NEWS | December 2007

This page includes all articles in the December issue of NEWS. Return to summary or go to the NEWS archive.

Gaining a world view through international study
President's column: China visit strengthens liberal arts partnership
Briefs

Gaining a world view through international study

Anna Plumb with her host who provides literacy and human rights education for young women in Senegal.

Upon graduating from Macalester College in 2005, Anna Plumb spent nine months conducting research in Senegal as a Fulbright Scholar. She interviewed young, unmarried, Muslim women about their hopes for the future and their avenues toward being respected in society. “The women I talked to think about the world in a totally different way. I had to confront the fact that my way of thinking, my values and my goals, are not the ‘right’ ones. I now have a broader world view,” she said.

Minnesota’s private colleges and universities recognize the value of international study and encourage students to have this experience if they can. Our emphasis on the liberal arts ensures that students build awareness of global diversity, but it’s when they study abroad that it really sinks in. This first-hand experience relating to people in other countries and cultures is increasingly important in our changing global environment.

New study abroad report
According to the just-released Open Doors report published by the Institute of International Education, more than 4,600 students from our 17 schools studied abroad last year — that’s nearly three of every five Minnesota college students who go abroad. St. Olaf College ranked second among U.S. baccalaureate institutions in the number of students who studied abroad; the College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University, Gustavus Adolphus College and Concordia College-Moorhead were also in the top ten.

Minnesota’s private colleges also did well in percentage of students who participated. At St. Olaf, 88.4 percent of undergraduate students had a study abroad experience — and five of our other baccalaureate-level campuses ranked in the top 40 nationwide. Hamline University and the University of St. Thomas also fared well among master’s and doctorate degree-granting institutions.

Fulbright scholars go abroad after graduation
As Anna Plumb discovered, international study may extend beyond graduation. The prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program funds an additional academic year of study, research or teaching assistantship in another country. It is the largest U.S. exchange program, awarding 1,300 grants annually in more than 140 countries. This year 20 graduating seniors from Minnesota’s private colleges received Fulbright scholarships. St. Olaf College students garnered eight of the awards, Macalester received five and Saint Benedict/Saint John’s two. Carleton College, Concordia College, Gustavus, College of St. Scholastica and Hamline received one each. Among their destinations are China, India Thailand, Mexico, Russia, Iceland and Morocco.

Looking back on her experience, Plumb said that it fundamentally changed the way that she thought about Islam. “It was very difficult for me to come back to the United States and experience a narrow and ignorant media message about Muslims.” She now works with newly-arrived refugees at a resettlement agency in the Twin Cities. After living and working in a foreign culture, Plumb believes she is more patient with the struggles of her clients to adapt. “Even the simplest things must seem totally foreign to them,” she said. 

Emily Griswold on the horse statue in the Village of Alzey, Germany, where she taught English.

Emily Griswold — another 2005-06 Fulbright scholar from Macalester, taught English in Germany. She said that the experience taught her how to keep her eye on the big picture. “It’s so easy to feel overwhelmed — I’m broke, I’m homesick, I’m bored, I’m not funny in this language, I have no idea what that joke was about. But when I took a step back and focused on what I could do, rather than all the stuff I couldn’t control, I made the biggest strides as a teacher and a student,” she said. Griswold said the experience made her fluent in a second language and a successful traveler, and helped her land her current job with a large non-governmental organization that promotes global health.

Developing a global perspective
“The identities and the futures of our students are intimately entangled with the rest of the world,” states Michael Monahan, director of the International Center at Macalester. “Now more than ever, to be a serious center of intellectual achievement means being global in scope and cosmopolitan in mind. Undergraduate study abroad experiences and post-graduate programs like Fulbright are critically important in this regard,” he said.

For students contemplating an international experience, Monahan advises that they should think first about what they want to learn. Then study abroad advisors and faculty members can help students find the best place in the world to pursue their interest. For more information, see links to campus study abroad offices, the Council for International Educational Exchange, NAFSA: Association of International Educators or Forum on Study Abroad.

Minnesota’s private colleges and universities encourage their students to participate in international education. Those who do return with a broader view of the world and are more prepared to become good citizens and exemplary leaders.

