark while assessing the funding requirements of colleges and while designing/pricing its loan products depending on the grade of institute. Grading also will help the government to design schemes to promote quality higher education, identify good quality institutions and ultimately channelize flow of funds to the sector.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Hill College begin job training program in the new year
Residents out of work or underemployed have good news to look forward to in the new year.In January, Hill College will roll out its new job training program, the Hill College Community Stimulus Program. Available at both the Hillsboro and Cleburne campuses, the program aims to help those who are unemployed or not using their professional skills in their field of choice.The cost of the program is free to those who qualify.We all feel so bad about what’s going on in the world and this is something concrete that we can do,said Hill President Dr. Sheryl Kappus.Our taxpayers have invested in us, and we want to invest in them.According to the Texas Workforce Commission, the unemployment in Johnson County hit 8.5 percent in June, and has since hovered around that mark. Hill County saw unemployment rates as high as 9.3 percent this summer. The majority of people seeking unemployment benefits range from 30-50 years old, with an average duration of eight months and two years.
This program seeks to aid workers in and around the area in learning a new skill or trade to get back into the workforce or even to become self-employed,Kappus said.Kappus said unemployment data is hard to come by, but has found that those who are unemployed longer are less likely to find a job.And then, your skills are out of date,Kappus said.The courses range from welding, supervision, professional organization, workplace professionalism, job search and employment skills and how to start your own business. Programs throughout the courses which last from several days to a couple of weeks include seminars, individual courses, marketable skills awards and certificates of completion.A mandatory orientation will get participants up to speed with what they’re asked to do.
The board the difficult economic times our nation is experiencing, and we feel Hill College is in a unique position to help those hurting the most the jobless, by retraining them for viable jobs,said David Teel, Hill College board president.We are very excited about this new and innovative program and welcome the opportunity to give back to the people of our service area by providing this valuable training.Kappus mentioned that the program is only available to seasoned workers, or those who are not seeking their first job. Underemployed participants, such as those who have had to take on fast food jobs or other employment outside of their certifications can explain their situation and receive skills-renewal classes.
Even if you’ve been sitting on the couch for a year, we can help you,Kappus said.We are just really pleased we are able to do this and appreciate the support from the community.To qualify for this program, you must live in the Hill or Johnson County taxing districts, be a seasoned worker and:Have been unable to find employment or are underemployed and wish to gain new skills and knowledge to make you competitive for employment.Have been unable to find employment or are underemployed and wish to gain knew skills and knowledge to become your own boss.Have been unable to find employment or are underemployed, and wish to polish your interview and presentation skills.
This program seeks to aid workers in and around the area in learning a new skill or trade to get back into the workforce or even to become self-employed,Kappus said.Kappus said unemployment data is hard to come by, but has found that those who are unemployed longer are less likely to find a job.And then, your skills are out of date,Kappus said.The courses range from welding, supervision, professional organization, workplace professionalism, job search and employment skills and how to start your own business. Programs throughout the courses which last from several days to a couple of weeks include seminars, individual courses, marketable skills awards and certificates of completion.A mandatory orientation will get participants up to speed with what they’re asked to do.
The board the difficult economic times our nation is experiencing, and we feel Hill College is in a unique position to help those hurting the most the jobless, by retraining them for viable jobs,said David Teel, Hill College board president.We are very excited about this new and innovative program and welcome the opportunity to give back to the people of our service area by providing this valuable training.Kappus mentioned that the program is only available to seasoned workers, or those who are not seeking their first job. Underemployed participants, such as those who have had to take on fast food jobs or other employment outside of their certifications can explain their situation and receive skills-renewal classes.
Even if you’ve been sitting on the couch for a year, we can help you,Kappus said.We are just really pleased we are able to do this and appreciate the support from the community.To qualify for this program, you must live in the Hill or Johnson County taxing districts, be a seasoned worker and:Have been unable to find employment or are underemployed and wish to gain new skills and knowledge to make you competitive for employment.Have been unable to find employment or are underemployed and wish to gain knew skills and knowledge to become your own boss.Have been unable to find employment or are underemployed, and wish to polish your interview and presentation skills.
Friday, November 25, 2011
EPUC admits fresh students
The Honorary Chancellor of the EPUC, the Very Rev. Dr. Livingstone Komla Buama, says education is a business venture, and must therefore, be seen in that context.Speaking at the 5th Matriculation ceremony to admit 535 fresh students to offer courses in the various disciplines at the EPUC in Ho over the weekend, Dr. Buama pointed out that the university did not intend to become a photocopy of others in the country.
He said the Evangelical Presbyterian University College (EPUC) was unique, because it dares students and lecturers to be different, in order to help bring qualitative change to the world through hard work, because it was through innovative educational activities that institutions of higher learning could make positive impacts that would promote development.Dr. Buama stressed that the youth who are admitted to universities, particularly the EPUC, should see their status as an opportunity, as well as a privilege, and urged them to be law-abiding, so as to observe the rules and regulations of the university at all times.
'Students of universities should not go through the university, but rather the university should go through them, so that they can become real instruments of change in society upon the completion of their courses,' he stressed.The President of the EPUC, Rev. Dr. Cyril G.K. Fayose, congratulated the new students for successfully going through the matriculation process, and assured them that they had made a good choice, because the university had so far not turned out students who had become unemployed graduates, as they always get employment in the formal sector or self-employed.Rev. Dr. Fayose pointed out that even though the university had turned out qualified human resources who are contributing to national development efforts, the students must still be focused and work hard to enable them remain in the university, because laziness would not be tolerated from them.
The EPUC President said what made the university a unique institution was that it did not only concentrate on the academic aspect of education, but also practical learning, blended with sound moral discipline.A representative from the University of Cape Coast, the affiliate university of the EPUC, Mr. Nicholas Kuteh urged the EP Church to continue offering the needed support to
the university, and gave the assurance that the University of Cape Cost would continue to assist, to ensure that the young university was properly nurtured to a matured university that could be on its own.
He said the Evangelical Presbyterian University College (EPUC) was unique, because it dares students and lecturers to be different, in order to help bring qualitative change to the world through hard work, because it was through innovative educational activities that institutions of higher learning could make positive impacts that would promote development.Dr. Buama stressed that the youth who are admitted to universities, particularly the EPUC, should see their status as an opportunity, as well as a privilege, and urged them to be law-abiding, so as to observe the rules and regulations of the university at all times.
'Students of universities should not go through the university, but rather the university should go through them, so that they can become real instruments of change in society upon the completion of their courses,' he stressed.The President of the EPUC, Rev. Dr. Cyril G.K. Fayose, congratulated the new students for successfully going through the matriculation process, and assured them that they had made a good choice, because the university had so far not turned out students who had become unemployed graduates, as they always get employment in the formal sector or self-employed.Rev. Dr. Fayose pointed out that even though the university had turned out qualified human resources who are contributing to national development efforts, the students must still be focused and work hard to enable them remain in the university, because laziness would not be tolerated from them.
The EPUC President said what made the university a unique institution was that it did not only concentrate on the academic aspect of education, but also practical learning, blended with sound moral discipline.A representative from the University of Cape Coast, the affiliate university of the EPUC, Mr. Nicholas Kuteh urged the EP Church to continue offering the needed support to
the university, and gave the assurance that the University of Cape Cost would continue to assist, to ensure that the young university was properly nurtured to a matured university that could be on its own.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Scholarships for postgraduate medicine courses
The government has decided to double the number of scholarships for postgraduate medicine courses, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.Disclosing this yesterday, he said the initiative was part of the government’s long term measure to produce more specialist doctors towards uplifting health services in the country.From this year, the number of scholarships for postgraduate medicine courses had been doubled from 400 to 800, he said when he officially launched the Health Carnival at the hospital here yesterday.
