July 7, 2003
UCSC Extension programs have international appeal
By Louise Donahue
Scholars from around the world are getting a cram course in American
academia this summer from UCSC Extension's English Language and International
Programs department.
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The
Humphrey Fellows are one of the international groups participating
in UCSC Extension programs this summer. This photo shows last year's
participants. |
Whether it's Egyptian teachers, Fulbright
Scholars or professionals participating in the Humphrey Fellows
program, UCSC is drawing an international clientele.
A group of 25 teachers from Egypt have just headed home following a
teacher-training initiative, and now the University Town Center, the
program's base, is playing host to 10 Fulbright Scholars. On July 21,
26 Humphrey Fellows--midcareer professionals preparing for a year of
study and professional experience at American universities--will arrive
for a three-week orientation.
While the focus of the Egyptian group was on training teachers to train
other teachers, the aim of the intensive Fulbright and Humphrey Scholars
sessions is to orient participants to the ways of American universities.
There is a heavy emphasis on fine-tuning English skills, and also an
effort to ease participants into American culture. Some of the Fulbright
Scholars audit or enroll in UCSC classes, and they get further acclimated
to the United States by having UCSC student roommates.
Some of the biggest adjustments involve nonacademic issues, noted Lori
Buehring of the English Language and International Programs department.
"Many of the the students are married, and this is the first time
they've lived alone," she said. They also often are not used to
cooking, and have trouble finding familiar foods in local grocery stores,
she added.
Community and government tours and weekend trips are planned to help
the Humphrey Fellows learn more about the United States, said program
host Jay Minert. They will also be matched with cultural and professional
mentors.
Academic sessions are tailored to each group's needs. For the Fulbright
Scholars, who are being prepared to work toward master's degrees and
Ph.D.s at American universities, the focus is on English skills, writing,
and other academic preparation for American graduate schools. 'They're
learning about what's expected in the United States university system,"
said Lori Buehring of UCSC Extension.
The students represent a wide range of subjects, including marine biology,
library science, natural resource management, and marketing. In August,
the Fulbright Scholars will start leaving Santa Cruz to begin graduate
school at institutions as varied as Yale, Purdue, Texas A&M, and
San Jose State. While Fulbright orientations were once conducted only
in the summer, the program is now year-round.
The Humphrey Fellows will undergo an intensive week of English practice,
followed by sessions on presentation skills, intercultural communication
issues, academic honesty, and computer workshops. The fellows represent
a cross-section, including China, Slovakia, Brazil, and many Middle
Eastern nations. "Some of them are very well established in their
home countries," said Minert. The fellows include pharmacists,
economists, doctors, bankers, and educators--"It is a pretty wide
range."
A Global Forum is scheduled for August 6 and 7 to showcase the Humphrey
Fellows, and give other members of the campus community a chance to
meet them before they move on to their assigned universities in the
east. Details of the event will be decided later this summer.
The Fulbright Program was established in 1946 under legislation introduced
by former U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas. The Humphrey
Fellowship Program was founded in 1978 in honor of U.S. senator and
vice president Hubert H. Humphrey. Both programs are federally funded.
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