Spring 2011 - University Of Southern Indiana

December during a week-long blockprogram that included 40 seminars,many taught by international faculty.“It was a diverse group that Igot to know,” he said. “Faculty camefrom countries such as South Africa,Indonesia, and Slovakia.”Valadares found students inOsnabrück surprised to learn that formost individuals between ages 18 and64 in the United States, health insuranceand thus healthcare are tied tobeing employed.“That’s not the way it is inGermany,” he said, “although individualscan get added features by beingemployed.”Faculty need experience in othertraditions to be effective internationalstudyteachers. Dr. Hilary Braysmith,associate professor of art history, completedthe Asian Studies DevelopmentProgram at East-West Center lastsummer in preparation to teach anon-western art history seminar andother courses. Eastern traditions can beincorporated into the material to internationalizethe content. The programcovered topics such as the graphic novelsof India (similar to U.S. comic bookart), traditional theatre in the East, andmonuments of the East. Though thedevelopment program is located in theUnited States, the teaching faculty wereexperts from across the globe. She hadteachers from India and Pakistan.Braysmith experienced anexchange of influences. “You learnhow to introduce a subject and howother teachers organize materials. And,because each participant gives a presentation,you learn from your classmates,”she said. “Even teachers who are passionateabout teaching need intellectualstimulation to pump up their interestand reinvigorate their work.”Besides being the focus of the IAPPProgram, China is an area of interestfor the USI education and social workprograms. A delegation representingthe Bower-Suhrheinrich College ofEducation and Human Services andthe Evansville Vanderburgh SchoolCorporation may go to China on aContinuedStudents develop competitive edge with study abroadIn today’s highly competitive andglobal marketplace, graduates need aprofessional edge. Study abroad canmake the difference, says Dr. SilviaA. Rode, chair of the Modern andClassical Languages Department.“Regardless of location, companiesoperate in a global economy,” she said.“They look for employees who canunderstand and communicate withtheir counterparts all over the world.Cultural confrontation raises awareness,increases sensitivity, and gives graduatesthe ability to function in a globalsociety.”A native of southwest Germany,Rode came to the United States as anundergraduate student, studying initiallyin Florida. “I thought it was an exoticwonderland,” she said. “Everything wasnew and exciting.” She earned bachelor’s,master’s, and doctoral degreesat the University of California, LosAngeles.Rode encourages students to investtime in another country, especiallyin programs where they can immersethemselves in the language and culture.Students have been successful in applyingfor nationally competitive scholarships.The German government generouslysponsors a range of scholarshipsand awards for undergraduate study.Hollan Staker, a German and Englishmajor, spent the 2009-10 academic yearat the University of Osnabrück. Shereceived a full scholarship from theGerman Academic Exchange Service(known as DAAD).Rode provides opportunities forstudents to think globally and learnlocally. She uses technology in thelanguage lab to bring individualsfrom European universities into theclassroom. Last semester students in herclasses encountered well-known writersin the Netherlands and Switzerlandthrough videoconferences.Four years ago, Rode visited theUniversity of Osnabrück and theUniversity of Applied Sciences, alsoin Osnabrück. She encouraged newpartnerships with these longtime USIeducation partners. USI colleagues followedup on the visit. Collaboration isflourishing with creative opportunitiesunder development or in progress.“The ties we have with Germanyare very strong from Evansville to NewHarmony to Osnabrück,” she said. “Wehave a strong German tradition.”Osnabrück is a partner toEvansville through the Sister CitiesInternational program.Rode, associate professor ofGerman, taught at Central Collegein Iowa prior to joining USI in 2007.She also has held teaching positions atVanderbilt University and directed itsstudy-abroad program at the Universityof Regensburg in Germany.Silvia Rode brings Swiss writer Rolf Hermann to class via videoconference to respond to student questions on literature andpoetry in German-speaking countries.University of Southern Indiana15 March 2011