According to him, the shortage of medical officers or doctors was no longer a major problem these days as the country had been able to produce between 3,500 and 4,000 doctors annually, adding that most of the doctors graduated from local universities.With a steady increase in the number of doctors, he believed by 2015 the country would achieve a doctor to population ratio of 1:600 which will be improved to 1:400 by 2020.In the case ofSarawak, doctor to population ration stood at 1: 2,000, he disclosed, assuring that the situation would be accorded due consideration to make it on par with the Peninsular states.Though the country’s standard of health services had been acknowledged as among the world’s best, the Barisan Nasional (BN) government had kept on striving to improve medical services to a higher level, he said, stressing that focus would be directed at training more specialist doctors in order to achieve the target.
As for now, he said the government had to engage foreign specialist doctors as a temporary measure.He said another initiative adopted by the BN government to extend specialist doctors’ services to the rural folks was to reduce the minimum attachment period in rural hospitals to six months from 12 months previously.Believing that the shortened attachment period was acceptable to the specialist doctors, he said this would allow more rural hospitals to enjoy high quality health care.On top of that, the government offered various incentives to motivate the medical officers and staff to give their utmost in extending quality services to the people, Liow said, citing better promotional opportunities, allowances and study scholarships as among them.
On the two-week health carnival which started last Monday, Liow said its main objective was basically to extend health services to the rural areas.He said some 285 cases had been identified to undergo surgery by a team of specialist doctors/surgeons specially flown from Peninsular Malaysia.Among the elective surgeries are Hernia (Inguinal, Oincisional, Umbilical); breast (Fibroadenoma, Ca Breast); thyroid (Ca thyroid, MNG or Hemithyroidectomy); Gall Bladder (Cholecystectomy); Cataract Operation and OGDS and Colonoscopy.During the function, Liow also launched the `Ubat Melalui Pos 1Malaysia’ service.Among those present were Assistant Minister of Public Health Dr Jerip Susil, Sarikei MP Ding Kuong Hiing, deputy director-general of Health Dr Nor Hisham Abdullah, state health director Dr Zulkifli Jantan, Sarikei Resident Michael Dawi Alli, divisional health officer Dr Hasrina Hassan andSarikeiHospitaldirector Dr Tey Siew Chang.
According to him, the shortage of medical officers or doctors was no longer a major problem these days as the country had been able to produce between 3,500 and 4,000 doctors annually, adding that most of the doctors graduated from local universities.With a steady increase in the number of doctors, he believed by 2015 the country would achieve a doctor to population ratio of 1:600 which will be improved to 1:400 by 2020.In the case ofSarawak, doctor to population ration stood at 1: 2,000, he disclosed, assuring that the situation would be accorded due consideration to make it on par with the Peninsular states.Though the country’s standard of health services had been acknowledged as among the world’s best, the Barisan Nasional (BN) government had kept on striving to improve medical services to a higher level, he said, stressing that focus would be directed at training more specialist doctors in order to achieve the target.
As for now, he said the government had to engage foreign specialist doctors as a temporary measure.He said another initiative adopted by the BN government to extend specialist doctors’ services to the rural folks was to reduce the minimum attachment period in rural hospitals to six months from 12 months previously.Believing that the shortened attachment period was acceptable to the specialist doctors, he said this would allow more rural hospitals to enjoy high quality health care.On top of that, the government offered various incentives to motivate the medical officers and staff to give their utmost in extending quality services to the people, Liow said, citing better promotional opportunities, allowances and study scholarships as among them.
On the two-week health carnival which started last Monday, Liow said its main objective was basically to extend health services to the rural areas.He said some 285 cases had been identified to undergo surgery by a team of specialist doctors/surgeons specially flown from Peninsular Malaysia.Among the elective surgeries are Hernia (Inguinal, Oincisional, Umbilical); breast (Fibroadenoma, Ca Breast); thyroid (Ca thyroid, MNG or Hemithyroidectomy); Gall Bladder (Cholecystectomy); Cataract Operation and OGDS and Colonoscopy.During the function, Liow also launched the `Ubat Melalui Pos 1Malaysia’ service.Among those present were Assistant Minister of Public Health Dr Jerip Susil, Sarikei MP Ding Kuong Hiing, deputy director-general of Health Dr Nor Hisham Abdullah, state health director Dr Zulkifli Jantan, Sarikei Resident Michael Dawi Alli, divisional health officer Dr Hasrina Hassan andSarikeiHospitaldirector Dr Tey Siew Chang.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Study Abroad in Germany on a full scholarship for the 2012-2013
Imagine being offered a chance to study abroad in Germany, live with a local family, attend a local school, and learn German for free.Thanks to a U.S.-German scholarship program being offered by the U.S. government and Ayusa, this dream is about to become a reality for 50 American high school students.Ayusa, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of State, provides merit-based full scholarships for fifty American high school students to study abroad in Germany through the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange program, or CBYX. Ayusa is currently accepting applications for the 2012-2013 academic year program. Ayusa invites all interested high school students from Arizona, Southern California, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah to apply for this remarkable opportunity. The application deadline is December 16, 2011. No prior German language skills are necessary to apply.
Thanks to the CBYX program, I figured out that my calling is international affairs, said Jennifer Hamel-Merkel, an Ayusa student from Texas who participated in the 2010-11 CBYX program. Before, I always had problems finding my niche in regular high school classes. But after studying abroad, I've become a more confident young adult who's ready to go out and change the world. Thanks to the CBYX program, I'll be focusing on improving relations between countries.The CBYX scholarship program was designed by the U.S. Congress and the German Bundestag (Parliament) in 1983 to strengthen ties and share cultural insights between German and American youth. Ayusa is proud to be one of only five organizations selected by the U.S. Department of State to sponsor the CBYX program since 1993. Each organization facilitates the selection of the students in their specific states, so students in every state are eligible. Each year, 250 American students are selected to participate in the program.
The CBYX program allows motivated high school students regardless of socio-economic background the chance to fully immerse themselves in a new culture and language and see a slice of the world they might not otherwise visit,said David Beiser, director of grants at Ayusa. This unique learning experience is something they will never forget and puts them at a competitive advantage when it comes to continuing education, a career, and community life.The CBYX scholarship includes orientations, meetings with government officials in Germany and the United States, a 4-week language camp in Germany, a 10-month home stay with a volunteer German host family, travel excursions throughout Germany, and international round trip airfare.
About Ayusa
Ayusa International is a non-profit organization founded in 1981 to promote global learning and leadership through foreign exchange, study abroad and leadership programs for high school students from the U.S. and around the world. In addition, Ayusa administers multiple high profile grant programs funded by the U.S. Department of State.
Thanks to the CBYX program, I figured out that my calling is international affairs, said Jennifer Hamel-Merkel, an Ayusa student from Texas who participated in the 2010-11 CBYX program. Before, I always had problems finding my niche in regular high school classes. But after studying abroad, I've become a more confident young adult who's ready to go out and change the world. Thanks to the CBYX program, I'll be focusing on improving relations between countries.The CBYX scholarship program was designed by the U.S. Congress and the German Bundestag (Parliament) in 1983 to strengthen ties and share cultural insights between German and American youth. Ayusa is proud to be one of only five organizations selected by the U.S. Department of State to sponsor the CBYX program since 1993. Each organization facilitates the selection of the students in their specific states, so students in every state are eligible. Each year, 250 American students are selected to participate in the program.
