McGregor Fund Grant Supports Ecuador Program
Alma College has received a $250,000 grant from the McGregor Fund
for an innovative program that will expand study, research, internship
and Spanish language opportunities for faculty and students in Ecuador.
The grant supports “Internationalizing the Alma Experience,” a program
designed to enhance the emerging partnership between Alma College and
Equatorialis University, a recently established English-language
private institution in Quito, Ecuador.
“The program targets faculty and curriculum development and will offer
opportunities over the next three years for Alma faculty to visit
Ecuador, design courses, conduct research, and learn Spanish,” said
Alma College President Saundra Tracy.
The Academia Latino Americana in Quito, Ecuador.
Recognizing that language is a major barrier to intercultural cooperation, the
program provides opportunities for as many as one third to one half of
the entire Alma faculty to either learn Spanish or increase their
comfort with Spanish, said Tracy.
“Becoming more proficient in the Spanish language will better prepare
our faculty for teaching and research with Ecuadorian students and for
work with the increasing number of Spanish-speaking American students
who will enter higher education in the coming decades,” said Tracy.
The partnership with Equatorialis University will offer several
educational advantages to Alma students, said Alma Provost Michael
Selmon.
“All Alma students — those who stay in Michigan as well as those who
travel abroad — will benefit from the new educational opportunities
that will occur as they encounter the international experiences and
perspectives the Ecuadorian collaboration will bring,” said Selmon.
“We’re very grateful to the McGregor Fund for helping to make these
interactions possible.”
The program has three major components:
• Preparation for International Work. Faculty will participate
in a year-long “Spanish for Professors” course taught by Deborah
Dougherty, Spanish department chair at Alma, and participate in an
“Ecuador seminar,” a weekly faculty discussion group focusing on a
particular aspect of Ecuadorian culture.
• Ecuador Curriculum Revision Retreat. Up to 15 Alma faculty per
year will participate in a two-week retreat in Ecuador to develop
collaborative courses for Alma and Ecuador students. These
collaborative ventures may include spring term travel courses or
on-campus courses that link students on both campuses via Internet
technology. The retreat will include five days of Spanish language
instruction and opportunities to travel in Ecuador to explore sites of
cultural importance.
• Faculty Research and Student Internship Support. Alma faculty
and students will collaborate on research projects based in Ecuador.
Internships will allow Alma students to practice their Spanish-speaking
skills and gain cultural knowledge by living with host families.
A view of the Andes Mountains in Ecuador.
Alma
College has maintained a relationship with the Academia Latino
Americana in Quito for several years, with a number of Alma students
traveling there to develop their Spanish language skills. Earlier this
spring, the Academia’s board of directors expanded educational
offerings there with the creation of Equatorialis University, which
will offer degrees in business administration and environmental science.
Last fall, the government of Ecuador formally accredited Equatorialis
University. Also last fall, Alma College officials committed to
pursuing an articulation agreement with Equatorialis that will allow
qualified students from the Ecuador institution to complete their
senior year at the Alma campus.
“In four years we expect 40 to 50 Ecuadorian students to take advantage
of this opportunity,” said Tracy. “In a decade, this number could
quadruple.
“To ensure the success of this collaboration, we must ensure that Alma
is a welcoming environment for international students,” said Tracy.
“The McGregor Fund grant will help us create opportunities for
meaningful connections between the two campuses before the Quito
students come to Michigan.”
The McGregor Fund is a private foundation established in 1925 by gifts
from Katherine and Tracy McGregor “to relieve the misfortunes and
promote the well-being for mankind.” The foundation awards grants to
organizations in the areas of human services, education, health care,
arts and culture, and public benefit. The McGregor Fund has granted
nearly $180 million since its founding.
Posted: Tue, July 1st, 2008 at 1:18PM
