For more than eight years, Alma College has had a fruitful collaboration with the Academia Latinoamericana in Quito, Ecuador, headed by Diego del Corral. Many Alma students have traveled to Quito for Spanish language instruction and study Ecuadorian culture. A number of Alma College faculty members also have worked with Senor del Corral and the Academia to design Alma College spring term courses in Ecuador in disciplines ranging from education to biology.
During an October 2007 visit to Quito, President Saundra Tracy, Provost Michael Selmon, Vice President Jerry Scoby, and Professor Margarita Krakusin met with Senor del Corral and the Board of his newly formed non-profit Alpha Foundation to discuss a range of additional opportunities for collaboration. From that meeting, the two institutions agreed to pursue a formal agreement to be completed and signed by summer 2008.
The key components of the proposed agreement would include the following:
Opportunities for Alma College students to study and complete internships in Ecuador. This might include but is not limited to completion of an International Environmental Sciences major, coursework in business finance, marketing and entrepreneurship, and internships offered in a variety of fields.
An articulation agreement between Alpha College, the newly formed four year college of the Alpha Foundation, and Alma College. This agreement will allow Ecuadorian students to transfer to Alma College for their senior year and graduate with an Alma College degree.
Opportunities for Alma College faculty to offer courses in Ecuador either through Alpha College or Alma College or perhaps both through cross listing.
Opportunities for Ecuadorian students to engage with Alma College prior to transfer their senior year. These include but are not limited to the Center for Responsible Leadership Fellows summer institutes, spring term U.S. travel courses, and possibly special summer classes designed for Alpha students.
Both parties agreed to continue to pursue other avenues of collaboration as well. These might include an “English as a Second Language” program and Executive Education, among other possibilities. A timetable and a series of action steps for pursuing these collaborative opportunities are under way by both parties.