The CBYX program allows motivated high school students regardless of socio-economic background the chance to fully immerse themselves in a new culture and language and see a slice of the world they might not otherwise visit,said David Beiser, director of grants at Ayusa. This unique learning experience is something they will never forget and puts them at a competitive advantage when it comes to continuing education, a career, and community life.The CBYX scholarship includes orientations, meetings with government officials in Germany and the United States, a 4-week language camp in Germany, a 10-month home stay with a volunteer German host family, travel excursions throughout Germany, and international round trip airfare.
About Ayusa
Ayusa International is a non-profit organization founded in 1981 to promote global learning and leadership through foreign exchange, study abroad and leadership programs for high school students from the U.S. and around the world. In addition, Ayusa administers multiple high profile grant programs funded by the U.S. Department of State.
Monday, November 21, 2011
College of William and Mary undergrads are more likely to study abroad
The College of William and Mary has a greater percentage of undergraduates who participate in study-abroad programs than any other public institution offering doctoral degrees in the United States, according to a recent study by the Institute of International Education.The IIE's Open Doors 2011 Report on International Educational Exchange ranks William & Mary first at 43.9 percent, followed by Miami of Ohio (40.7 percent), Georgia Institute of Technology (39.2 percent) and the University of Delaware (38.1 percent). The College also ranks above all other Virginia institutions public and private listed in the report.
More than 40 percent of William & Mary students study abroad in their undergraduate careers, last year in 41 countries. The Reves Center provides more than $150,000 in study abroad scholarships each year.The Open Doors report is published annually by the IIE with funding from the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The numbers contained in the 2011 report reflect study abroad conducted in the 2009-10 academic year.
More than 40 percent of William & Mary students study abroad in their undergraduate careers, last year in 41 countries. The Reves Center provides more than $150,000 in study abroad scholarships each year.The Open Doors report is published annually by the IIE with funding from the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The numbers contained in the 2011 report reflect study abroad conducted in the 2009-10 academic year.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Parents are encouraging their children to enrol in foreign universities to avoid soaring tuition fees in England
Universities across the world report unprecedented levels of interest from UK sixth formers in the run up to the introduction of £9,000 a year tuition fees in England.Applications are being driven by parents who want to avoid paying £27,000 for a three year degree or having their teenagers saddled with years of debt.Families are prepared to spend hundreds of pounds on visits to overseas campuses to persuade children to look for courses that as well as being cheaper might give them a competitive edge in the dire UK job market.Early indications are that thousands of sixth formers are considering opting out of the UK system or applying abroad as a backup in case they fail to get offers from UK institutions.The Fulbright Commission, which helps to co-ordinate transatlantic study, said more than 4,000 students and parents attended its US college information day last month 50 per cent more than last year. More than 120 teenagers from the UK, many with their parents, travelled to the Netherlands this weekend to an open day at Maastricht University.
Half of its undergraduate courses are taught entirely in English, from lectures to exams. Fees at the European institution, which is highly regarded, are just £1,500 a year.Some 130 British students enrolled in the university last year five times the number in 2009. Applications from the UK for 2012 places are expected to exceed 600.Scott Clothier, 17, a student at Holy Cross College, Bury, is considering studying international business at Maastricht.His mother, Catherine Clothier, said the rise in tuition fees provided the initial impetus to look at foreign universities.
When I realised that some degrees abroad are taught in English, that sparked my interest, she said. "The fees had a lot to do with it.
It's so much cheaper over there and you're getting an internationally recognised degree.The employment market is so competitive. Someone who has gone overseas to get a comparable degree to one available in the UK might have a bit of an edge.It might show that you are independent and that you have broadened you horizons.UK students can qualify for a non-repayable grant from the Dutch government worth £228 per month and a tuition fee loan, if they work part-time while studying.The city is five hours from London by train. Budget airlines fly to Brussels and Eindhoven which are just over an hour away. Tuition fee rises in the UK were an issue for Mary Lander, who is researching overseas universities with her daughter Samantha, 17, a pupil at Holy Cross School, in New Malden, Surrey.
She wants to study econometrics and operations research or economics and business economics.
Maastricht looks very suitable in a number of ways,said Mrs Lander.The cost makes it very interesting and I'm not worried about the distance.It only takes a few hours to get there. If she was going to a UK university, it could take just as long.Universities outside Europe have also reported increased parental demand. Dozens of students at a recent University of South Florida recruitment day in London were accompanied by keen parents.Its $14,900 fees are similar to the £9,000 a year that many English universities will charge but living costs are considerably lower than in much of the UK.The university, in Tampa Bay, has an international reputation on a par with the UK's Russell Group of leading institutions.
Katherine Beasley, 17, a pupil at Clifton College, Bristol, is considering South Florida.I want to study marine biology so Florida would have a lot of advantages,said the teenager.The common view used to be that US universities were very costly but since the rise in UK tuition fees, they don't look so expensive any more.From that point of view my parents have been very encouraging and think it's a very good opportunity.Anthony Seldon, the high master of Wellington College, in Berkshire, warned that British universities had to address the challenge now posed by international competition.Half of our 16-year-olds said they would be interested in studying abroad when we talked to them last term, that's a huge leap up,he said.I had a visit last month from the University of Hong Kong. Fees there are about £9,000 a year but the cost of living is a third of the price of London. British universities have to start to wake up to it.Their attitude has been that it is a trickle of students, so nothing to worry about but I don't think they can carry on citing that.
Half of its undergraduate courses are taught entirely in English, from lectures to exams. Fees at the European institution, which is highly regarded, are just £1,500 a year.Some 130 British students enrolled in the university last year five times the number in 2009. Applications from the UK for 2012 places are expected to exceed 600.Scott Clothier, 17, a student at Holy Cross College, Bury, is considering studying international business at Maastricht.His mother, Catherine Clothier, said the rise in tuition fees provided the initial impetus to look at foreign universities.
When I realised that some degrees abroad are taught in English, that sparked my interest, she said. "The fees had a lot to do with it.
It's so much cheaper over there and you're getting an internationally recognised degree.The employment market is so competitive. Someone who has gone overseas to get a comparable degree to one available in the UK might have a bit of an edge.It might show that you are independent and that you have broadened you horizons.UK students can qualify for a non-repayable grant from the Dutch government worth £228 per month and a tuition fee loan, if they work part-time while studying.The city is five hours from London by train. Budget airlines fly to Brussels and Eindhoven which are just over an hour away. Tuition fee rises in the UK were an issue for Mary Lander, who is researching overseas universities with her daughter Samantha, 17, a pupil at Holy Cross School, in New Malden, Surrey.
She wants to study econometrics and operations research or economics and business economics.
Maastricht looks very suitable in a number of ways,said Mrs Lander.The cost makes it very interesting and I'm not worried about the distance.It only takes a few hours to get there. If she was going to a UK university, it could take just as long.Universities outside Europe have also reported increased parental demand. Dozens of students at a recent University of South Florida recruitment day in London were accompanied by keen parents.Its $14,900 fees are similar to the £9,000 a year that many English universities will charge but living costs are considerably lower than in much of the UK.The university, in Tampa Bay, has an international reputation on a par with the UK's Russell Group of leading institutions.
