CENTER FOR GLOBAL LEARNING E-MAIL NEWSLETTER

SPRING 2011 | VOLUME 1 | NUMBER 1

Hello, Member of the Saint Peter’s College Community, As the new director of the Center for Global Learning, I am delighted to introduce myself and this newsletter to you! This e-publication contains news of the College’s international initiatives. I hope one day its pages will feature your own academic journey. It is also my great pleasure to invite all students, faculty members, and administrators of the Saint Peter’s College Community to the Center’s grand opening. Noted educator Susana Fernandez, Ph.D., of Nova Southeastern University and Florida Atlantic University will deliver the keynote address to mark this festive occasion. Dr. Fernandez will speak to study abroad’s ability to change lives and inspire active learning around the globe. Date: Wednesday, March 2, 2011 Time: 12:00 pm Location: Emeritus Room, Pope Hall Lunch with an international flavor will be provided.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony will immediately follow the presentation. Students are invited to enter a raffle to win a $100 gift card to Barnes & Noble; the winner must be present when his/her name is announced. I look forward to welcoming you to this event and to working with you in the future. Best wishes, Wendy Garay, M.S. Ed. Director, Center for Global Learning

www.spc.edu/global-learning

TABLE OF CONTENT

1. Grand Opening

2. Mission and Goals of the Center for Global Learning

3. A Marvelous

Time in Ancient Mexico

4. Panorama of Panama

5. New Course

Announcements

Center for Global Learning at Saint Peter’s College Mission Statement

The Center for Global Learning organizes and manages study abroad and exchange programs, facilitates the development of faculty-led international courses, and collaborates with the Office of Admission to support, enrich, and expand international student enrollment at Saint Peter’s College. The Center also develops international partnerships and collaborates with external agencies and organizations on outreach programs.

Goals of the Center for Global Learning:

To promote global learning opportunities that are in keeping with the educational mission of Saint Peter’s College

To increase the participation of students, faculty, and staff in international learning initiatives, including study abroad, exchange, academic, research, and service partnerships

To ensure that global learning opportunities accommodate a wide range of disciplines and interests

To make a full range of program options available to all qualified students

To support the diverse cultural learning needs of students by integrating study abroad into the community, including developing the means by which returning study abroad students can actively contribute to international awareness and programming on campus

To reevaluate programs regularly for academic rigor and student satisfaction, including assessment of the student experience prior to departure, while overseas, and after reentry to determine learning outcomes

To support international student enrollment at the College through ongoing collaboration with the Office of Admission

www.spc.edu/global-learning

A Marvelous Time in Ancient Mexico

Over the Christmas break, Distinguished Professor of the College of Arts and Sciences William Gutsch, Jr., and Professor and Chair of Urban Studies and Sociology David Surrey spearheaded an expedition back in time. Students taking the class Tombs, Temples, and Star Gods of the Ancient Meso-Americas traveled to several of Mexico’s most famous Mayan sites, including Chichen Itza, Dzibilchaltun, Uxmal, and Palenque. Amid these ancient wonders, students gained firsthand knowledge of Mayan cosmology, architecture, the rise and fall of various cities, the Maya’s contact and trade with other groups, their use of technology and irrigation, and the geographic movement of Mayan civilizations. They also learned about this civilization’s effect on contemporary tourism.

To prepare for the trip, these 10 students attended sessions on astronomy at the Raritan Valley Community College planetarium led by Dr. Gutsch, and Dr. Surrey’s lectures on archeology. Students also read assigned articles and watched DVDs to get essential background information on their upcoming travels through time. Of course, as Dr. Gutsch notes, “There’s no substitute for experiencing such history in person.”

To keep costs down and see more of Mexico, the class was chauffeured by two internationally known race car drivers: Gutsch and Surrey themselves. As if the pyramids of the ancient Maya were not thrilling enough, these professors’ driving skills were equally historic.

Trip participants were Kirsten Coronado, Jacob Hines, Eldora Martinez, Leslie Moran Lopez, Mark Peters, James Pilger, Joseph Skillender, Lucas Suarez-Orozco, Erica Toledo, Christopher Trenfield.

