-
ACCENT INTERNATIONAL
From Costa Rica to China, Ghana to Germany, Ireland to India,
Japan to Jamaica, New Zealand to Nicaragua, and Spain to South
Korea, the Center for International Education is well underway with
planning for another round of exciting Course Abroad and Passport
to Global Citizenship Programs in 2013. None of these programs
could come to fruition without the passion, expertise and, creative
energy of the faculty sponsors.
Inspired New Zealand When Ben Tyson, one of the two directors of
the Winter 2013 New Zealand Course Abroad, was asked what inspired
him to offer the course, he quickly replied saying, “after spending
two sabbaticals in New Zealand working on conservation projects, in
addition to shorter-term travel there, I've gotten to know the
country well and am enamored by it. The chance to share what I have
experienced from this fascinating country with CCSU students for
two weeks in January is both a privilege for me and a gift to
them.” His passion and love for the country was shared by his
colleague and the program’s co-director, SCSU professor Christine
Unson, who said “During my sabbatical in New Zealand, I learned how
well the public health and environmental health services have
incorporated the cultural values and health concerns of minority
and immigrant populations and encouraged full participation of
members of the community in the planning and implementation of
health and environmental health programs. I believe the public
health and health communication students have much to learn from
New Zealand’s health services professionals. In addition, our
contacts were eager to share what they know and warmly welcomed our
students.” India David Kideckel, professor of Anthropology, seeks
his inspiration from the potential to teach students something
about themselves. In Kideckel’s view “Study abroad develops
inter-cultural understanding, gives students a sense of global
citizenship; challenges their own understandings and self-concepts;
deepens ties between individuals and institutions internationally,
and even creates fast friendships within student groups.”
Kideckel’s, who is offering a Winter 2013 program to India, based
his program on the belief that knowledge of India, a twenty-first
century giant in world affairs, is incumbent for Americans.
Continued on page 6
The Center for International Education Fall 2012
2013 Course Abroad Programs: Inspired, Unique, Relevant By Lisa
Marie Bigelow
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
2013 Course Abroad Programs 1
CCSU-Hyundai Partnership Strengthened 2
New Study Abroad Partner University Announced 3
CCSU Students Engage the World 4
Malloy Announces Scholarship 7
My Path to Study Abroad 8
Faculty Advisor Guide 10
New Faces in the CIE 11
Study Abroad Program Maintains National Ranking 12
-
CCSU Receives Grant from the Connecticut Community
Foundation
The Connecticut Community Foundation recently awarded CCSU a
$22,500 grant to support the exchange program between CCSU and
Wroclaw University of Technology (WrUT). The grant, dedicated to
supporting Polish students who study abroad on CCSU’s campus, will
provide funding for three Engineering students from Wroclaw
University of Technology to study for a semester at CCSU. The
coursework they complete here will then be transferred to their
home university in Poland and will count as credit toward the
students’ degree requirements.
The three WrUT students selected to participating in this
program arrived this semester: Piotr Besler, Michał Karoluk, and
Magdalena Petecka
It is hoped that the presence of these international students on
campus, through the contacts they will have with their counterparts
in CCSU classrooms, will generate increased interest in CCSU
Engineering students for studying abroad in Poland.
CCSU Engineering & Technology Students in Shandong Province,
China Summer 2012
CCSU-Hyundai Partnership
Strengthened
Two Graduate Students Here
Two students from Hyundai-Kia Motors have enrolled as fulltime
graduate students
this fall. President Miller proposed the application of Hyundai
mid-level managers into
the School of Graduate Studies at CCSU when he visited with
Hyundai Chairman M.
K. Chung in March 2011. As a result, Mr. Eulkyo Lim was accepted
to the Master of
Science in Technology Management and Mr. Heesik Jung to the
Master of Science
in Educational Technology. The students are each enrolled in 12
credits appropriate
for their graduate programs this fall and are supported by
direct scholarships from the
M.K. Chung/Hyundai Motor America Scholarship Fund.
“I had the opportunity to meet with both Mr. Lim and Mr. Jung
right after they arrived
on campus,” said Paulette Lemma, Associate Vice President for
Academic Affairs and
Dean of the Graduate School. “Both were eager to start their
programs under the
advisement of Dr. Resetarits and Dr. Abed. The advisers have
already worked with
the students to plan their graduate programs so that they may
make the most of their
time on the CCSU campus. If all goes as planned, I will be able
to congratulate them
during our Graduate Commencement ceremony in May 2013. We are
all pleased to
start this partnership and look forward to having more graduate
students from
Hyundai coming to CCSU in the future.”