Katherine Beasley, 17, a pupil at Clifton College, Bristol, is considering South Florida.I want to study marine biology so Florida would have a lot of advantages,said the teenager.The common view used to be that US universities were very costly but since the rise in UK tuition fees, they don't look so expensive any more.From that point of view my parents have been very encouraging and think it's a very good opportunity.Anthony Seldon, the high master of Wellington College, in Berkshire, warned that British universities had to address the challenge now posed by international competition.Half of our 16-year-olds said they would be interested in studying abroad when we talked to them last term, that's a huge leap up,he said.I had a visit last month from the University of Hong Kong. Fees there are about £9,000 a year but the cost of living is a third of the price of London. British universities have to start to wake up to it.Their attitude has been that it is a trickle of students, so nothing to worry about but I don't think they can carry on citing that.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
University adds more law courses
Northern Kentucky University’s Chase College of Law has added six new courses designed to expand the scope of its newly formed Law & Informatics Institute.The first three courses Information Privacy Law, Introduction to CyberLaw, and Drafting & Negotiating Intellectual Property Licenses will be offered on Tuesday evenings beginning in January.Three additional new courses Copyright Law, Trademark Law, and International Intellectual Property Law will be offered beginning the following semester.
Tuition ranges from $607 per credit hour for in-state students to $1,290 for non-residents. A metro rate of $981 is available for area residents who live in Ohio or Indiana.Chase’s intellectual property curriculum previously focused on patent law, entertainment and telecommunications.The NKU Chase Law & Informatics Institute held an opening reception on Nov. 4 in the university’s new LEED-certified Griffin Hall, home of NKU’s College of Informatics. The event included a screening of a new video, now posted on YouTube, that was directed by College of Informatics undergraduate Kyle Breitenstein.The video reflects two exciting aspects of our partnerships, said the institute’s director, Jon Garon, a professor at Chase.The partnership highlights the close collaboration between the College of Law and the College of Informatics.
Tuition ranges from $607 per credit hour for in-state students to $1,290 for non-residents. A metro rate of $981 is available for area residents who live in Ohio or Indiana.Chase’s intellectual property curriculum previously focused on patent law, entertainment and telecommunications.The NKU Chase Law & Informatics Institute held an opening reception on Nov. 4 in the university’s new LEED-certified Griffin Hall, home of NKU’s College of Informatics. The event included a screening of a new video, now posted on YouTube, that was directed by College of Informatics undergraduate Kyle Breitenstein.The video reflects two exciting aspects of our partnerships, said the institute’s director, Jon Garon, a professor at Chase.The partnership highlights the close collaboration between the College of Law and the College of Informatics.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Online Courses for High School Students
In an effort to accommodate students with varying levels of advancement and in reaction to state budgetary cuts, at least 30 states in the US now let elementary and high school students take all their courses online.According to Evergreen Education Group, a consulting firm that works with online schools, an estimated 250,000 students nationwide are enrolled in full-time virtual schools, a 40 percent increase in the last three years. And the International Association for K-12 Online Learning, a trade group, says two million kids take at least one class online.
Advocates say online schooling can save states money, offer curricula customized to each student and give parents more choice in education.I don’t think learning has to happen at school, in a classroom with 30 other kids and a teacher corralling all children into learning the same thing at the same pace,Allison Brown, a Georgia mother of three, says. We should rethink the environment we set up for education.But others point to data in some states showing students enrolled full-time in virtual schools score significantly lower on standardized tests, and make less academic progress from year to year, than their peers. Detractors also worry kids aren’t learning to interact with each other or how to participate in group discussions.
This reinvention of education also has teachers worried.Schools teach people the skills of citizenship how to get along with others, how to reason and deliberate, how to tolerate differences, says Jonathan Zimmerman, a professor of educational history at New York University.And while Dennis Van Roekel, president of the National Education Association, the nation’s largest teachers union, says that his organization opposes full-time online schools, it does support integrating virtual lessons into classrooms.Obviously, we all want to save money, he says.But to replace teachers with online learning is a mistake.Overall, virtual schooling comes down to what you make of it,says Rosie Lowndes, social-studies teacher at Georgia Cyber Academy. She also says that kids who work closely with parents or teachers do well, but computer learning alone isn’t sufficient.Letting a child educate himself, that’s not going to be a good educational experience, she says.
Advocates say online schooling can save states money, offer curricula customized to each student and give parents more choice in education.I don’t think learning has to happen at school, in a classroom with 30 other kids and a teacher corralling all children into learning the same thing at the same pace,Allison Brown, a Georgia mother of three, says. We should rethink the environment we set up for education.But others point to data in some states showing students enrolled full-time in virtual schools score significantly lower on standardized tests, and make less academic progress from year to year, than their peers. Detractors also worry kids aren’t learning to interact with each other or how to participate in group discussions.
This reinvention of education also has teachers worried.Schools teach people the skills of citizenship how to get along with others, how to reason and deliberate, how to tolerate differences, says Jonathan Zimmerman, a professor of educational history at New York University.And while Dennis Van Roekel, president of the National Education Association, the nation’s largest teachers union, says that his organization opposes full-time online schools, it does support integrating virtual lessons into classrooms.Obviously, we all want to save money, he says.But to replace teachers with online learning is a mistake.Overall, virtual schooling comes down to what you make of it,says Rosie Lowndes, social-studies teacher at Georgia Cyber Academy. She also says that kids who work closely with parents or teachers do well, but computer learning alone isn’t sufficient.Letting a child educate himself, that’s not going to be a good educational experience, she says.
Monday, November 14, 2011
The UK remains the top destination for students from the US looking to study abroad
The Open Doors 2011 survey, published today by the Institute of International Education, reveals that there was a 4.3 per cent increase in the number of students opting to study in the UK in 2010-11, above the average overall increase of 3.9 per cent.Europe retained its position as the most popular destination: 54.5 per cent of all Americans studying abroad were at a European institution, with 12.1 per cent in the UK.
However, the biggest percentage increases were in more exotic locations, including Israel, which saw a 60.7 per cent rise, and India, up 44.4 per cent year on year.The Open Doors survey also shows an increase in the number of overseas students opting to study in the US, up 5.7 per cent from the previous year.However, although this number has increased 32 per cent over the last 10 years, the proportion of international students compared to domestic students has actually dipped slightly, from 3.57 percent in 2000-01 to 3.51 percent in 2010-11.
The data show that over half of the international students in the US come from just five countries: China, India, Korea, Canada and Taiwan.The biggest percentage increases in 2010-11 were from Saudi Arabia, up 43.6 per cent, and China (23.3 per cent).California has the most international students, according to the report, with the University of Southern California hosting more than any other institution in the country.The report also shows that over two-fifths of international students in the US are either pursuing degrees in business and management or engineering.
Meanwhile Nafsa, the association of international educators, has released an annual report partially based on the findings of the Open Door study showing the financial contributions of international students to the US economy.Overall, it finds, international students contribute $20.23 billion (£12.59 billion) to the US economy in tuition fees and living expenses.The top five states benefiting financially from international students are: California, New York, Texas, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.Despite Nafsa’s findings, the Open Doors survey shows that government and institutional support for encouraging international students to attend US institutions has declined.Fewer students in 2010-11 were sponsored by US universities, the US government or a US-based private sponsor than in the previous year.
However, the biggest percentage increases were in more exotic locations, including Israel, which saw a 60.7 per cent rise, and India, up 44.4 per cent year on year.The Open Doors survey also shows an increase in the number of overseas students opting to study in the US, up 5.7 per cent from the previous year.However, although this number has increased 32 per cent over the last 10 years, the proportion of international students compared to domestic students has actually dipped slightly, from 3.57 percent in 2000-01 to 3.51 percent in 2010-11.
