Acadenics

International education

T. Meyers, Associate Academic Dean and Director of International Education

Introduction

Goshen College offers several types of international education. First is the Goshen Core requirement of international or domestic Study-Service Term (SST) for North American students (Section I) or U.S. culture studies for international students (Section II). In addition, a minor in international studies (Section III) and a variety of other overseas educational opportunities are available through Goshen College or other organizations with whom we cooperate (Sections IV and V).

For contacts and related information, visit the Study-Service Term Web site at www.goshen.edu/sst.

I. The Study-Service Term (SST)

Program description

SST is a program designed to immerse students in a culture significantly different from dominant United States culture. Its goals for each student are to grow in one's own identity in relationship to multiple communities, to develop intercultural openness, to acquire language and cross-cultural communication skills, and to create partnerships with people across difference to learn from one another and work toward equity.

International SST units are one-semester immersion experiences. Spanish units are offered in Central and South America. Currently, other international SST units operate in Cambodia, China, Morocco, Senegal and Tanzania. A new domestic Spanish SST focuses on Latino studies in northern Indiana and neighboring states. Domestic SST is available in alternative formats spread over one or two years.

Students choose a language area and location for SST in consultation with their academic adviser. See Planning and Advising Notes for individual majors to determine the best timing for SST. Students are urged to plan and sign up early for international SST. They may pre-register for first and second choice SST units. About half of all students participate in SST during their sophomore year. Others participate in their junior or senior year.

At each location, Goshen faculty leaders arrange the academic program and give personal counsel to a group of up to 23 students. For one-semester immersion units, the first six weeks of the term are spent studying the language and culture of the host country or community. The faculty leader uses local resources to support a largely experience-based learning program: host family relationships, lectures, discussion, field trips, journal writing, readings, special projects and examinations. Library resources, although somewhat limited, are available at each unit. During the last six weeks of the term, students work in a field/service-learning assignment, usually in a rural area, and complete a major project to present during the last week of the term. Students in international SST live in homes of the host country throughout the term and eat at least two meals daily with their “families.” Domestic SST students relate to a host family, but do not live with them.

Participation in international SST is an educational privilege for those whose recent performance suggests that they are ready for the special challenge of living and studying abroad. A screening process reviews the health and the academic and behavioral performance of all SST applicants throughout the preparation process until departure. Minimum GPA requirement is 2.0 to participate in international SST. Students must also receive a minimum of a C- in the language that is required for a particular unit. For Spanish, French and Arabic-speaking units, at the outset of the term prior to departure all students must either be enrolled in a 102 class, have completed a 102 level course, or have documented competency at the 102 level by exam. On location, all SSTers are expected to follow both the standards of the college and the guidelines more specific to the norms of the host culture and host family.

A student who decides not to go on SST less than six weeks prior to departure will be expected to pay all preparation costs, including the cost of an airline ticket.

A student who leaves an SST location and returns to the United States must pay all expenses associated with the return trip.

Student fees in Central America, including travel costs, are the same as for a semester’s tuition, room and board on campus. Units in other locations involve extra cost.

SST locations for 2013-2016 (tentative)

2013-14 Fall semester
Peru 		Spring semester
Peru
Tanzania		 Summer semester
Nicaragua
Peru
Senegal
2014-15 Fall semester
Peru
China
Morocco

Spring semester
Peru
 Summer semester
Nicaragua
Peru
2015-16 Fall semester
Peru

Spring semester
Peru
Cambodia

Summer semester
Peru
Nicaragua
Senegal

Credit hours and evaluation for International SST

Domestic SST: Latino Studies

One or two courses in fall and spring semesters and/or May term. Prerequisite: Span 102 (or competency by exam)

Credit Hours and Evaluation for Domestic SST

Students will receive a letter grade for each program component.

Modified SST option for nursing students

Nursing students may participate in international SST, but they also have the option of selecting a modified domestic SST program. In addition to INTL 253 and INTL 257, students take one Spanish class at their level (no prerequisite). Also, the clinical placement for Nurs 408, Community Health Nursing, will be in a setting that serves many Spanish-speaking clients.