President Miller also invited Chairman Chung to send a team of
Hyundai-Kia
executives to CCSU for a summer business and leadership training
program
coordinated by the Institute for Technology and Business
Development
(ITBD). Twenty executives from Hyundai and Kia spent two weeks
on campus in July
in conference sessions that covered leadership, comparative law,
failure analysis,
automotive economic analysis and forecasting, product
development, and western
culture.
PAGE 2
-
Hyundai Business and Executive Training Program
CCSU’s Institute of Technology and Business Development (ITBD),
the Center for
International Education, and the CCSU Foundation, Inc. hosted 20
Hyundai KIA
executives this summer in the 2012 Hyundai Business and
Executive Training
Program. This was a comprehensive two- week program with
nationally
recognized speakers and business social events designed to build
managers’
business skills. The program was an outcome of a visit that CCSU
President Jack
Miller, Vice President Christopher Galligan, and Economics
Professor Emeritus Ki
Hoon Kim made last fall to South Korean to meet with Hyundai’s
Chairman
Chung. The group consisted of ten Korean executives from Seoul
and ten Korean
executives who are based in U.S. facilities in California,
Georgia, Alabama, and
Michigan. Their titles included managers, assistant managers,
general managers,
duty managers, and senior research engineers. Their areas of
expertise ranged
from research and development to quality and human resources to
parts
development and service.
During the intensive program, they attended various sessions
conducted by
subject matter experts at CCSU’s ITBD campus and in Boston.
Topics included a
lecture on Change by President Miller and other lecturers in
Contract Law,
Leadership, Communications, Product Design, Environmental
Regulations and
Sustainability, Demography, Global Trends in the Auto
Industry\Auto Economic
Forecasts, Progressive Business Models in the US – Social
Enterprises, and
American English and Culture, the latter delivered by CCSU’s
Intensive English
Language Program (IELP).
The participants participated in many external visits, including
an informative tour
of the President John F. Kennedy Museum and Library in Boston,
led by CCSU’s
Steven Kliger – a certified docent at the Library who connected
the President’s era
with coming of Democracy in South Korea; a “Quality in
Aerospace” lecture and
tour of Pratt and Whitney’s Customer Service Center in East
Hartford; and a tour
of Jill Merrium’s Auto Dealership, Key Hyundai in Manchester.
The group had
social meetings with business executives in their disciplinary
areas at Tunxis
Plantation and Country Club and the New Britain Rock Cats. New
Britain Mayor
Timothy O’Brien issued each attendee an Honorable Citizen of New
Britain
Certificate on August 31, 2012. The attendees, all English
speakers, increased
their understanding of American English and business culture
while attending a
program delivered by the IELP’s Director Christie Ward.
CCSU Announces New Study Abroad Partner in
Africa
The Center for International Education is very pleased to
announce that CCSU students seeking a full-semester or year-long
study abroad experience in Africa now have a new program to
consider. Through the leadership efforts of Prof. Peter Lemaire
(Earth Sciences), the support and guidance from Africana Center
faculty including, Peter Kyem (Geography), Sherinatu Fafunwa-Ndibe
(Art), Segun Odesina (Computer Electronics and Graphics
Technology), Warren Perry (Anthropology), and Evelyn Phillips
(Anthropology), and the approval of CCSU’s Partnership Committee, a
fully-approved study abroad partnership with the University of
Education-Winneba, in Ghana came to fruition in early Summer
2012.
The University of Education, Winneba is located in Winneba, an
historic fishing town on the south coast of Ghana, 35 miles west of
Accra and 90 miles east of Cape Coast. It is charged with the
responsibility of producing professional educators to spearhead a
new national vision of education, aiming at rapid economic and
social development. The University of Education provides training
for educators in a wide array of specializations, including Math
and Science Education, Technology Education, Health and Physical
Education, and Home Economics Education.
The partnership is a partial exchange program; CCSU students pay
tuition and fees to CCSU and room and board charges on arrival in
Winneba. CIE Director, Dr. Nancy Birch Wagner, called Winneba “an
important step toward CCSU internationalization; by offering this
program we are ensuring that Central students have the opportunity
to come to know this important region of the world. An additional
partner in Africa, Cape Coast, is also in the works.”