The data show that over half of the international students in the US come from just five countries: China, India, Korea, Canada and Taiwan.The biggest percentage increases in 2010-11 were from Saudi Arabia, up 43.6 per cent, and China (23.3 per cent).California has the most international students, according to the report, with the University of Southern California hosting more than any other institution in the country.The report also shows that over two-fifths of international students in the US are either pursuing degrees in business and management or engineering.
Meanwhile Nafsa, the association of international educators, has released an annual report partially based on the findings of the Open Door study showing the financial contributions of international students to the US economy.Overall, it finds, international students contribute $20.23 billion (£12.59 billion) to the US economy in tuition fees and living expenses.The top five states benefiting financially from international students are: California, New York, Texas, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.Despite Nafsa’s findings, the Open Doors survey shows that government and institutional support for encouraging international students to attend US institutions has declined.Fewer students in 2010-11 were sponsored by US universities, the US government or a US-based private sponsor than in the previous year.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
University to introduce 11 PG diploma courses in medical sciences for 2011-12
The Madras High Court has held unconstitutional the proposal of the TN Dr MGR Medical University to introduce 11 PG diploma courses in medical sciences for 2011-12.Justice N Paul Vasanthakumar gave the declaration while allowing a batch of five writ petitions from Dr M Ramesh and 24 others. Petritioners’ senior counsel KM Vijayan contended that the university’s proposal to introduce/commence the courses without any approval from the central government/Medical Council of India (MCI) was unconstitutional and contrary to the provisions of the Indian Medical Council Act.
These 11 courses including HIV medicine were part of the existing courses approved by the MCI/central government, which were being conducted through different colleges and the examinations were conducted by the university. It had just splitted and carved out the syllabus framed by the MCI and was introducing the new courses without any approval from the MCI. The MCI and the central government supported the contentions of the petitioners.
Allowing the petitions, Justice Vasanthakumar observed that the university was not empowered to grant permission to any institution or medical college to conduct any PG diploma course in medical sciences without the previous approval of the central government as required under Sec 10A(1) of the MCI Act.As rightly contended by Vijayan, all the PG diploma courses in medical sciences now permitted by the university were available in the MCI Regulations either as Post Graduate diploma course or part of the degree courses or both.Thus it is evident that the university is seeking to introduce courses in different names on the same subjects,the judge said.
These 11 courses including HIV medicine were part of the existing courses approved by the MCI/central government, which were being conducted through different colleges and the examinations were conducted by the university. It had just splitted and carved out the syllabus framed by the MCI and was introducing the new courses without any approval from the MCI. The MCI and the central government supported the contentions of the petitioners.
Allowing the petitions, Justice Vasanthakumar observed that the university was not empowered to grant permission to any institution or medical college to conduct any PG diploma course in medical sciences without the previous approval of the central government as required under Sec 10A(1) of the MCI Act.As rightly contended by Vijayan, all the PG diploma courses in medical sciences now permitted by the university were available in the MCI Regulations either as Post Graduate diploma course or part of the degree courses or both.Thus it is evident that the university is seeking to introduce courses in different names on the same subjects,the judge said.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Internet education not good for everyone
Online learning is nothing new for Blaine County schools. Students in the county's three high schools are already taking English, math and even foreign language courses online, and some are taking classes they would never be able to take with the limited staff available marine biology at the Carey School, for example.But while school officials say they are happy with the increased opportunities that online learning provides for their students, most say they worry about the state's new requirement that all high school students take and pass two online courses before graduation.
Pete Jurovich, principal at Wood River High School in Hailey, said many of his students take classes through the Idaho Digital Learning Academy and NovaNet, a program that allows students who have failed a traditional class to make up those credits online. Jurovich said that with so many students involved in the ski team or other sports that take them away from the classroom, online courses are a way for them to keep up with schoolwork.It's certainly the way of the future,he said.If we want to talk about 21st-century learning, I think working through an electronic medium is important.John Peck, principal at the Carey School, said he tried to implement a requirement last year that all his students take one online course before graduation.
Everyone realizes that sometime in the future, those kids will have to learn online somehow, he said, adding that many professional and technical schools require students to take classes online.
But at a school as small as the Carey School, with an enrollment of about 70 students, Peck said requiring too many online courses could be a disaster and result in the loss of teachers.In a small school, if kids are taking online classes, that's taking students out of those teachers' classes,he said. "Pretty soon, you're looking at classes with no one in them.Mike Chatterton, business manager for the Blaine County School District, said online course requirements would probably not result in the loss of teachers in much of the district.
Instead of having 24 or 25 students in a class, we may have 20, he said, adding that the loss of four students would not justify elimination of a class, and therefore a teacher.However, he said online classes could cause a loss of funding to schools. Schools receive funding based on average daily attendance. That number could drop if online courses are not included in that figure.If those students are not attending our classes but are attending an online class, the attendance revenue follows the student,he said, meaning the funding that would otherwise go to the school would go to the online provider instead.Peck said his main concern was that the passage rates at Carey School for online courses are much lower than for traditional classes. In the 2010-11 school year, Peck said, only seven traditional classes total were failed by Carey students. However, 40 percent of the online courses taken by Carey students were failed, which Peck said was due to the fact that online courses don't work for everyone.
It takes a lot of self-motivation to be able to do it,he said.The traditional way is to have the teacher in the front and have the students do the work. In a class like these, [the students] have to be self-disciplined.Lynn Seifert, principal at Silver Creek High School, said she has solved that problem by having her students take all online courses on school grounds, under the supervision of a computer lab teacher who keeps track of deadlines and assignments.We feel like we need to be there to prod them, to keep them going,she said.Our experience has been that the majority need someone to keep them focused.But sometimes a supervisor just isn't enough, Seifert said, agreeing with Peck.Some students need a real, live, human teacher,she said.How will the schools deal with the requirements? They aren't sure, principals agreed, but they would have to make it work somehow.It is what it is, and we'll deal with it,Peck said.The more they require, the tougher it will be on little schools.
Pete Jurovich, principal at Wood River High School in Hailey, said many of his students take classes through the Idaho Digital Learning Academy and NovaNet, a program that allows students who have failed a traditional class to make up those credits online. Jurovich said that with so many students involved in the ski team or other sports that take them away from the classroom, online courses are a way for them to keep up with schoolwork.It's certainly the way of the future,he said.If we want to talk about 21st-century learning, I think working through an electronic medium is important.John Peck, principal at the Carey School, said he tried to implement a requirement last year that all his students take one online course before graduation.
Everyone realizes that sometime in the future, those kids will have to learn online somehow, he said, adding that many professional and technical schools require students to take classes online.
But at a school as small as the Carey School, with an enrollment of about 70 students, Peck said requiring too many online courses could be a disaster and result in the loss of teachers.In a small school, if kids are taking online classes, that's taking students out of those teachers' classes,he said. "Pretty soon, you're looking at classes with no one in them.Mike Chatterton, business manager for the Blaine County School District, said online course requirements would probably not result in the loss of teachers in much of the district.
Instead of having 24 or 25 students in a class, we may have 20, he said, adding that the loss of four students would not justify elimination of a class, and therefore a teacher.However, he said online classes could cause a loss of funding to schools. Schools receive funding based on average daily attendance. That number could drop if online courses are not included in that figure.If those students are not attending our classes but are attending an online class, the attendance revenue follows the student,he said, meaning the funding that would otherwise go to the school would go to the online provider instead.Peck said his main concern was that the passage rates at Carey School for online courses are much lower than for traditional classes. In the 2010-11 school year, Peck said, only seven traditional classes total were failed by Carey students. However, 40 percent of the online courses taken by Carey students were failed, which Peck said was due to the fact that online courses don't work for everyone.
