Study
Abroad Office Opens posted
11/9/06
Students win big as College expands
and coordinates offerings
ADRIAN, Mich. – Adrian College
senior Eric Swanson will never forget the day he visited
the Sacred Heart Chapel in France and heard what sounded
like a Gregorian chant. It turned out to be clergy leading
the townspeople to mass at the chapel, located high
on a hill above the city of Paris.
“The climb up the hill was a
nightmare, but it was so worth it!” Eric said.
Dr. Robin Bott (2nd from left)
and several students celebrate the opening of the
new Study Abroad Office. Photo by Megan
Richmond. |
The visit was part of Eric’s
study abroad experience at Oxford University in England.
Now Eric is helping other students set up similar experiences,
through his job at the Study Abroad Office that the
College opened this fall.
For Dr. Robin Bott, study abroad director,
the office is a huge step forward for Adrian students.
“Adrian has made study abroad
available for years, but never in such a coordinated
way,” Bott said. “The information for study
abroad used to be kept in boxes in different offices
all over campus. Now students can go to one central
place for all the study abroad resources they’ll
need.”
“For our students to do well,
they need to think and act globally,” she continued.
“Our Study Abroad programs help to develop that
global mindset.”
Adrian is currently undergoing a process
to improve all of its academic offerings. Strong programs
for international students and study abroad are recognized
indicators of excellence in higher education.
“The breadth of our affiliations
means that Adrian College students can study virtually
anywhere. The world becomes our campus,” Bott
said.
The office is located in North Hall,
one of the main academic buildings at Adrian. Features
include:
- Information on opportunities in
Europe and South America, as well as Ghana, Israel,
India,New Zealand, Japan, China, and many other places
around the world
- A staff of student workers like
Eric with first-hand study abroad experience
- A growing number of affiliations,
including Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea, and the
Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama in Glasgow,
Scotland
- A wireless network of Macintosh
computer research stations, a generous gift from Margaret
Valade
- Free video conferencing with students
who are studying overseas.
By working with the Study Abroad Office,
students are assured that credits earned abroad will
transfer back to Adrian, and that they remain eligible
for financial aid while overseas.
Students may choose to study for a
couple of weeks, for the summer, or for a semester or
year.
Study abroad involves a lot of choices,
but students are finding that the Study Abroad Office
can help.
“I like to put myths to rest,’”
Eric said. “The most famous one is, ‘I can’t
afford it,’ or, ‘I don’t speak French,
so I can’t study in France.’ Many people
leave the office feeling secure in their choices and
feel confident in the process Dr. Bott has designed.”
For more information on what Adrian
offers in the area of study abroad, go to www.adrian.edu
and click Study Abroad, or contact the office at 517-265-5161,
ext. 4080, or studyabroad@adrian.edu.
Related stories:
-Sophomore Jessie Nieves is an accomplished
fiddler. The Study Abroad Office is helping her to study
at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama.
-Adrian College has a growing Japanese
Studies program. Its first three graduates are all now
teaching English in Japan. |