Hyundai Business Executive Program
PAGE 3
-
“My experiences in London this January were eye opening. One of
the major reasons that I returned to school to finish my degree was
so that I could have the ability to travel more. In the last six
months I have had some life-changing adventures with amazing
faculty from CCSU.” – Ashley Reverendo, Participate in Winter 2011
Passport to Global Citizenship: England Program and Spring 2011
Course Abroad to Italy.
“This course abroad trip has been very eye-opening and
inspirational! All of the school visits were very impressive. I
learned so much from the students, teachers, and administrators. I
believe this trip made me a better future teacher. I can’t wait to
go on the next course abroad trip!” – Nicole Cloutier, Participate
in the Winter 2011 Passport to Global Citizenship: Jamaica
Program
“I would highly recommend that this trip continue for the
nursing program. Health care systems vary in many different
countries. As nurses, we are exposed to many different cultures,
and cultural beliefs and practices. Having an international and
cultural experience will greatly help the nurse provide better
care. International course abroad opportunities are a safe and
wonderful educational opportunity. I thank Dr. Meg Levvis for
offering this wonderful opportunity, CCSU and the CIE for
supporting for
supporting this trip.” – Anonymous, Participant in the Spring
2011 Course Abroad to Ireland
“It was a great experience to actually see in person the things
we learned about in class. We also learned much more beyond the
scope of our course. I became more confident in traveling abroad
because I navigated the area using my maps and interacted with
locals. Traveling to other countries doesn't scare me anymore.” –
Anonymous, Participant in the Spring 2011 Course Abroad to
Italy
“This course was an excellent experience. It really opened my
eyes to the cultures of a different nation and inspired me to work
harder in my own career/life. I would highly recommend this program
to
others. It was awesome.” – Anonymous, Participant in the Spring
2011 Course Abroad to Jamaica
“There is nothing like experiential learning when conducted by
responsible, intense professors who love their fields of learning
and who have the academic credentials to produce a life experience.
The course work will become a part of my life experience.” –
Anonymous, Participant in the Spring 2011 Course Abroad to
Germany
In Their Own Words: What Study Abroad Means to CCSU Students
CCSU Students Engage the World CCSU School of Education and
Professional Studies Alum Enjoying Every Minute of His Teaching
Assignment in the Marshal Islands (photo – Brian is second from
right) Brian Sarkozy, who received his Master’s of Arts degree in
Teaching (MAT) in Summer 2011 is half way through his two-year
teaching assignment at Majuro Cooperative School, a private,
secular school located on the southeast corner of Majuro Atoll in
the Marshall Islands. Brian found the teaching opportunity on
teachabroad.org. A link to Brian’s blog is on the Center for
In-ternational Education’s homepage at www.ccsu.edu/cie. CCSU
Student’s Photography Gets National Exposure CCSU’s Patrick Turek
(B.A., Criminology, Spring 2010) received national exposure for his
photography during the Winter 2011 Course Abroad to South Africa
led by CCSU Professors Richard Benfield and Tiffany Doan. The photo
below was cho-sen for National Geographic’s Weekly Wrap during the
second week of March. In addition, another of Patrick’s photos was
published by CNN as a Photo of the Day. Locally, the Hartford
Courant also published Patrick’s photos in their Travel Section.
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/your-shot/weekly-wrapper/2011/img/0311wallpaper-week-2-14_1600.jpg
CCSU Student Prepares to Return Home After Teaching English in
China CCSU M.S. in TESOL candidate Jonathan Hennessey recently
returned to the U.S. after spending the 2010-2011 academic year
teaching English in rural China through CCSU’s cooperative
agreement with Ouyang Yu (OYY) Experimental Middle School, located
in Xintang town, Hengdong county, about two hours south by train
from Changsha, the capital of Hunan Prov-ince. Ouyang Yu
Experimental Middle School was founded in 1986. Prior to the
founding of the school, there were no com-plete schools in this
rural area serving secondary or high school students. The mission
of the school is to raise the quality of education available in
Hunan Province and to encourage disadvantaged students to aim high.
CCSU’s presence at OYY is sponsored by a generous grant from the
C.J. Huang Chinese Student and Educational Development Fund.
Click here to read Jonathan’s blog about his experience teaching
abroad.