Panorama of Panama

This January, ten of Professor Alex Trillo’s students took a course on globalization and everyday life in Panama. This excursion began with dinner overlooking the famous Panama Canal, which sparked a conversation about the evolution of global interdependence. Nicole King aptly made this the focus of her paper on colonialism and the origins of globalization in Latin America.

From there, students formulated projects on more modern issues. Josephine Milfort and Paula Olarte interviewed Haitian and Colombian immigrants, resulting in a comparative study of each group’s experiences and what we call south-to-south migration. Kimberly Feldman explored economic development on the Causeway, the geographic entrance of the Canal and former home of a series of U.S. military forts. Among other things, she highlighted some of the challenges tourism poses as a growth strategy. Annalee Haragan and Elizabeth Noel investigated the persistence of racism in a country that is home to diverse immigrants and continues to become more diverse. Hedrick Leger investigated Panama’s diverse, global music scene, while Leonard Davis scoured the city streets looking for everyday examples of glocalization – the process of local communities taking global influences and fashioning them into their own. Students also visited Portobelo and Isla Grande, home to beautiful beaches and freed Congo slave communities, where you can find representations of Black Christ, including a large crucifix mounted in the ocean. They also passed through Colon, home to a controversial Free Trade Zone and the rumored birthplace of reggaeton. Trip participants were Meron Bekele, Leonard Davis, Kimberly Feldman, Annalee Haragan, Alexandra Hernandez, Nicole King, Hedrick Leger, Josephine Milfort, Elizabeth Noel, and Paula Olarte.

www.spc.edu/global-learning

New Course Announcements

Peru, January 2012

Known as the archeological capital of South America, Peru also offers students summer weather in the midst of winter. Dr. Jon Boshart, professor of art history, chair of fine arts, director of metropolitan seminars, and co-director of the Asian studies program, will lead students to this land of extremes, where deserts and Amazonian rainforests coexist with glaciers and beaches. You will discover Peru’s rich heritage of ancient civilizations—from the Moche, Nazca, and Chimu, to the famous Inca, who built the enduring Machu Picchu—as well as its diverse landscapes. Explore cosmopolitan Lima, stay in scenic towns including Cusco and Puno, and travel to the reed-built islands on Lake Titicaca maintained by native people still living a pre-industrial life.

Greece/Italy, January 2012

Join your fellow students on a journey to the wonders of the Ancient World. Start in Athens, capital of ancient and modern Greece, to visit the Acropolis, the site of the Olympics, Delphi, and several islands in the Aegean Sea. You’ll see the beauty of southern Italy during a cruise to Bari before witnessing the vivid ruins of Pompeii. Next stop, Rome—the Eternal City—and all its imperial splendor. You’ll even see Vatican City, bringing the number of countries you visit on this trip to three. This trip, which focuses on both the ancient civilizations of Greece and Rome and the legal systems of modern-day Greece and Italy, is worth three academic credits. Dr. Rainville of the Criminal Justice Department will lead your academic adventure.

Israel, January 2012

Part of BA-421 INTL Doing Business in Europe—Israel (Fall 2011)

Join Dr. Karl Alorbi and Professor Howard Mandelbaum of the Department of Business Administration on an extraordinary visit to Israel. You’ll see the holy sites of the three major religious traditions, meet the people, and explore the countryside. Understand how the history, geography, and economic/social/political environments of Israel has led to its growing economy. Learn how technology and tradition have driven the Israeli business community to embrace innovation and take risks. Onsite visits to Israeli companies, US companies operating in Israel, and Israeli universities will offer students a unique opportunity to witness how the forces they have studied play out in the marketplace. Students will prepare for the trip by reading best-selling book Start-Up Nation and viewing the Academy Award–winning film Exodus.

If you are a student interested in participating in any of these three courses, contact us today! If you are a faculty member interested in leading a travel course of your own, we’d love to hear from you.

Center for Global Learning (Pope Hall 210)

Saint Peter’s College 2641 Kennedy Boulevard Jersey City, NJ 07306 (201) 761-6028 wgaray@spc.edu Office hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome but we encourage visitors to make an appointment. Students can schedule first-time advising appointments and/or sign up to receive information here

www.spc.edu/global-learning