(A Case Study by Rebecca Pisano, Spring
2005)
Center for Global Education http://www.chapman.edu/resources/cge/default.asp
Study Abroad
The tradition of
commitment to international education continues. Today study abroad
opportunities are available to a variety of countries through Chapman affiliated
programs with offerings in Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania, and the
http://www.chapman.edu/resources/studyAbroad/
Faculty-led travel
course programs are
additionally offered during the Interterm and Summer sessions. In 2005 faculty offered
seven different course options in diverse locations such as
http://www.chapman.edu/travelCourses/
The Center for Global Education hosts a Study Abroad Advisory Board made up of prominent local business leaders that guide future programming.
International Student Recruitment and
Support
The International Student Services
Office was established to serve the special needs of
international students on the
In the 2004-2005 academic year, Chapman’s
international students came from a total of 50 countries. Approximately 65% of their
international students are at the undergraduate level and 35% are
graduate students.
Business and Film are the most popular courses of
study.
http://www1.chapman.edu/cge/iss/iss.html
International Curriculum
The World Cultures component of the Chapman general education plan requires that students fulfill nine credits from at least two disciplines, one of which must be at the upper division level. World Cultures courses pertain to non-Western civilizations.
Chapman’s general education program also includes a foreign language requirement of two college-level courses in the same language. Students can major and minor in French and Spanish, and create a personalized minor in German and Japanese. Courses in Italian and Latin are additionally offered.
http://www.chapman.edu/academics/ge/common.asp
Several academic programs consist primarily
of international content, including undergraduate majors in Peace Studies and European Studies. The department of Political
Science offers emphases in
International Relations and
Comparative Politics.
The
Chapman’s faculty are also on the
international forefront.
In 2004 a professor in the Department of Accounting was
awarded a Fulbright Scholar Grant to teach in the
http://www.chapman.edu/admission/news/news_story.asp?iNewsID=216&strBack=%2Fpubrel%2FDefault.asp
Campus International Activities
The annual International Food Fair is sponsored by the International Student Services office and participated in by the campus as well as local community. International food and music are provided representing many countries and ethnicities. This popular event has been held for a number of years and takes place each October.
Each fall the French Club, in collaboration
with the Department of Languages and other organizations on campus
such as the Associated Students and the Office of International
Student Services, sponsors a multicultural evening of international poetry
reading. Participants read or perform
a famous poem in its original language as well as the English
translation. These
renditions are often accompanied by music, videos, photos, and
dancers. Following the reading the public is invited to a feast of
international foods.
http://www.chapman.edu/wcls/languages/activities/poetry.asp
Every semester students in the Spanish
program are given the opportunity to see theater in Spanish
offered by the Bilingual Foundation of the Arts in
http://www.chapman.edu/wcls/languages/activities/spanishTheatre.asp
The French Club promotes the
study of French language and culture by speaking French outside of
the classroom and getting hands-on experience with elements of
French culture. Popular
events include French movie nights and Café
Conversation.
http://www.chapman.edu/wcls/languages/activities/french.asp
Stammtisch offers the opportunity for the Chapman
community to gather informally to speak or listen to German in a
relaxed atmosphere in the student cafeteria each week during the
lunch hour. All
language levels are welcome. Led by two professors, the
group provides a lively atmosphere where faculty, staff, and
students can expand their conversation skills in
German.
http://www.chapman.edu/wcls/languages/activities/stammtisch.asp
Other international clubs on
campus include the International Student Club, the Asian Pacific Student Association, the Hindu
Club, the International Culture Club, the South Asian Student
Organization, and the Student Organization of Latinos, to name a
few.
http://www.chapman.edu/lead/clubsorgs/
International Research Centers
The Barry and Phyllis Rodgers Center
for Holocaust Education is a vital contributor to Chapman’s
mission of preparing students for ethical lives as global citizens.
By teaching about the
past—about the social, political, historical, and economic causes of
genocide—the Center prepares students for the challenges of both the
present and the future as they seek to make the words “never again”
a reality.
http://www.chapman.edu/holocaustEducation/
The Walter Schmid Center for
International Business, located at
Located within the Department of History, the Center for Cold War Studies advances and facilitates the study of the history of the Cold War Era. Its broad aim includes supporting original historical research, fostering innovative as well as multidisciplinary inquiry, creating opportunities for engagement among members of the larger national and international scholarly community studying the history of the Cold War, and encouraging a wide public participation in the Center's varied programs.
http://www1.chapman.edu/wilkinson/socsci/coldwar/
Additional International
Initiatives
Global
Theme
Chapman hosts a cutting edge global theme
each year. A series of
lectures are scheduled in accordance with each year’s theme, and
faculty are encouraged to incorporate this theme into the curriculum
when possible. The
theme for the 2005-2006 academic year is “Is Democracy a Viable Form
of Government in the Non-Western World?” Past themes have been
“Superpower: United States Role and Responsibility for a Just and
Sustainable World” and the “