A joint effort between DELO’s Cohort Programs and Study Away wraps up today with final presentations of the first graduates of the MA in Social Responsibility & Sustainable Communities.
The twelve students graduated from WKU on May 9, then spent a week exploring sustainability right here in our backyard. Today they present their final results of the experience.
WKU is hosting Raul Rodriguez from the University of Havana. We will discuss educational opportunities in Cuba.
Monday, May 13 – 2 – 3:30 pm
Knicely Conference Center
Room 112
The summer programs offered by Study Away kick off today with the Sustainability Symposium. The ICSR 590 study away course is the culminating experience of the first cohort on this masters program. Another study program will have students in Montana as well.
The first of seventeen faculty-led study abroad programs starts on Sunday, May 12, with the WKU Symphony heading to China for a two-week performance tour. During the summer students will also study abroad in these locations: Costa Rica, England, France, Belgium, The Czech Republic, Japan, Italy, Belgium, The Netherlands, Peru, Ireland, and Scotland.
Both Study Away and Faculty-led study abroad programs are adminstered by DELO in partnership with faculty members, their academic departments and colleges.
Learn more… http://www.wku.edu/studyaway
On Wednesday, April 24th the WKU Chinese Club hosted a traditional Chinese Tea Ceremony. The event was sponsored by the Department of Modern Languages, the Confucius Institute, the Student Government Association, and Distance Learning.
Chinese instructor Ke Peng has worked with Distance Learning over the fall and spring semesters to develop an online Chinese 101 course. She hopes to grow the program over the next few years and create more online Chinese courses.
Staff from Distance Learning attended the ceremony and filmed it. The video will be used to promote and recruit students for the Chinese program – both for online and face-to-face courses.
Professor Walker Rutledge’s article appears on page 25 of the spring 2013 Arts & Letters magazine.
Here is link… http://epagepub.com/publication/?i=156250
WKU students have more academic opportunities than ever through National Student Exchange (NSE), a not-for-profit education consortium, providing affordable and practical opportunities for students to study and live in a new location. Seven WKU students participated in the program during this academic year.
History major Michael Wilbanks is studying at the University of Idaho. Kori Shannon, a political science major, is studying at the University of North Carolina – Wilmington. Both students exchanged for a full academic year.
In the fall of 2012, biology majors Whitney Marlin and Westley Perry studied at the University of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Biology major Riya Patel studied the New College in Florida. Biology major Brooke Guess and finance major Tyler Padgett studied at the University of Montana.
Padgett described his semester studying in Montana as the time of his life, adding that it introduced him to new experiences and people. “I would have never imagined myself doing some of the things I participated in while in the NSE program,” he said. “The only regret I have is only studying for a single semester.”
Through NSE, students can exchange for a single semester or an academic year at nearly 200 campuses throughout the U.S., Guam, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands. Exchange opportunities are available for WKU students through the Study Away office, and WKU also plans to host incoming NSE students from other member institutions.
Architectural science major Chase Whicker and English major Brady Thompson will study at the University of Puerto Rico in Rio Piedres this fall, and architectural science major Jennifer Gaiko will study at Oklahoma State University this spring. WKU will host two incoming NSE students — Chris Gorman from the University of Wyoming and Jesse Rhees from New Mexico State University — for an entire academic year.
“Being an exchange student means far more than simply taking classes at another school,” said WKU Study Away Director Jerry Barnaby. “It’s an opportunity for students to live in a different place and immerse themselves in a new and unique culture.”
Applications for fall 2013 and spring 2014 are due by April 30. For information, including application details, eligibility, information on NSE tuition plans and financial aid opportunities, call (270) 745-2231 or visit www.wku.edu/studyaway/nse.
Contact: Jerry Barnaby, (270) 745-2231.
The Conference Coordinating Services (CCS) program within the Division of Extended Learning and Outreach was recently nominated for the Association of Collegiate Conference and Events Director’s International (ACCED-I) annual Institutional Excellence Award. The 33rd Annual ACCED-I Conference was recently held in Toronto, Canada and was attended by about 350 conference and events professionals from around the US, Canada, and Europe.
Dr. Sue Parrigin, former WKU Director of Conference Services, attended the conference and was recognized for the nomination along with Scott Shonk, CCS Specialist. Dr. Parrigin was also recognized as the outgoing regional leader for Region 8, after serving the region in various leadership roles for the past three years.
ACCED-I is considered the premier association for collegiate conference and events professionals and WKU Conference Services has been an active member for over 15 years. The Association also has a professional certification program known as the Collegiate Conference and Events Professional (CCEP) which is widely recognized for its designation of excellence in the field of collegiate conference and events.
Dr. Parrigin holds the CCEP as of 2011, and the Knicely Conference Center is also recognized as a One Stop Shop Certified venue through ACCED-I.
WKU’s second membership in National Student Exchange member will see three students placed at partner NSE schools. The placement conference takes place in Orlando, March 5-8. Jerry Barnaby, WKU’s NSE coordinator, will be there to secure placement for the three students who’ve applied for places as diverse as Oklahoma State and the University of Puerto Rico in Rio Piedras.
More information will be coming after the placement conference.
Last year, during WKU’s inaugural year in NSE, eight students studied in diverse places such as Montana, the US Virgin Islands, Idaho, North Carolina and Florida.
To learn more about NSE, check out this link.