PAGE 4
http://www.ccsu.edu/ciehttp://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/your-shot/weekly-wrapper/2011/img/0311wallpaper-week-2-14_1600.jpghttp://www.jonathanhennessy.com/blog/
-
Elihu Burritt Library Subscribes to Mango Languages
Mango is an online language learning system that teaches
practical conversation skills in a wide variety of popular
languages such as Spanish, German, French, Mandarin Chinese,
Arabic, Russian and many others. The system is accessible through
the Library’s website at
http://library.ccsu.edu/find/finddb.php?searchtitle=Mango.
With Mango, you can begin your studies and then pick up where
you left off the next time you log in. Check it out and begin
learning a new language today!
CCSU Students Abroad in Asia Summer 2012
CCSU Students Abroad in Montego Bay and London
PAGE 5
http://library.ccsu.edu/find/finddb.php?searchtitle=Mango
-
Cover Story:
2013 Course Abroad Programs: Inspired, Unique, Relevant
(continued from page 1)
From their base in Kerala state, “students will gain deep
knowledge of Kerala life through on-site study of its institutions,
from government agencies, to gender groups, to environmental
activists. Sub-dividing the group according to individual
inter-ests will encourage cross-fertilization of ideas and
experiences. Our students will also have close contact with Kerala
university students. We’ll also play a lot in Kerala’s
semi-tropical environ-ment, along the coast of the Arabian Sea,”
said Kideckel.
Scotland
Joan Walden of the Communication Department, about to lead her
first Course Abroad Program to Scot-land, is equally excited. Her
inspi-ration stems from the very first time she visited Edin-burgh
and attend-ed events and per-formances that were part of that
city's Fringe Festi-val nearly 20 years ago. It was then that she
knew that
she wanted to introduce the experience to students with an
interest in special events, public relations, and promotion. “The
Festival is brilliantly organized and can best be appreci-ated on
site. It comprises productions large and small, profes-sional and
semi-professional from which students can learn on so many levels.
The way individual events are booked, scheduled, and promoted and
the way the entire Festival is developed and promoted offer
countless lessons. The city and the country provide the backdrop,
infusing the entire ex-perience with history and culture.”
According to Walden, Communication majors will expand their
appreciation for spe-cial events in unique and spectacular ways
during her upcom-ing Summer 2013 program offering 400-level
Communication coursework.
Unique Belize Unique programs being offered this year include
Biology professor Jerry Jarrett’s Winter 2013
Program, Marine Ecosystems of Belize. “Most people imagine
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef when they hear the phrase ‘barrier
reef,’ but Belize has a wonderful barrier reef that is the longest
in the Western Hemisphere and second only to Austral-ia’s Great
Barrier Reef. Inside the Belize Barrier Reef, waters are shallow
and clear, fantastic conditions for snorkeling and exploring the
tremendous variety of corals and fish that make up this reef
community. The reef lies one-half mile east of San Pedro Town on
Ambergris Caye, where the marine lab will be located, and so the
“commute” to the reef and associated eco-systems is brief and
students will spend several hours each day exploring these
ecosystems with me and our guides.” His course is designed to
provide students the rare opportunity to “explore and discover a
precious marine resource and to ob-serve the threats to this
resource and the success of ongoing remediation projects.” In
addition, this course may challenge some students to step outside
their comfort zone and try some-thing new. London and Paris Several
of the 2013 offering pro-grams are unique in that they con-nect
history to pre-sent day. “It is difficult to believe that some of
the most cutting-edge, experimental American writers were
publishing nearly 100 years ago — and they were doing so from
overseas,” said Aimee Pozorski of the English Depart-ment. “These
American modern-ists can seem so far away – both in time and
space—to contemporary students! However, by al-lowing us to trace
these authors’ footsteps in London where they lived and worked, the
Course Abroad program allows us to understand these authors and
their works as profoundly relevant once again.” The historic
perspective is also central to Stan Kurkovsy’s interdisciplinary
science program, taking place in London and Paris in January. “The
history of science and technology is a fascinating subject. Who
would have thought that smart phones, tablets, and computers are
possible be-cause ancient Greeks discovered the camshaft over two
mil-lennia ago? Why did industrial revolution start in England and
not in France? How is land surveying related to 3D movies?” In his
Science Connections class he will talk about and try to answer
these and many other unusual questions about differ-ent areas of
science and technology and the surprising con-nections between them
and the many milestones and discover-ies throughout the human
history. His January program to London and Paris will feature visit
to museums and historical
PAGE 6
-
landmarks where student will see for themselves why sci-ence and
history are inseparable.
