Posted by Andrew Svec 11/29/99
Contact: Barbara Weiler, 218-281-8435
New
Study Abroad Program Offered at UMC
Students
will be able to take part in a new Study Abroad Program offered by the
University of Minnesota, Crookston (UMC) for summer 2000. UMC students can
earn credit while traveling and learning with teachers from UMC, Bemidji
State University, and Virginia Tech. The program is called "Global
Communications," and it is open to students in any major.
The
Global Communication Studies Program will be based at Virginia Tech's
Center for European Studies and Architecture (CESA) in Riva San Vitale,
Switzerland. Students will spend time in residence at CESA and will travel
to other European locations. As part of their study abroad, students will
have the chance to visit the offices of several multinational
organizations and have the opportunity to visit areas of interest on their
own.
"By
going abroad, students from any major can learn that the United States is
not the center of the universe. People don't all speak English, not
everyone has online access, professional manners differ...even table
manners vary widely. The exposure to a world unlike our own is
‘normal,’ which can be both challenging and invigorating," said
Dr. Traci Kelly, Scientific and Technical Communications program manager
and UMC’s Study Abroad coordinator.
The
Study Abroad program began in the fall of 1998 when Kelly and teachers
from Virginia Tech had a brainstorm to create a class experience that
exposed students to "true" global communication. The faculty at
Virginia Tech planned the trip for Summer 1999. Kelly was a guest lecturer
last year.
"The
course was such a success that we made it bigger and worked to make it
available to Minnesota students, too," said Kelly.
Last
year, the instructors traveled with students to Florence, Venice, Milan,
and Geneva Riva San Vitale as a class. The students also visited the
international Red Cross/Red Cresence Society and had the opportunity to
speak and learn from John Balck, director of communications for the
organization. Typically, the students study together Monday through
Thursday, and then have Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to travel where they
wish without the entire group.
"We
work hard, but we play hard, too," Kelly said.
The
course was such a success last year that three of those students have
volunteered to come back for Summer 2000 and help assist during the
course. This year, Virginia Tech has over 40 students who have applied,
and UMC has already secured 3 students who will be traveling for this
program. There is room for up to 10 Minnesota students to attend. There
will be an informational meeting on Wednesday, December 1, from 12 noon to
1 p.m. in UMC’s Sahlstrom Conference Center 131.
For
more information, contact Dr. Traci Kelly at 218-281-8273 or e-mail: tkelly@mail.crk.umn.edu
The
course has a webpage at http://webhome.crk.umn.edu/~tkelly/abroad/StudyAbroad.htm.
Pictures of the CESA, students and places are on the webpage.