Students to reflect on study abroad experiences at roundtable discussions
Bryce Armbruster
Issue date: 1/27/09 Section: Campus
For many, studying abroad gives a deeper understanding of the world outside the United States. Miami University is holding two roundtable discussions to encourage students who have studied abroad to reflect on their experiences.
There will be two separate discussions taking place Feb. 12 and March 19. The Center for American and World Cultures, Office of Life-Long Learning, Office of International Education and the Luxembourg Program will host the roundtable events from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the Great Room at MacMillan Hall.
Jacqueline Rioja Velarde, assistant director for the Center of American and World Cultures, is coordinating the program. She hopes students gain a global perspective in an increasingly interconnected world.
Velarde said students will be able to share what their study abroad experience meant to them, how it changed them, what they learned and how they plan to use their experiences in the future.
Faculty, staff and students who have studied abroad will serve as facilitators for the discussion.
More than 240 invitations were sent out to students who have studied abroad from the Oxford, Hamilton and Middletown campuses, Velarde said.
Velarde hopes that having students reflect in a group will cause them to have a new perspective on not only their study abroad experiences, but also their own life experiences as a whole.
Richard Menard, who studied abroad for two and half years as an undergrad at Texas Tech University, is now a study abroad adviser in the International Education department.
He said studying abroad is the most important thing a student can do during their educational career.
"It has gotten to the point where we're not competing for jobs not just locally or nationally, but internationally," Menard said. "We want to take their experience to the next level."
Miami seems to share the value of study abroad, as it is the goal to have 50 percent of students study abroad, Menard said.
There will be two separate discussions taking place Feb. 12 and March 19. The Center for American and World Cultures, Office of Life-Long Learning, Office of International Education and the Luxembourg Program will host the roundtable events from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the Great Room at MacMillan Hall.
Jacqueline Rioja Velarde, assistant director for the Center of American and World Cultures, is coordinating the program. She hopes students gain a global perspective in an increasingly interconnected world.
Velarde said students will be able to share what their study abroad experience meant to them, how it changed them, what they learned and how they plan to use their experiences in the future.
Faculty, staff and students who have studied abroad will serve as facilitators for the discussion.
More than 240 invitations were sent out to students who have studied abroad from the Oxford, Hamilton and Middletown campuses, Velarde said.
Velarde hopes that having students reflect in a group will cause them to have a new perspective on not only their study abroad experiences, but also their own life experiences as a whole.
Richard Menard, who studied abroad for two and half years as an undergrad at Texas Tech University, is now a study abroad adviser in the International Education department.
He said studying abroad is the most important thing a student can do during their educational career.
"It has gotten to the point where we're not competing for jobs not just locally or nationally, but internationally," Menard said. "We want to take their experience to the next level."
Miami seems to share the value of study abroad, as it is the goal to have 50 percent of students study abroad, Menard said.
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