Relevant Puerto Rico The 2013 Course Abroad Program as a whole
is also rele-vant to CCSU’s broader community. According to Aram
Ayalon, professor of Teacher Education and co-director of that
department’s first-ever Course Abroad program which will take
students to Puerto Rico in Spring 2013, “Many of the students now
in Connecticut are from Puerto Rico or have Puerto Rican parents.
When I visit schools I see a large gap between Puerto Rican
students and their teach-ers, who are mostly white and middle
class. It's time future teachers get to know the Puerto Rican
experience. This course is meant to bridge this gap and open new
windows for dialog with a unique opportunity to get to know Puerto
Rican children and parents both on the island and here in
Connecticut.”
Italy The same type of cultural connection being made in Puerto
Rico is also being made in Italy, the ancestral home of a large
percentage of Connecticut residents, by Professor Carmela Pesca of
the Modern Language program, who will offer two programs in Italy
this year. "A Course Abroad combines the physical experience that
involves seeing,
hearing, touching, smelling and tasting another culture, with
the intellectual experience that stimulates interests and builds
knowledge.,” said Pesca when recently discussing her Course Abroad
programs. “Every time I offer language and cultural courses abroad,
I enjoy seeing student motiva-tion grow. After last summer’s
intensive program in medie-val Siena, this year students will
explore Mediterranean Salerno in the winter and cosmopolitan Milan
next summer, taking advantage of the variety of many learning
opportuni-ties that Italy has to offer."
China Course Abroad faculty director Vivian Martin of the
Jour-nalism program, who will be heading off to China in March
2013, knows that it will take some persuading to get the average
student to go abroad and she will have to convince them that it
will give them a competitive advantage in the job market after
graduation. She promotes her programs early on, and often. “At the
farewell dinner in [my Spring 2012 program in] Paris, I had seniors
who had done a course abroad to London with me on my left;
sophomores who had been up for the Paris trip ever since they heard
me mention it their freshman year were on my right. Courses abroad
have quickly become a part of our major’s culture. Students gain on
so many levels. The trips to news organi-zations in other countries
leave the students with a deeper appreciate for journalism as a
global enterprise and deep-ens their commitment to it. China is our
biggest adventure to date. We’re ready for our close-up at the
Great Wall and maybe CNN’s Beijing bureau.”
Governor Malloy Announces New Scholarship Opportunity
During his recent visit to the Shandong Province of the People’s
Republic of China, Governor Dannel Malloy was presented with an
opportunity that will benefit ConnSCU students: participation in
the Shandong Partner Region Scholarship Program by Connecticut
state universities and community colleges.
Under the Program, Shandong Province will award a 30,000 Chinese
Yuan scholarship to a ConnSCU student who elects to study abroad at
one of the 17 participating Chinese universities in Shandong
Province during the 2013-2014 academic year. Details about this
exciting opportunity are presented below and on the program’s
website www.ccsu.edu/CTShandong.
The CCSU Center for International Education will serve as
secretariat for the scholarship program being announced this week
to all 17 participating Connecticut institutions. Interested
students must submit a complete application the Center for
International Education by December 1, 2012.
PAGE 7
http://www.ccsu.edu/CTShandonghttp://www.ccsu.edu/CTShandong
-
CCSU Partner Universities
Europe
9 Universities in Baden- Wuerttemberg, Germany Eastern
Mediterranean University Cyprus Linnaeus University Sweden Queen
Margaret University Scotland University of Bolton England
University of Caen France University of Central Lancashire England
University of Cumbria England University of Hertfordshire England
University of Leon Spain University of Pecs Hungary University of
Perugia Italy University of Salamanca Spain Wroclaw University of
Technology Poland
My Path to Study Abroad
by Colleen Wetmore, Senior Environmental Geography Major
During my freshman year, I had a tourism class; these students
came in to
talk to us about studying abroad. It sounded interesting but I
thought I would never be
able to go because I have no money...
In 2009, I started to attend school at CCSU. Previously, I was
attending Man-
chester Community College. I was there for three years,
part-time, not really knowing
what I wanted to do with my life. After leaving MCC I was not
going to go back to
school, until my boyfriend convinced me that I needed to stay in
school so that I could
get a decent job. Within my first semester at CCSU I figured out
what I wanted to ma-
jor in. I chose Environmental Geography for my major and Tourism
for my minor.
In my junior year, I started looking into
studying abroad. It was always in the
back of mind. My boyfriend mentioned
that there was this course abroad trip to
Australia for a Bio Lab credit, which I
needed, so I thought “this is perfect!” I
have always wanted to go there, so I
looked into it. I found out that the trip
was a month long, and it was a lot of
money..… and still, I did not have any.
