USM/L-A Leadership Studies Students Africa
Bound
Some students in the leadership programs
at USM's Lewiston-Auburn College are planning a trip to visit
universities in Botswana and South Africa to explore establishing
international academic, business, and community partnerships.
Pictured here discussing fund-raising plans are left to right,
P.J. Mears of Auburn, a student in the graduate program in
Leadership Studies, Godfrey Banda of Lewiston, who is in the
Leadership and Organizational Studies baccalaureate program,
faculty member Dr. Betty Robinson, and graduate students Ismail
Ahmed and Anne Craigs, both of Lewiston. Absent from the picture
is Matt Cote.
March 2004
One of the increasingly important opportunities higher education
can afford a student is the chance to study in another country.
But how can this opportunity be afforded to non-traditional
students who have families, jobs, and plenty of bills to pay
already? A semester abroad is simply out of the question.
However, this May, Dr. Betty Robinson of USM's Lewiston-Auburn
College (LAC) will be traveling with three graduate students
and two undergraduate students to the University of Botswana
and Universities of the Western Cape and KwaZulu Natal. At
each university, the group will meet with faculty, administrators,
and students to explore the establishment of ongoing international
partnerships for the Leadership and Organizational Studies
bachelors' and Leadership Studies masters' degree programs
located at USM/L-A. They will spend a week at each university
and tour local areas of historical or economic importance.
At least one university is also gathering local community
and business partners to meet with the USM/L-A delegation.
A number of ideas for collaboration will be explored including
the offering of joint courses over the Internet that students
in any location could take. The web based coursework could
be supplemented with video teleconferencing and/or short,
intensive cross-national visits by delegations of students
from the class in each country. Students and faculty could
host one-another in their homes, adding further to the cross-cultural
educational experience. "Even if all the students in
a class can't afford the travel, just sending a delegation
who can report back and receiving a delegation of international
students would be a big step towards further enhancing the
international educational experience of our students,"
says Professor Robinson.
The university chose to seek potential international partners
in Africa because of the increase of African emigration into
the Portland and Lewiston-Auburn communities. Student P.J.
Mears of Auburn notes "it is fitting that we begin our
program development in Africa in light of the growing diversity
we have experienced in our own community. It also gives us
experience in building global bridges for educational purposes."
"Fostering an understanding of diverse cultures and countries
is an important aspect to the study of leadership," adds
Anne Craigs of Lewiston, a student in the leadership graduate
program. "We are seeking to create programs of study
that will be practical in nature and also provide authenticity
to the learning outcomes."
The leadership students have organized a fundraising drive
to assist the first five students to go on this May's trip.
They've also formed an ongoing student association called
LEADER to organize activities and to continue fund raising
to support student travel to professional leadership conferences
or on future international excursions. Anyone wishing to contribute
to this effort is encouraged to contact Pamela Roy, USM/L-A
Finance Coordinator at 753-6553.
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