Location
Smyth 146
Event Website
http://www.cpe.vt.edu/cuenr/index.html
Start Date
3-27-2010 1:30 PM
End Date
3-27-2010 2:00 PM
Description
International educational experiences have the ability to promote cultural understanding, cooperation and interaction with global society. In a period of reduced financial and administrative resources it is more difficult to promote these experiences. Auburn University (AU) and the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences (SFWS) has partnered with International Student Volunteers, Inc. (ISV) to provide academic oversight and credit for study abroad volunteer service experiences. ISV is an international volunteer travel organization who sends over 3,000 students abroad each year and whose participants have contributed over 250,000 volunteer hours in the fields of natural resource conservation and community development. ISV works with local agencies and non‐ governmental organizations to develop long term volunteer service projects in eight different countries. Students travel abroad for two weeks of volunteer services gaining hands‐on practical research or work experience generally followed by two weeks of nature and adventure travel. The SFWS has worked with ISV to develop two 3 credit hour academic courses (Natural Resource Management and Community Development) to be administered during the two week volunteer service projects. With input from the SFWS, ISV provides in‐country project leaders with the academic credentials (M.S. or Ph.D.) necessary to lead the field portion of the course. Students seeking academic credit complete a number of project relevant readings prior to departure. In addition to conducting two weeks of volunteer service in‐country, students participate in group discussions and maintain a field notebook, each of which are graded by the ISV project leader. Upon return, students prepare a 10 page academic paper based on their readings, additional research, and their personal experiences. The AU instructor of record will grade final papers, integrate project leader in‐country grades and post final grades. Students from any university can apply to ISV programs and to SFWS for academic credit. Students pay ISV for all aspects of the trip and tuition to AU. The SFWS portion of the tuition will be used to hire and provide travel funds for a full time instructor for in‐country oversight of academic programs, to monitor student reviews of ISV project leaders, and to teach one course in the SFWS each semester. Any additional funds generated will be used to develop scholarships for SFWS students to travel abroad. Benefits to ISV include a recognized institutional partner to provide students academic credit and funding to support the academic portions of their programs. Benefits to AU and the SFWS include international coursework, funding for an instructor to grade and oversee the courses, two new courses taught per academic year and scholarship funds for students. Benefits to students include opportunities for volunteer service projects that meet rigorous academic standards and credit that can be transferred to their home institution.
Included in
Partnering with International Study Abroad Vendors for Mutual Benefits
Smyth 146
International educational experiences have the ability to promote cultural understanding, cooperation and interaction with global society. In a period of reduced financial and administrative resources it is more difficult to promote these experiences. Auburn University (AU) and the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences (SFWS) has partnered with International Student Volunteers, Inc. (ISV) to provide academic oversight and credit for study abroad volunteer service experiences. ISV is an international volunteer travel organization who sends over 3,000 students abroad each year and whose participants have contributed over 250,000 volunteer hours in the fields of natural resource conservation and community development. ISV works with local agencies and non‐ governmental organizations to develop long term volunteer service projects in eight different countries. Students travel abroad for two weeks of volunteer services gaining hands‐on practical research or work experience generally followed by two weeks of nature and adventure travel. The SFWS has worked with ISV to develop two 3 credit hour academic courses (Natural Resource Management and Community Development) to be administered during the two week volunteer service projects. With input from the SFWS, ISV provides in‐country project leaders with the academic credentials (M.S. or Ph.D.) necessary to lead the field portion of the course. Students seeking academic credit complete a number of project relevant readings prior to departure. In addition to conducting two weeks of volunteer service in‐country, students participate in group discussions and maintain a field notebook, each of which are graded by the ISV project leader. Upon return, students prepare a 10 page academic paper based on their readings, additional research, and their personal experiences. The AU instructor of record will grade final papers, integrate project leader in‐country grades and post final grades. Students from any university can apply to ISV programs and to SFWS for academic credit. Students pay ISV for all aspects of the trip and tuition to AU. The SFWS portion of the tuition will be used to hire and provide travel funds for a full time instructor for in‐country oversight of academic programs, to monitor student reviews of ISV project leaders, and to teach one course in the SFWS each semester. Any additional funds generated will be used to develop scholarships for SFWS students to travel abroad. Benefits to ISV include a recognized institutional partner to provide students academic credit and funding to support the academic portions of their programs. Benefits to AU and the SFWS include international coursework, funding for an instructor to grade and oversee the courses, two new courses taught per academic year and scholarship funds for students. Benefits to students include opportunities for volunteer service projects that meet rigorous academic standards and credit that can be transferred to their home institution.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cuenr/Sessions/Abroad/3
Comments
Citation: Morse, W.C. 2010. Partnering with international study abroad vendors for mutual benefits. UENR Biennial Conference, Session Study Abroad, Paper Number 3. http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cuenr/Sessions/Abroad/3/.