|
MU
()
From the Director: A Warm Welcome - Now More than EverThe second anniversary of the terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington DC was a somber day, with relatively few, major public ceremonies. People have not forgotten those horrific events, but apparently Americans have not found the frame or context to make sense of this infamous day as a part of our national consciousness. One legacy of 9/11 is the creation of an intimidating federal tracking system (SEVIS) for international students and scholars. Many students who applied early to enroll in U.S. schools and who persevered, despite obstacles and delays in processing their visas, have arrived. It’s too soon to know how the new visa regulations have impacted international student enrollments and scholarly visits. From anecdotal evidence we know that some applicants have abandoned or delayed their plans. Among the larger number who persisted and are now attending classes, we sense an attitude of caution, possibly even apprehension, about how they will be received. For a campus that perceives itself as welcoming to visitors, especially to international visitors, the new climate of scrutiny poses a challenge. The dilemma of how to balance an unfriendly visa-visitor system with MU traditions of hospitality was much on my mind during the weekend preceding the 9/11 anniversary. But, as I traveled around Columbia, visiting several "welcome” picnics, parties and celebrations, organized by a variety of campus and community groups, I realized that the solution to the dilemma was all around me. If we want to have international students and scholars learn about who we are, as Americans, then we need to include them in our community’s institutions and family life. Seeing American life "up close and personal” could do much to dispel the apprehensions of international visitors. And, not incidentally, closer personal contacts with internationals can help us better understand how the world is coming to perceive us. Asian Affairs Center TransitionAfter a five-year term as Director of the Asian Affairs Center at MU, Dr. Terry M. Weidner has accepted a position as Director of the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center at the University of Montana at Missoula. As the first director of the Asian Affairs Center, Weidner established a strong foundation for MU’s Asian community and Asia-related programs for faculty and students. Prior to his arrival at MU, several campus groups had actively explored curriculum initiatives, research and development projects in Asia. These interests in Asia factored into the campus decision to create a free standing Asian Affairs Center. According to Jim McCartney, Director of the International Center, "Terry provided leadership for MU’s emerging Asia agenda, and supplied it with vision, enormous enterprise and energy.” Under Weidner’s leadership the Center has succeeded in creating a sense of community for students, visiting scholars and visitors from the Pacific Rim countries. The Center has received more than 500 prominent visiting scholars from China and Korea in the past five years. Weidner also initiated a new training program for the All-China Youth Federation (Beijing, China), a group similar to the US Junior Chamber of Commerce. In addition, the Center has trained several groups from the Finance Bureau of Heibei, Missouri’s sister province in China. Working closely with the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) Weidner collaborated on numerous joint projects with different Korean partners, including co-hosting two agriculture delegations from North Korea. He further worked with CAFNR on agriculture training for Chinese officials and initiating ties with the Vietnam Education Council in Washington, D.C. and Cantho University in Vietnam. In addition, Weidner has actively promoted curriculum development initiatives on campus. He took the lead in planning several Global Scholars Summer Seminar programs—to China, Korea and Thailand. He helped develop an Environmental Engineering/ Environmental Studies study abroad program in Beijing that served MU students as well as students at other U.S. schools. At a farewell reception in his honor, several speakers praised his legacy to MU. Over and above the program initiatives, they emphasized that Weidner had established an active and vital Center. According to McCartney, "While we feel he is irreplaceable, we nevertheless appreciate his foresight in training a professional staff to carry on and expand the campus’s important initiatives in Asia.” Vice Provost Handy J. Williamson, Jr. has appointed Mr. Sang Kim, MBA, as the Interim Director of the Asian Affairs Center. Kim has served as Assistant Director of the Center since 1998 and Associate Director since 2002. Music: The International Language
The School of Music at the University of Missouri has an established relationship with the Carlos Gomes Conservatory in Belem, Brazil. In fact, several members of the current university band program are natives of Belem. The opportunity for me experience, first hand, their musical roots, and the chance to explore the rich musical enthusiasm that these Brazilian students bring to our program proved to be an eye opening, life-changing experience. Dr. Aderbal Correa, Research Associate Professor in the MU Environmental Engineering Department and native of Brazil, served as our trip coordinator. His effort to provide all participants with a plethora of information about the country, the cities that we were to visit, and specific opportunities related to each participant’s area of expertise, proved to be invaluable as I prepared to visit this very exotic country. Dr. Correa provided