It takes a lot of self-motivation to be able to do it,he said.The traditional way is to have the teacher in the front and have the students do the work. In a class like these, [the students] have to be self-disciplined.Lynn Seifert, principal at Silver Creek High School, said she has solved that problem by having her students take all online courses on school grounds, under the supervision of a computer lab teacher who keeps track of deadlines and assignments.We feel like we need to be there to prod them, to keep them going,she said.Our experience has been that the majority need someone to keep them focused.But sometimes a supervisor just isn't enough, Seifert said, agreeing with Peck.Some students need a real, live, human teacher,she said.How will the schools deal with the requirements? They aren't sure, principals agreed, but they would have to make it work somehow.It is what it is, and we'll deal with it,Peck said.The more they require, the tougher it will be on little schools.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
UNC has 10th most 2010-2011 Fulbright award winners
The Chronicle of Higher Education has UNC tied for 10th most students and recent graduates receiving Fulbright awards for the 2010-2011 year.The University is tied for 10th with Arizona State University, which each had 18 grant recipients. Seventeen of the UNC Fulbright winners are listed here, and the 18th has not been announced. The winners come from nine different North Carolina counties and five different states.
The Fulbright program gives grants to students to improve U.S. relations abroad at the grassroots level. The program, established in 1946, operates in more than 135 countries, and students are chosen by academic merit and leadership potential. While abroad, students study, teach and research solutions to international problems. The Fulbright is sponsored by the U.S. State Department and also gives grants to American teachers for projects abroad.
A total of 1700 students received the grants from 600 different colleges and universities. UNC had the third most recipients from a public university behind the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor with 29 awards and the University of Washington with 24 students who received the grant.
The Fulbright program gives grants to students to improve U.S. relations abroad at the grassroots level. The program, established in 1946, operates in more than 135 countries, and students are chosen by academic merit and leadership potential. While abroad, students study, teach and research solutions to international problems. The Fulbright is sponsored by the U.S. State Department and also gives grants to American teachers for projects abroad.
A total of 1700 students received the grants from 600 different colleges and universities. UNC had the third most recipients from a public university behind the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor with 29 awards and the University of Washington with 24 students who received the grant.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Free course for veterans
To recognize and thank veterans for their honorable service and dedication to our country, the AARP Driver Safety Program is proud to offer a free classroom course to them and their spouses during November.All military personnel active duty, retired, guard or reserve are eligible. So are spouses, widows and widowers. That’s a savings of $12 to $14 for a course that could help drivers save as much as $100 on auto insurance and help refresh driving skills.
The offer is good for veterans of any age, but could be particularly valuable for older drivers. That’s because state law mandates discounts for drivers ages 55 and older who complete courses such as the AARP Driver Safety Program. Those discounts typically range from $25 to $100.AARP has about 40 Driver Safety classroom courses scheduled throughout Tennessee during November. Spots must be reserved.
This offer does not apply to the online AARP Driver Safety Program courses that are available online. Those are still a good deal $15.95 for AARP members/$19.95 for non-members. And if you can’t find a free classroom course in your area during November, please consider paying for one $12 for AARP members/$14 for non-members.Veterans include those who have served in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, National Guard/Reserves or Coast Guard. To receive a free classroom course, provide some form of military identification, including but not limited to: military ID, discharge papers DD Form 214, American Legion card, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) card, dependent ID card, etc., to the host organization and or instructor.
The offer is good for veterans of any age, but could be particularly valuable for older drivers. That’s because state law mandates discounts for drivers ages 55 and older who complete courses such as the AARP Driver Safety Program. Those discounts typically range from $25 to $100.AARP has about 40 Driver Safety classroom courses scheduled throughout Tennessee during November. Spots must be reserved.
This offer does not apply to the online AARP Driver Safety Program courses that are available online. Those are still a good deal $15.95 for AARP members/$19.95 for non-members. And if you can’t find a free classroom course in your area during November, please consider paying for one $12 for AARP members/$14 for non-members.Veterans include those who have served in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, National Guard/Reserves or Coast Guard. To receive a free classroom course, provide some form of military identification, including but not limited to: military ID, discharge papers DD Form 214, American Legion card, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) card, dependent ID card, etc., to the host organization and or instructor.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Student organization travels to Dominican to bring health consciousness
FGCU has several student organizations that offer different purposes and missions for students who want to be involved, experience personal growth, develop leadership and help the community while earning service learning hours.Community Health Aid Development is a club that focuses on educating and helping local and foreign communities where health-based education and guidance is needed.Lis Chimaras, president of the club, who started the organization last fall and currently has 15 dedicated members who enjoy devoting their time to help less fortunate populations.
CHAD went on their first mission trip to the Dominican Republic this past summer.We mainly started in the Dominican Republic because of the current need there is for health awareness, Chimaras said.The main goal of the trip is to provide items to communities with items that they may not have access to as well as to educate children.On the past trip, students personally worked with children in schools by teaching them basic health sanitation practices and also launched a campaign on STD/HIV awareness.I love the small group atmosphere, because of last year's trip to Dominican Republic we all became a family in reach of a common goal. It is a great feeling to know you caused an impact in those children's lives,Spencer Klepper, a sophomore majoring in biology, said about his experience.
Chimaras says that they are working on another mission trip to the Dominican Republic for health awareness. The theme for the coming project, La Salud Cotidianaevery day health will focus on raising awareness of sanitation, nutrition and sexual health.The club gets financial support for the trips through fundraisers, contributions, donations and FGCU's Student Government.SG is the main reason why this trip was even financially possible in the first place, Chimaras said.I like the fact that we members of CHAD create our own lesson plans for the mission trip; we decide what is important to teach the children as well as our teaching methods, said Brad Sifrig, treasurer of the club.
We are free to educate them on what we believe it is necessary for them to know, in a relaxed and fun environment, Sifrig said.For the future, Chimaras says that CHAD's main goal is to be an organization established enough to have health awareness outreach trips in various parts of the world.CHAD is a great option for those passionate about doing good actions.Any FGCU students and staff member are welcome to attend the club's meetings and be a part of the organization.
CHAD went on their first mission trip to the Dominican Republic this past summer.We mainly started in the Dominican Republic because of the current need there is for health awareness, Chimaras said.The main goal of the trip is to provide items to communities with items that they may not have access to as well as to educate children.On the past trip, students personally worked with children in schools by teaching them basic health sanitation practices and also launched a campaign on STD/HIV awareness.I love the small group atmosphere, because of last year's trip to Dominican Republic we all became a family in reach of a common goal. It is a great feeling to know you caused an impact in those children's lives,Spencer Klepper, a sophomore majoring in biology, said about his experience.
Chimaras says that they are working on another mission trip to the Dominican Republic for health awareness. The theme for the coming project, La Salud Cotidianaevery day health will focus on raising awareness of sanitation, nutrition and sexual health.The club gets financial support for the trips through fundraisers, contributions, donations and FGCU's Student Government.SG is the main reason why this trip was even financially possible in the first place, Chimaras said.I like the fact that we members of CHAD create our own lesson plans for the mission trip; we decide what is important to teach the children as well as our teaching methods, said Brad Sifrig, treasurer of the club.