President's column: China visit strengthens liberal arts partnership

In November 2005 a delegation from the Minnesota Private College Council (MPCC) heard an inspiring presentation by the newly selected leader of the first sanctioned liberal arts college in China in 60 years. The United International College (UIC) in Zhuhai was formed from a partnership of Beijing Normal University and Hong Kong Baptist University. Professor Edmund S.T. Kwok expressed the desire to find partners for his fledgling college who both understand the traditions of the liberal arts and could envision its powerful roles in the future. After many visits and discussions with members, MPCC signed an umbrella partnership agreement with UIC in 2006. Professor Kwok has visited Minnesota twice and student and faculty exchanges are being planned.

(l. to r.) David Laird, MPCC; Paul Pribbenow, Augsburg College; Larry Goodwin, College of St. Scholastica; Edmund Kwok, UIC.

When a delegation from the Minnesota Private College Council (MPCC) visited its new partner institution in Zhuhai, China last month, the delegation members were astounded by an impressive set of campus structures already in use. Many had seen pictures of the bulldozed area for the campus just 15 months earlier and the transformation was startling. But what was more impressive was the advancement of the bold vision and mission of UIC as an institution.

Derived from the historical roots of the traditional liberal arts, UIC’s purpose is to educate the pampered and self-possessed Chinese youth for a lifetime of leadership and service in a global context. The vision assumes a rather traditional classroom curriculum complemented by a broad array of group experiences to teach the basic elements of leadership, teamwork, and sensitivity to radically different cultures. In their terms, this emphasis on the “whole person” is intended as a complement to the rather sheltered upbringing of these students and the urgent need to prepare them for the leadership that will be expected of their generation.

Broadening the relationship
The November visit was designed to broaden the emerging relationship between UIC and MPCC and to begin two traditions of the partnership. The first was a purposeful conversation about the future roles of the liberal arts in our partnership and in the higher education enterprise. The second was the inauguration of a series of presidential lectures about the foundations of the liberal arts and their importance to our common future.

The most distinguishing features of the first day of a two-day conference were the reflections of students and faculty from UIC who had participated in off-campus group explorations in the summer of 2007. The reports from students and faculty were compelling. Students said that they learned many new skills and that some of their experiences were life-changing. Given students’ backgrounds, the depth of their reflections was most impressive. Even the parents in attendance seemed surprised and delighted with the reports.

The second day was reserved for presidential lectures. Professor Kwok and former Augsburg College President William Frame set the stage by reminding the audience of the need for continuing dialogue as an integral part of a liberal arts experience. Reflecting both the institutional support for UIC and his personal commitment to the liberal arts, the first lecture by Professor Ng Ching Fai, president of Hong Baptist University, was a public confirmation of the commitments to the future of UIC and the importance of the liberal arts in higher education in China and beyond. This was followed by lectures from MPCC members President Larry Goodwin of the College of St. Scholastica, (“Liberal Education as a Moral Project”) and President Paul Pribbenow of Augsburg College, (“A Civic Education: Wisdom and Citizenship”). Both lectures were impressive recitations of their own personal explorations in the liberal arts and the importance of both teaching of the liberal arts and reaching out into the broader community as an essential element of its practice.

Looking to the future
The final section of the two-day conference was an opportunity to share publicly the purposes and hopes of the partnership between UIC and MPCC. The leadership of both organizations encouraged all participants — including students, to assist in the further development of the partnership and to adapt to changing circumstances and opportunities. In addition, Professor Kwok spoke of the growing interest in using the partnership as the touchstone for a project to explore and expand Minnesota’s broader relationships in China.

The next chapters in this partnership may indeed be the most exciting as more faculty and students take advantage of the opportunities to work within its flexible framework. MPCC will continue to facilitate this partnership and support the many other academic initiatives of MPCC members in China.

Briefs

• Brother William Mann was named 13th president of Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota and will take office in June 2008. Read the press release 
• Augsburg College will host 250 students from across the country who will participate in internships during the Republican National Convention held in the Twin Cities next Sept. Read the press release