contact information, a detailed itinerary, numerous communications regarding everything from food and attire, to the cultural details that allowed me to be functional in their culture. In fact, his presence and reassurance were of immeasurable assistance before, during, and after the trip. My primary mission as a Global Scholar was to use the brief experience that I have had with several graduate students from the Carlos Gomes Conservatory as a building block in establishing an increasingly interactive environment with the Conservatory students, faculty, and administrators. Additionally, the opportunity to interact with musicians during other stops on the trip enhanced, and enlightened, my understanding of how truly international musical language actually is. The highlight of my Brazilian experience was attending the solo clarinet recital of MU graduate music student, Marcos Cohen, whose reputation as a musician in Brazil is outstanding. Marcos's family transported me to the concert, which was held in conjunction with the annual Belem International Music Festival. As I sat in this beautiful church with his family, experiencing the stunning musical performance of my student, I was overcome with emotion. Music is an international language and my opportunity to experience and share the very personal communication of music with Marcos, in his community and culture, was overwhelming. The beauty of Brahms and Stravinsky in this most exotic setting has permanently changed the way I perceive music, music making, and the international bond that we, as musicians, share. I met conductors, composers, and musicians from throughout the country of Brazil. My trip has resulted in invitations to return to Belem and Sao Paulo for continued interaction with my new musician friends. When I return to Belem on October 12-19, I look forward to further developing my rapport and understanding of this global musical experience. As I step onto the podium to conduct the festival ensemble, I look forward to testing this "international” language. Most of all, I look forward to a meaningful personal musical experience with my fellow musicians. Registration Holds Help Students Maintain Immigration StatusThe January 2003 introduction of the new Student Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) regulations governing international students and scholars at American campuses has resulted in a plethora of challenges for the international community, as well as for the administrative departments on campus that provide support services to them. These challenges range from minor inconveniences to significant life changing intrusions for students and scholars alike. Many SEVIS-related obstacles take the form administrative delays within the federal government’s processes. In practical terms, this can mean visa denial or significant delays in issuance of the visa, loss of employment eligibility or even deportation from the United States. While International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) does not relish the increased emphasis on compliance, the office is committed to enhancing its administrative and advising procedures to ensure that international students and scholars can continue their programs of study and research with as little worry about regulatory issues as possible. Beginning with the Fall 2003 semester, ISSS introduced new administrative measures aimed at protecting new and continuing international students from inadvertently violating their immigration status. All newly admitted international students will automatically have a student services "international” or "I-hold” barring registration until they have attended the International Student Orientation and Check-In program at the start of each semester. This procedure ensures that ISSS correctly reports to the federal government a student’s arrival on campus as required by SEVIS. In addition, a student services "R-hold” will prohibit changes to both new and continuing international student course schedules after the last day to add/drop classes in order to prevent reductions below a full-time course load without ISSS authorization. New SEVIS regulations stipulate that students who drop below a full course of study without prior authorization from an international student advisor are immediately "out-of-status” and subject to deportation. ISSS regrets any inconvenience these new procedures may have caused at the beginning of the Fall semester and is trying to fine-tune this and many other aspects of SEVIS implementation at MU in support of the international community. We welcome your feedback and appreciate your patience with our on-going efforts to comply with the SEVIS mandate! English Language Support for International StudentsInternational students interested in improving their writing, speaking, or reading skills can take advantage of courses offered by the English Language Support Program (ELSP). In its 25th year of operation, the program provides English language testing and instruction to MU students whose first language is not English. International undergraduate students enrolling at MU for the first time are required to take the English Language Exam during registration week. A student’s performance on the exam is used to determine whether enrollment in supplementary English language courses will be required. While undergraduate students are tested before they enroll in their first semester of course work, graduate students may take the English Language Exam and enroll in language courses at any time during their studies, although language training is most beneficial if undertaken early in a student’s academic career. This semester, graduate students from 18 academic