Prerequisites for SST

Students are responsible for completing these essential prerequisites prior to SST. The director of international education must approve any exceptions

  1. Students participating in French, Arabic or Spanish units need to establish 102-level competency in the language of the country. At the outset of the term prior to departure, students must either be enrolled in the 102-level language course, have already completed the 102-level, or have established competency at the 102-level via exam.
  2. Students participating in any other foreign language unit will complete one elementary course in that language, offered on campus especially for that SST group prior to departure, and either 101-level competency in a third language, a course selected from a third language, or one course from the following list. Whenever possible, students should elect a course from the specific region of their SST unit.

Alternative language prerequisite courses

II. United States Culture Studies for International Students

International students will complete 10 credit hours studying U.S. culture, including a connection with a local family, arranged through the U.S. History and Culture course.

Credit hours and evaluation

Students will receive a letter grade for each program component.

III. Minor in international studies

Program director and adviser: T. Meyers, Associate Academic Dean

15 credit hours, in addition to a semester of international SST

Planning and advising notes

This minor is available only to students who have had SST or an equivalent semester of study abroad. The student-designed track is created in consultation with the director of international education, who is the academic adviser for this minor. Courses in this minor may duplicate courses in a major, at the discretion of the major adviser. Courses in this minor may not duplicate courses in another minor.

IV. Other study abroad options with Goshen College

During the May term or summer, Goshen College may offer special courses abroad. Locations vary, but recent courses have operated in England, Spain, Morocco, Greece, Italy, and Mexico. Credits may be earned in several areas, among them art, business, history, language, literature, music, theater, religion and peace studies. Some credits may apply toward the international studies minor.

V. Study abroad with other international programs

Study abroad is available at colleges or universities in many different countries. Special application must be made on forms available from the international education office. Goshen College students have access to approved study-abroad programs through affiliation with the following organizations:

Goshen College students in these affiliated programs will be registered as students at Goshen College in absentia. Credit may count for international education requirements only with the approval of the director of international education. Approval for credit equivalency does not mean that Goshen College financial aid will apply, but sources of financial aid outside of Goshen College are available.

Financial aid policies

For the list of affiliated international study programs in the previous paragraph, sources of student financial aid and scholarships are limited to funding outside of Goshen College such as Pell Grants, state grants, outside scholarships, church aid and Guaranteed Student Loans.

Only when the international program is required by the student's major and there is no alternative available on campus may Goshen College scholarships and financial aid be used. An application must be submitted and the major must be declared by spring advising days prior to the year of off-campus study. Contact the director of student financial aid for more information.

Programs which are not on the approved list above may be eligible for credit transfer, but students who choose to enroll in programs that have no affiliation with Goshen College cannot apply for any sort of financial aid through Goshen College.

Intercultural and International Studies Course Descriptions

INTC 253 U.S. History and Culture4
A broad overview of U.S. history and cultural values. Each week the class will explore a theme from several angles: historical source(s), current events and cultural expression. A central piece of the course will be topically-directed conversations each student will have with her or his friendship family.

INTC 255 U.S. Arts and Literature3
Explores music, art and literature with special attention to works that represent key issues and perspectives on the American experience. Students will be exposed to a variety of artistic and literary expressions that sometimes point to a common value or assumption but may also represent conflicting voices in the United States.

INTL 230 Intercultural Service Learning 3 (1-6)
A field assignment in an intercultural setting through an approved agency or placement site. Arranged by the student with the international education director or LSST director.

INTL 253 History and Culture of Latinos in the U.S. 3
An overview of past and contemporary experiences of different U.S. Latino subgroups, with an emphasis on the experience of Latinos in the Midwest and Northern Indiana. Exploration of topics such as Latino culture, history, politics, economics, and other social issues through classroom teaching, interaction with members of the Latino community, and field trips to Latino communities.

INTL 257 Arts and Literature of Latinos in the U.S 3
Issues of identity and social justice in contemporary U.S. Latino/a Literature and Arts. Examines how writers and artists express and enact what it means to be an American and a Latino in our contemporary culture. Students will explore the historical context of Latino art and literature as well as the influence of Latino traditions, experiences, and immigration stories.