We are free to educate them on what we believe it is necessary for them to know, in a relaxed and fun environment, Sifrig said.For the future, Chimaras says that CHAD's main goal is to be an organization established enough to have health awareness outreach trips in various parts of the world.CHAD is a great option for those passionate about doing good actions.Any FGCU students and staff member are welcome to attend the club's meetings and be a part of the organization.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Online education and courses
JUST as the University of California prepares to announce its first group of fully online courses for its undergraduates, the California State University announced this week that it, too, will begin to expand its computer based options for its 412,000 students.It already offers degrees in 63 disciplines entirely online most of them in master's degree programs.
For years now, especially early adopters have been calling what's sometim
es known as distance learning the future of education. And certainly, in some as yet unknown way, it is or a big part of it.The situation is mainly technology-driven. Fifteen years ago, when the Web was younger and broadband access far more limited, it would have been extremely hard logistically to have anything like a real classroom experience online.Now, with high-speed Internet access commonplace, with laptops and smart phones and iPads, with users more at ease with the kinds of video images
we see on Skype, it's not just early adopters who are comfortable with the idea.Just as companies and organizations that formerly sent a lot of staff members to meetings have begun to see the cost- and time-saving abilities of video conferencing, so educators are right to explore all the online possi-bilities.And yet educators are also right to be skeptical. There is simply no replacing or overestimating the importance of traditional social interaction on a college campus. By no means should cyber-ed ever fully replace college or graduate-school education.
And professors have very specific fears. San Francisco Chronicle education writer Nanette Asimov reported this week on a war of words between a Cal State Long Beach prof and CSU Vice Chancellor Ben Quillian.Teri Yamada, an Asian Studies professor at CSU Long Beach, wanted to get involved in the process early on.Too early, they were told.I respectfully ask for your patience,Quillian said.I deeply understand the importance of patience,Yamada replied. Unfortunately, I believe that our concern is more the issue of trust.Cheating is one concern of professors. So is what they call the Walmartization of CSU, citing concerns that some classes would be purchased off the shelf in pre-packaged form, as some community colleges are doing.
At the UCs, the administration has guaranteed faculty that won't happen. Even so, UC Berkeley profs showed their skepticism about online education earlier this year when very few of them even bothered to submit proposals for online courses even though they were eligible for grants in the tens of thousands of dollars if they did so.Twenty-six UC courses were originally expected to be available this coming January. Instead, six will debut.Change is rough. Academia is as hidebound in its resistance to change as other organizations or more so. Online learning is definitely part of the mix for oureducational future. But we have to keep the humans in the humanities. And the sciences. And everything else. A mixture of online lectures and seminars with all hands on deck sounds to us like the best mix for higher education in the online age.
For years now, especially early adopters have been calling what's sometim
es known as distance learning the future of education. And certainly, in some as yet unknown way, it is or a big part of it.The situation is mainly technology-driven. Fifteen years ago, when the Web was younger and broadband access far more limited, it would have been extremely hard logistically to have anything like a real classroom experience online.Now, with high-speed Internet access commonplace, with laptops and smart phones and iPads, with users more at ease with the kinds of video imageswe see on Skype, it's not just early adopters who are comfortable with the idea.Just as companies and organizations that formerly sent a lot of staff members to meetings have begun to see the cost- and time-saving abilities of video conferencing, so educators are right to explore all the online possi-bilities.And yet educators are also right to be skeptical. There is simply no replacing or overestimating the importance of traditional social interaction on a college campus. By no means should cyber-ed ever fully replace college or graduate-school education.
And professors have very specific fears. San Francisco Chronicle education writer Nanette Asimov reported this week on a war of words between a Cal State Long Beach prof and CSU Vice Chancellor Ben Quillian.Teri Yamada, an Asian Studies professor at CSU Long Beach, wanted to get involved in the process early on.Too early, they were told.I respectfully ask for your patience,Quillian said.I deeply understand the importance of patience,Yamada replied. Unfortunately, I believe that our concern is more the issue of trust.Cheating is one concern of professors. So is what they call the Walmartization of CSU, citing concerns that some classes would be purchased off the shelf in pre-packaged form, as some community colleges are doing.
At the UCs, the administration has guaranteed faculty that won't happen. Even so, UC Berkeley profs showed their skepticism about online education earlier this year when very few of them even bothered to submit proposals for online courses even though they were eligible for grants in the tens of thousands of dollars if they did so.Twenty-six UC courses were originally expected to be available this coming January. Instead, six will debut.Change is rough. Academia is as hidebound in its resistance to change as other organizations or more so. Online learning is definitely part of the mix for oureducational future. But we have to keep the humans in the humanities. And the sciences. And everything else. A mixture of online lectures and seminars with all hands on deck sounds to us like the best mix for higher education in the online age.
Monday, October 31, 2011
U.S. Teachers uniquely qualified to teach overseas. Growing demand at International Schools give teachers new career opportunities all over the world
Teachers who are looking for a change of pace, or just feel like they are getting into a dull routine, might want to consider teaching overseas. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never worked, taught, or even traveled abroad, international schools are looking for teachers who can teach their subject in English.Many people hold the mistaken notion that teaching overseas means teaching local kids English,” says Forrest Broman, President of The International Educator, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping international schools find qualified teaching staff, But that’s not what teaching at an international school is all about, says Mr. Broman. Teachers in the U.S. are uniquely qualified to teach at overseas international schools because they are native speakers of English who can teach their subject to English-speaking students.To dispel some common myths, here is a quick guide to what you need to teach at an overseas international school.
Language Requirements
I don’t speak a foreign language, is the common reaction of most teachers, but knowledge or fluency in a foreign language is not necessary to teach at an international school. The only language requirement is that you speak English. In fact, native speakers of English, or those highly fluent, are exactly the types of candidates that international schools are looking for. American and international schools all over the world consist of diverse, multicultural student bodies whose common denominator is that they are all English-speaking.This means that regardless of what subject or grade-level you teach, you will be teaching your subject in English.
Education Requirements
International Schools are looking for teachers who hold a Bachelor’s degree or higher in their subject area. Therefore, if you are planning to teach Social Studies at the middle or high school level, you should have a degree in history, political science, sociology or any of the other social sciences. The same applies for secondary teachers of English, Mathematics, Science and other subjects. Elementary school teachers should hold a degree in education, childhood development, or other related subjects.
Experience
International experience is not required, but you do need a minimum of two years teaching experience. Contrary to a common misperception, teaching abroad is not the place to learn how to teach, or to get your first experience running a classroom. “International schools are looking for proven performers who can hit the ground running and are capable of managing their own classroom independently, explains Mr. Broman, of The International Educator.
Certification Requirements
Many international schools require that teachers be certified in their subject area and grade level from the state or region in which they are licensed. However, many international schools will waive the certification requirement if a teacher has valuable experience. “Private independent schools in the U.S. employ talented teachers who often are not certified,” explains Mr. Broman, a former head of international schools in Latin America and the Middle East. “International schools are willing to hire these teachers, despite the fact that they are not licensed, because they bring valuable experience to their schools,” according to Mr. Broman.
Once you’ve landed your first international teaching job, you are a more desirable candidate because you have already proven that you are adaptable in a foreign environment and that you have been successful at an international school. The expression, it’s a small world, really bears true in the international school community. School heads know one another, and will place greater value on a recommendation from a colleague they know well or have worked with in the past. For teachers getting into the international circuit, Mr. Broman has some sage advice: It’s important to honor contract agreements and maintain professionalism, because your reputation precedes you.
Don’t let your blank passport pages stop you. If you are a teacher with at least two years experience and you are fluent in English, then you are qualified to teach at an overseas international school. The only thing left is to look at a map and decide where in the world you want to go.The International Educator (TIE), located in Hyannis, MA, is a non-profit organization that for 25 years has been dedicated to developing links among teachers and the extensive American and international schools network worldwide. TIE publishes a quarterly newspaper featuring the latest in international school news and developments for K-12 educators around the world.