departments are enrolled in ELSP courses. The courses, which are graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory (S/U) basis, appear on a student’s university transcript as three-credit-hour courses. Although the credit hours do not count toward fulfilling graduation requirements, ELSP courses combined with other MU courses satisfy full-time enrollment requirements for immigration purposes. Questions about the English Language Support Program may be directed to Irene Juzkiw, Director, ELSP, 208 McReynolds Hall, 882-7523 (juzkiwi@missouri.edu). MU Welcomes New Exchange VisitorsJust as the students arrive to begin the new semester so too have exchange visitors been arriving to take up various academic posts at MU. These scholars come from all over the world and are a vital part of the life of our institution. During their stay they will contribute in many ways to the work and mission of MU. Below is just a sample of these valuable members of our campus community. Fatma Ozdemir (Macka, Turkey) will be working in the Mathematics Department at MU. In Turkey she works as an Assistant Professor in the Mathematics Department at Istanbul Technical University. Two of her basic research interests are in complex and almost-complex and quaternionic and almost-quaternionic structures on manifolds. Thitiporn Inekathawornwong is an Assistant Professor and Lecturer at Prince of Songkla University in Songkla, Thailand. She will be sitting in on courses related to maternity, midwifery, and women’s health offered by the Sinclair School of Nursing as well as visiting and observing in the health center and doing co-research. Mikhail Igorevich Makeenko’s position at Moscow State University is that of Assistant Professor of Journalism. He will be observing classes and doing research at MU in the School of Journalism. Dr. Makeenko is one of many scholars from Moscow State University who will be visiting over the next couple of years through a grant funded program awarded to MU by the US Department of State. Jee-Soo Kim comes to MU from the College of Medicine at the University of Ilsan, Gangeneung Asian Hospital, in Gangneung, South Korea where he serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery. He will be working in the Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology at MU doing research in heptocyte culture and differentiation. He is accompanied by his wife, Sun-Kyung Lee and his two sons, Dong Young Kim and Dong Jae Kim. These are just a few of the more than one hundred exchange visitors who have begun or will begin their program at MU in the months of August and September. We are privileged and honored to have them on our campus and excited about the important contributions they will make to our work and the lasting links there stay will established between MU and the world community. Student Effort Enhances Orientation
This fall's orientation was unique in that it was designed by students for students, which made the orientation particularly helpful to new students. In fact, the orientation was planned by a team of approximately 15 international student volunteers. These volunteers, representing a range of nationalities, majors, and degree levels, worked together to create an orientation that provided the information they wish they had known when they started at MU. Jill Hermsen, an International Student Advisor and orientation coordinator noted, "I was impressed by the high level of commitment the volunteers demonstrated not only by giving their time through weekly meetings from April to August but also by actively planning and implementing orientation. I am certain that their leadership added tremendous value to orientation." The core team of orientation volunteers was joined by an additional 45 volunteers who provided hands-on support during the orientation sessions in August. ISSS sincerely appreciates all their help. Adventure and Academics 2003: Doing Business in Italy
MU students enroll for six hours of summer school credit and pay fees at Missouri. MU professors Chuck Franz and Chris Robert offered a project management and organizational behavior course along with a BU professor of marketing, who offered an international marketing course. Students enrolled for one MU class and one BU class to maximize their international experiences in class. Italian students are selected based upon their English language ability, which allows MU business students to participate without any prior knowledge of the Italian language. A unique feature of the program consists of the formation of teams of two MU and two BU students as they work together to analyze case studies and work on assignments and course projects. This program offers MU students many advantages and benefits that most other summer programs do not, such as an Italian instructor, Italian classmates, attending and participating in activities of an Italian university, working in small teams with Italian students (two MU and two BU students per team), and meeting other Italian students within their daily four week academic program in Bergamo. MU students have remarked that this summer program has been a life-changing experience, with daily cross-cultural interaction and travel opportunities within Italy and nearby countries. The BU business and economics faculty has been extremely interested and supportive of this joint-venture program. They appreciate the opportunity for their own students to have an international experience in Bergamo with American students and professors. The Italian students enjoyed the opportunity to interact with MU students and professors to learn more about the American way of life and business practices. Adventure and Academics 2003: Sailing