So, I went to talk to the people in the
Center for International Education, and found out that Financial
Aid tries to help out as
much as they can to give students loans for studying abroad. I
was relieved! After I
applied for the Australia trip, I also thought it is my last
summer before I have to get a
big “adult job,” so I applied for two other study abroad
programs: the Passport to Glob-
al Citizenship Program to Ireland and Course Abroad program to
Ghana. So, this past
summer I was schedule to go to three different countries, on
three different continents
nonetheless!
Ghana and Australia were Course Abroad programs, so they had
scholarships
that I could apply for. I did, and received them, which helped
with the loans a lot! I
chose to go to Australia because for one it’s Australia! And, it
was better than sitting in
a classroom for four hours a week, doing
a lab. The Passport program was of in-
terest to me because they are only about
a week long, non-credit, and reasonably
priced. The Ireland trip was departing
just four days after I would be getting
back from Australia, but when applying I
just said “Why not, its Ireland, you always
wanted to go there too.” I chose to go to
Ghana just to go, I didn’t really need the
class credit but I just wanted to experi-
ence a different culture.
When I told my mom about my planned summer, she looked at me
like I had
five heads, but she was excited for me. My dad took a little
while longer to warm up to
the idea; he is one of those people, who would rather travel
America instead of any-
PAGE 8
-
where else, but my step-mom was very excited for me, and that
helped me gain his
support. The rest of my family members – aunts and uncles,
cousins and my grand-
parents on both sides – were also happy for me.
It does seem a little crazy that I decided to go on three trips
back-to-back all
in one summer. But, I figured you only live once and I am
already twenty-three years
old and haven’t really done much for myself. I also wanted my
college years to be
memorable and not just “oh, I went to class and worked all four
years.” Australia was
from May 22 –June 18, Ireland was from June 23-29, and Ghana was
from July 7-
July 23. My summer was jam-packed with travel, learning, and
fun.
Traveling has always been the one thing that makes me truly
happy; I have
changed a lot this summer, for the better. I always was a
complainer, complaining
about everything – whatever it was. Even if it was something
minuscule it didn’t mat-
ter, I would complain. Honestly, life really is not that bad, if
you dis-like something
about your life, change it. In Ghana most people have little to
choose from to survive,
and they are some of the happiest, nicest people I have ever
met. They do not have
the materialistic problem that we have, and they are happier. In
Ghana I finally real-
ized why I was never truly happy: I have never really done
anything for myself or any-
one else for that matter. The time to change that had come.
Each trip was great in its
own way, I cannot pick a favorite,
and they all had their differences. On
the Australia trip, I met the greatest
people; they are all so down to earth.
I met some friends there that I hope I
can visit again someday. The country
is similar to ours and the U.K. The
animals were incredible, nothing I
have seen before; I got to feed Kan-
garoos and held a python (which I
have never done before). I took surfing lessons and rode a
camel! Oh and I even de-
cided to climb the Sydney Harbor Bridge!! I loved everything
about Australia! Ireland
was simply beautiful! I made some really close friends with the
people on the trip. Eve-
ryone who went on the trip got along really well! Also, being an
environmental studies
major, it was nice to see farms everywhere and wind turbines!
Ireland was a blast! On
the Ghana trip, the people there were just wonderful; everyone
there was everyone’s
brother and sister. They treated each other like family,
regardless of blood relation. If
you were trusted, you were family. They were so full of life and
joy regardless of
whether they had money. Simply living was a gift.
This summer has changed my life, in more ways than one and I
cannot wait
to travel again! In the spring semester I am going to study
abroad at the University of
Hertfordshire in England. I am truly excited for this!! I cannot
wait to experience Eu-
rope, see the cultures, and make lifelong friends. If you have
never studied abroad or
participated in a Course Abroad program, I would advise you to
do so. If you are un-
sure, enroll in a program trip because they are a good start.
And then, take a course
abroad, and then study abroad for a semester or year in a
different country! It is worth
it, and it is even worth the loans you will have to take out,
too! Traveling and experi-
encing different cultures can change who are, and can even
change your life.
The one thing I regret is not doing it sooner!!