Language Requirements
I don’t speak a foreign language, is the common reaction of most teachers, but knowledge or fluency in a foreign language is not necessary to teach at an international school. The only language requirement is that you speak English. In fact, native speakers of English, or those highly fluent, are exactly the types of candidates that international schools are looking for. American and international schools all over the world consist of diverse, multicultural student bodies whose common denominator is that they are all English-speaking.This means that regardless of what subject or grade-level you teach, you will be teaching your subject in English.
Education Requirements
International Schools are looking for teachers who hold a Bachelor’s degree or higher in their subject area. Therefore, if you are planning to teach Social Studies at the middle or high school level, you should have a degree in history, political science, sociology or any of the other social sciences. The same applies for secondary teachers of English, Mathematics, Science and other subjects. Elementary school teachers should hold a degree in education, childhood development, or other related subjects.
Experience
International experience is not required, but you do need a minimum of two years teaching experience. Contrary to a common misperception, teaching abroad is not the place to learn how to teach, or to get your first experience running a classroom. “International schools are looking for proven performers who can hit the ground running and are capable of managing their own classroom independently, explains Mr. Broman, of The International Educator.
Certification Requirements
Many international schools require that teachers be certified in their subject area and grade level from the state or region in which they are licensed. However, many international schools will waive the certification requirement if a teacher has valuable experience. “Private independent schools in the U.S. employ talented teachers who often are not certified,” explains Mr. Broman, a former head of international schools in Latin America and the Middle East. “International schools are willing to hire these teachers, despite the fact that they are not licensed, because they bring valuable experience to their schools,” according to Mr. Broman.
Once you’ve landed your first international teaching job, you are a more desirable candidate because you have already proven that you are adaptable in a foreign environment and that you have been successful at an international school. The expression, it’s a small world, really bears true in the international school community. School heads know one another, and will place greater value on a recommendation from a colleague they know well or have worked with in the past. For teachers getting into the international circuit, Mr. Broman has some sage advice: It’s important to honor contract agreements and maintain professionalism, because your reputation precedes you.
Don’t let your blank passport pages stop you. If you are a teacher with at least two years experience and you are fluent in English, then you are qualified to teach at an overseas international school. The only thing left is to look at a map and decide where in the world you want to go.The International Educator (TIE), located in Hyannis, MA, is a non-profit organization that for 25 years has been dedicated to developing links among teachers and the extensive American and international schools network worldwide. TIE publishes a quarterly newspaper featuring the latest in international school news and developments for K-12 educators around the world.
Friday, October 28, 2011
More students will study abroad in 46 different countries
Between September and May of this academic year, a projected total of 215 students will study abroad in 46 different countries. Eighteen juniors will remain abroad for the entire year.According to Director of Off-Campus Study Christine Wintersteen, these numbers are consistent with study abroad trends.These numbers were expected, she said.In recent years, the percentage of the junior class that applied to study abroad varied slightly, but these minor fluctuations haven't had major impacts.
The OCS has reported that this year an estimated 47.1 percent of the Class of 2013 will study abroad, a marginal increase from 46.8 percent of the Class of 2012.During the 2008-2009 academic year, a record-high number of 264 students studied abroad.The number has hovered around 50 percent for the last 10 years,said Wintersteen.In comparison to our peer institutions, we're right in the middle. No school sees numbers higher than around 60 percent of the junior class.While the figures for academic year study away programs have remained more or less constant, students are considering an increasing number of summer programs abroad. Dean of Admissions Scott Meiklejohn commented on this increase.We're seeing a trend of students purs
uing shorter, more entrepreneurial-based study away experiences at different times of the year,said Meiklejohn.More students are applying to study away in the summer.
Thirty students studied abroad this past summer, a notable increase from the 22 students who were abroad during the summer of 2010.Some students are deterred from studying abroad during the summer due to the high cost and lower chance of earning course credits.Financial aid doesn't transfer to summer programs, but it does during the school year,said Wintersteen. "Also, students typically only earn about two credits abroad during the summer, as opposed to four in the fall or spring.
The ratio of male to female students who study abroad has remained relatively constant over the years. Across the nation, roughly 60 percent of college students who choose to study abroad are women.This figure is reflected at Bowdoin, where 61 percent of applicants to study abroad this year were female. Wintersteen explained that some believe this discrepancy is due to the tendency of men and women to pursue different areas of study.Historically, it's been thought that more women choose to study the social sciences while more men majored in the STEM science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields,she said, implying that it is harder for STEM majors to get credits off-campus.Yet there is no data to back the gender discrepancies up,she added.However this was exactly the case for junior Drew Zembruski.I decided not to go abroad in order to fulfill major requirements for my major, mathematics. I had no explicit academic reason for going abroad, so I felt it made more sense for me to stay at Bowdoin," he said.
But Bowdoin professors are flexible when it comes to giving students credit for off-campus study, according to the OCS.Our faculty is very well-versed in the transfer of academic credit from time spent abroad,said Wintersteen.Ultimately, Zembruski said he feels as though he made the wrong decision.In hindsight I realize the flaw in my logic, he said. While I will be able to finish my major by the end of my junior year, I regret not going abroad."
The OCS has reported that this year an estimated 47.1 percent of the Class of 2013 will study abroad, a marginal increase from 46.8 percent of the Class of 2012.During the 2008-2009 academic year, a record-high number of 264 students studied abroad.The number has hovered around 50 percent for the last 10 years,said Wintersteen.In comparison to our peer institutions, we're right in the middle. No school sees numbers higher than around 60 percent of the junior class.While the figures for academic year study away programs have remained more or less constant, students are considering an increasing number of summer programs abroad. Dean of Admissions Scott Meiklejohn commented on this increase.We're seeing a trend of students purs
uing shorter, more entrepreneurial-based study away experiences at different times of the year,said Meiklejohn.More students are applying to study away in the summer.Thirty students studied abroad this past summer, a notable increase from the 22 students who were abroad during the summer of 2010.Some students are deterred from studying abroad during the summer due to the high cost and lower chance of earning course credits.Financial aid doesn't transfer to summer programs, but it does during the school year,said Wintersteen. "Also, students typically only earn about two credits abroad during the summer, as opposed to four in the fall or spring.
The ratio of male to female students who study abroad has remained relatively constant over the years. Across the nation, roughly 60 percent of college students who choose to study abroad are women.This figure is reflected at Bowdoin, where 61 percent of applicants to study abroad this year were female. Wintersteen explained that some believe this discrepancy is due to the tendency of men and women to pursue different areas of study.Historically, it's been thought that more women choose to study the social sciences while more men majored in the STEM science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields,she said, implying that it is harder for STEM majors to get credits off-campus.Yet there is no data to back the gender discrepancies up,she added.However this was exactly the case for junior Drew Zembruski.I decided not to go abroad in order to fulfill major requirements for my major, mathematics. I had no explicit academic reason for going abroad, so I felt it made more sense for me to stay at Bowdoin," he said.
But Bowdoin professors are flexible when it comes to giving students credit for off-campus study, according to the OCS.Our faculty is very well-versed in the transfer of academic credit from time spent abroad,said Wintersteen.Ultimately, Zembruski said he feels as though he made the wrong decision.In hindsight I realize the flaw in my logic, he said. While I will be able to finish my major by the end of my junior year, I regret not going abroad."
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