the Greek IslesNine Environmental Design students spent three weeks island hopping in a 50-foot sailing yacht in June 2003. The eight undergraduate students enrolled in Interior Design Studio acted as crew for the Professor and Captain, Dr. Ronn Phillips, and his graduate teaching assistant and Skipper, Bobbi Hauptmann, while learning about confined space design. Phillips, a US Sailing certified Captain since 2000, developed the course curriculum to provide students the opportunity to participate in a transformational learning experience, living in close quarters on a sailing vessel, and doing so in one of the most architecturally rich areas of the world. Captain, Skipper, and crew sailed from Athens to Sounion Bay on the mainland, then on to the islands of Kithnos, Siros, Mykonos, Paros, Ios and Santorini, the furthest point in their expedition. The sailors encountered high winds and high seas the first few days of sailing, testing their skills and their seasickness patches. "Arriving by sea and getting off the yacht to discover the Greek Isles’ picturesque beauty provided an unforgettable learning experience,” says Phillips. Grecian coastal communities are comprised of narrow cobblestone "streets” lined with whitewashed flat-roofed houses, dotted with Greek Orthodox temples, characterized by domed roofs. Flowers in neon colors and bright sea-blue doors and shutters add charm to the sun-drenched country. From Santorini, the class sailed to Folegandros, Sifnos, Serifos, Hydra, and Aigina, which wrapped-up their sailing itinerary. They spent the final two days touring the ruins of Athens, including the Parthenon. On their return to campus, students continued the summer semester developing their own live-aboard sailing vessel interior designs. Adventure and Academics 2003: Mapping Caves in BelizeFrom June 1-28, seven MU students and one Missouri Western State College student joined Professor Joe Hobbs for MU Geography’s first international field course, Fieldwork in Belize: The Geography of Ancient Maya Caves, a four-hour course for both graduate and undergraduate students. The fieldwork explored the role of caves in the culture of the ancient Maya, working in conjunction with the Western Belize Regional Cave Project, a component of the Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance Project (BVAR). Overall supervision of these projects was in the hands of Jaime Awe, who is recognized as the foremost archaeologist of Belize. The other principal staff in the field were Anthropology graduate students Cameron Griffith of Indiana University, and Reiko Ishihara of the University of California-Riverside. There was a lot of field in this field course. Basecamp was in the remarkably intact tropical rainforest of the Cayo District, close to the Guatemalan border. The students slept in tents and hammocks, but dined, studied and visited in a roofed shelter provided with electricity for a few hours in the evening. Having brought a laptop computer and digital projector allowed the group to enjoy a variety of films and lectures, and digitally update and monitor their cartographic progress in the caves. While they visited a number of caves used ritually by the ancient Maya, most of the students’ work focused on Stela Cave, about an hour’s walk from camp. It is named for a large rock in the cave’s main chamber, which many think had once stood erect in the chamber, where it was a focus of ritual. Nearby are "negative handprints” stenciled on a wall by the ancient Maya. Rock walls and an apparent altar lie near the cave entrance, and the cave floor is strewn with ceramics, lithics, and other artifacts. According to Hobbs, "No research on the cave had been undertaken previously, and the group’s first task was to produce a complete map of the cave. This took nearly three weeks.” He explains that they gradually shifted to excavation mode. "I think I speak for all of us in saying the course was hard work, good fun, and a big success,” states Hobbs, who plans to offer this summer class on a regular basis. |
Music is often termed an international language, in that musicians worldwide share a common notation and vocabulary while playing music. My interest in participating in the Global Scholars Program stemmed from my desire to interact with musicians from Brazil and to discover the truly international bond that we, as musicians, share.
International Student Orientations were held in August to welcome over 200 new students. During the two-day sessions, the students participated in a range of workshops covering topics such as immigration regulations, tax guidelines, academic integrity, and health care information. Furthermore, this fall’s program included a day full of information sessions designed to help students get settled into campus and community life. Presentations were given on how to register for classes, set up bank accounts, rent an apartment, buy a car, and use public transportation. In addition, students received tips on personal safety, things to see and do in Columbia, using American English, and MU traditions.
This past summer, thirty seven College of Business students from the University of Missouri (MU) participated in a newly developed summer business program at Bergamo University (BU) in Bergamo, Italy (located 25 miles East of Milan) in the northern part of Italy. The program was developed and conducted by MU’s College of Business and directed by Dr. Charles R. Franz, associate professor of Management. MU’s students attended Bergamo University and studied with an equal number of Italian students May 19 – June 13. MU and BU have signed a five-year cooperative agreement to conduct this program each summer from mid-May to mid-June.