Asia
Kansai Gaidai University Japan Kyung Hee University South Korea
Northwest University China Shandong Normal University China
South America
University of Concepcion Chile University of the State of Santa
Catarina Brazil
Africa
University of Education at Winneba Ghana
———————- Plus— Over 60 affiliate universities through our
partner provider GlobaLinks located in: Australia China Czech
Republic Fiji Germany Greece Ireland Italy Japan Korea Malaysia
Netherlands New Zealand Singapore Spain Thailand United Kingdom
PAGE 9
-
IELP student Maria Ivone Soares, with New Britain Mayor Timothy
O’Brien in August. Ms. Soares is a member of Parliament in her
native country, Mozambique, and serves as a representative of her
party, RENAMO, in the Democratic Union of Africa. She was in
Connecticut for the summer to improve her English, and also enjoyed
the opportunity to meet with fellow politicians and community
leaders in both Connecticut and Washington, DC.
Help Make Study Abroad a Reality for All CCSU Students Study
abroad builds resiliency, broadens students’ perspectives, and
changes attitudes. Yet, only just over 1% of American college
students study abroad during their academic experience. Help us
increase the number of CCSU students who go abroad by making a
contribution to the CCSU Foundation to support International
Education at CCSU. To make a donation to support study click here
and indicate you wish to support International Education.
Course Abroad Fair A Huge Success The Center for International
Education held its Annual Fall Course Abroad Fair on Thursday,
September 20, Course Abroad Faculty Directors and Course Abroad
alumni were on hand to present and promote the 40+ credit and
non-credit short-term study abroad programs CCSU is offering this
year. Over 500 students attended, making the Fair the most
successful yet. Thanks to all who announced this in class and
encouraged students to attend.
Faculty Advisor Guide to Study Abroad Programs at CCSU is
Now
Available Interested in advising your students to study abroad,
but not sure you know all of the ins and outs of CCSU’s Study
Abroad Program? Have only 5 minutes to learn about it? Click here
to check out the Center for International Education’s new Faculty
Advisor Guide to Study Abroad Programs at CCSU. No lengthy
materials to read, just the facts, answers to frequently asked
questions, and quick links to the web resources you and your
students need.
Conference Session Promoting Study
Abroad CCSU Journalism Professor and Course Abroad Director
Vivian Martin recently gave a presentation on taking students
abroad at the National College Media Conference in New York City.
There, she spoke to faculty about the on-the-ground planning needed
to get media organizations to host a group and the delights and
challenges of taking college students abroad. Thank you, Vivian,
for bringing national visibility to CCSU’s Course Abroad
Program!
PAGE 10
https://www.ccsu.edu/page.cfm?p=6991http://www.ccsu.edu/page.cfm?p=14049
-
Welcome Back, Erin Beecher!
Erin Beecher, International Education Coordinator
Ms. Erin Beecher was appointed International Education
Coordinator in January 2012 following a national search that
yielded over 200 applicants. Erin graduated from CCSU in 2006 with
a Bachelor’s degree in French and a minor in West European Studies
and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Technology
Management at CCSU. During her time as an undergraduate student,
Erin studied and worked in France, teaching English to high school
students and studying French language and culture.
Her love of the country and language led her to stay in France
for two years, before returning to Connecticut to complete her
undergraduate degree. Employed part-time in the CIE for five years
as a University Assistant in the Study Abroad program she acquired
progressively responsible experience administering various study
abroad programs, including helping to develop a first-year
experience program to London. Erin is now sharing her passion for
living and learning abroad as she coordinates all facets of CCSU’s
full-semester and years study abroad program, markets Course Abroad
programs, assists international exchange students during their time
at CCSU, and develops and delivers multicultural programming for
CCSU students.
In a recent forum with CCSU students interested in studying
abroad, Erin
shared her passion for what she does. “I am extremely passionate
about the field of International Education. It represents an
excellent opportunity for college students to develop global
awareness, cultural sensitivity, and become world citizens in
today’s multicultural society and I am thrilled to be a part of the
international education program at CCSU – the place where I became
aware of how to engage the world.”
Meet the CIE Staff – Maureen Sullivan, University Assistant,
Course Abroad Program
Ms. Maureen Sullivan, 1999 graduate of the University of
Connecticut, joined the Center for International Education as a
University Assistant to support the Course Abroad program in June
2012. Although she spent time working for the Connecticut State
Legislature and as a legislative liaison for UConn, her true
passion is international education and cultural exchange. She has
lived and worked as an ESL teacher in Sydney, Australia as well as
in New Zealand and throughout Southeast Asia. Ms. Sullivan also
spent the last five years working for the Council on International
Education Exchange (CIEE), one of the leading providers of
international education exchange programs in the industry. During
her role at CIEE, Ms. Sullivan was responsible for managing
relationships with international program partners throughout
Europe, Asia, and South America and often traveled to many of those
locations to interact with students and local representatives.
Having recently
relocated from Portland, Maine back home to Connecticut, Ms.
Sullivan is excited to be a part of the staff at CIE and eager to
use her past experiences to help successfully promote and support
CCSU’s growing international Course Abroad Program. Contact: (860)
832-2044 or [email protected]. Maureen's office hours are 9 a.m. -
4 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday.
Meet the CIE Staff –
Aaron Faucher, University Assistant, Semesters Abroad
Mr. Faucher works with the International Education Coordinator
to support semester- and year-long study abroad programs. Along
with Erin Beecher, he leads study abroad information sessions,
classroom visits, and pre-departure orientation sessions, in
addition to advising prospective program participants on program
selection and application. He is also a key player in the marketing
of the CIE’s programs, editing the office’s print ads,
publications, and social media pages. After having participated in
both long- and short-term study abroad programs through the CIE –
including two semesters abroad in France – Mr. Faucher received his
Bachelor of Arts Degree in International Studies from CCSU in 2009
and is currently a graduate student in Central’s International
Studies Master’s Degree program. Contact: [email protected] or
(860) 832-2217.
New Faces in the Center for International Education
PAGE 11
-
Contact Us
Editor: Lisa Marie Bigelow [email protected]
CIE Staff and Responsibilities Dr. Nancy Birch Wagner, Director
832-2050 | [email protected]
University internationalization initiatives, overall Center
planning, management, budget, staffing, and reporting
Ms. Lisa Marie Bigelow, Associate Director 832-2042 |
[email protected]
Course Abroad Program administration, bilateral partnership
negotiations and renewals, Special Initiatives, and CIE
webmaster
Ms. Christie L. Ward, Associate Director, CIE and Coordinator,
IELP 832-2703 | [email protected]
Curriculum design, instructor hiring and supervision, student
testing and placement, marketing and student recruitment for the
Intensive English Language Program
Ms. Toyin Ayeni, Coordinator, International Student &
Scholar Services 832-2052 | [email protected]
Immigration advising, programming, and orientation for F-1 and
J-1 international students, CCSU employment-based immigration
Ms. Erin Beecher, International Education Coordinator 832-2043 |
[email protected]
Marketing, recruitment, placement and administration of study
abroad programs
Ms. Carol Lummis, Secretary II, CIE 832-2040 |
[email protected] Ms. Carmetta Williams, Secretary II, IELP
832-3376 | [email protected]
CCSU’s Study Abroad Program Maintains National
Ranking
During the 2011-2012 academic year, 67 CCSU students studied
abroad for a full semester or academic year on 17 programs in 12
countries and another 390 students traveled to 23 countries on
short-term, faculty-led Course Abroad programs. In total we sent
457 students abroad to 27 different countries last year.
According to the latest issue of the Institute of International
Education’s Open Doors Report – the national report on
international student mobility – CCSU ranks among the top 40
institutions in the nation for the total number of students sent
abroad on all types of study abroad programs. We rank number 30 and
are the only institution from Connecticut on the list.
In the Open Doors short-term study abroad category, the news is
even better. CCSU ranked 19th among the top 20 institutions sending
students on short-term, faculty-led study abroad programs and,
again, we are the only institution from Connecticut on the
list.
CCSU’s success and national ranking is due in large part to the
fact that we offer a wide variety of study abroad opportunities, so
there is a program to fit all interests, budgets, and schedules.
While study abroad for an entire semester or academic year is
ideal, we recognize that, for many reasons, not all students can
spend that much time abroad. For students who need a shorter
program, our nationally recognized Course Abroad program offers
students the opportunity to begin their studies on campus and then
travel abroad for a week or two. With more than 40 short-term
programs on the schedule for 2013, we know we will see a nice
increase in the numbers and national ranking.
Center for International Education
Central Connecticut State University
Henry Barnard Hall, Room 123
1615 Stanley Street
New Britain, CT 06050 USA
PLACE STAMP HERE
PAGE 12
Call us:
860 832 2040
Visit us on the web: www.ccsu.edu/cie
Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/
ccsustudyabroad
Stop by: Mon-Fri 8:30-4:30
FOR MORE INFORMATION