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Smith Hall International Program Annual Report - 2006-2007
Smith Hall International Program Annual Report - 2005-2006
SHIP Approaches its 10 th Year As SHIP approaches its 10 th year, we submit this report to all of you who have been a part of making SHIP the dynamic residential program that it has become. There were 67 students in the first class in 1997. This year there were 103 students in the program and there are now 825 students who have completed the SHIP program. SHIP students can be found everywhere on campus and beyond. It is gratifying to see generations of SHIPsters keeping in touch with us and connecting with each other.
When Jean Delaney created the program in 1997 we were fortunate to have Ambassador Mary Ann Casey as our diplomat-in-residence with her office in SHIP. This helped launch the program and got us off to a great start. Back in those days we had a metal desk and some very uncomfortable chairs. Two years ago we transformed the SHIP office into a welcoming place for students with new paint, furniture, and photos. It has become a hub of activity.
We also attribute our success to several other factors. We have been fortunate to have many of those who originally contributed to SHIP continue to be involved in the program. Ambassador Mary Ann Casey speaks to SHIP students each fall and Laura DeLuca, the first graduate assistant for SHIP, earned her PhD and now teaches one of the SHIP classes. Ken Kucera and Barbara Loo in the Housing Reservations center keep everything running smooth with the enrollment of new SHIP students. Our staff and mentors have long time connections to the program as well.
The 2005-06 academic year was a record year for SHIP. It was the first year that we were able to staff the office full time and it has made all the difference in the number of events that we were able to sponsor and significantly increased the connection between the staff and students. The following pages detail the year's success and what is ahead for SHIP.
Internationalization – A note from the Director SHIP is an integral part of the work of the Office of International Education (OIE). SHIP is staffed by OIE employees (The OIE Director is the SHIP Director, OIE professional staff manage the activities of SHIP, and student workers often have joint appointments in both OIE and in SHIP) and its programs serve to feed students to study abroad and assist international students to get to know more CU-Boulder students. This helps to blend SHIP into the fabric of the campus.
The strategic plan of OIE spends a good bit of time discussing the SHIP program and its usefulness in assisting in the internationalization of the CU-Boulder campus. Among the many connections to the campus the strongest is through study abroad. Many of our SHIP students sign up for the program in anticipation of learning more about options abroad. SHIP students are natural recruits for the many study abroad program options that are available.
OIE is currently engaged in a review of internationalization on the CU-Boulder campus and SHIP is a significant piece of that activity. The dinner series which you will read about below is led by faculty actively involved in international research. SHIP students engage in service learning that assists in internationalizing the student body. SHIP students have expectations that they will find international content all across the campus and they share these expectations with faculty and staff to whom they speak. SHIP students help international students feel more at home here and that helps draw more international students to our campus.
Who are SHIP students? SHIP is a residential academic program which provides first-year students with a shared learning and living experience with other students interested in global issues. It is a year-long program, housed in one wing of Smith Hall in the Kittredge complex on the Boulder campus. The program provides students with a peer group of about 100 students with similar interests, a committed staff knowledgeable about CU-Boulder's many international resources, and access to faculty who incorporate their international work and research into their teaching.
SHIP students love to travel, enjoy learning about other cultures and languages, have an interest in studying abroad, and believe in being active global citizens. SHIP students are incredibly active locally and globally, with membership in everything from the Kittredge Representative Council, the Sudan Awareness Conference and the Conference on World Affairs.
Diversity During the 2005-2006 academic year we were pleased that 10 percent of our students were students of color and we also had two international students – one from Venezuela and one from Kazakhstan .
While we have increased our recruiting efforts (detailed below), students self select into the program on a first come, first serve basis.
Academics All SHIP students take one designated course with an international focus in the fall semester. SHIP students are enrolled in special course recitations that are taught by their professors instead of a teaching assistant. In the 2005-2006 academic year, SHIP students took PSCI 2012, Introduction to Comparative Politics and PSCI 2223, Introduction to International Relations. These courses are taught by outstanding faculty members David S. Brown and Steve Chan.
An exciting new development in spring 2006 was the availability of an optional SHIP course. Anthropology (ANTH 1150) Regional Cultures of Africa which was offered to 20 SHIP students. Faculty member Dr. Laura DeLuca, an expert in East Africa, focuses this course on the conflict situation in the Sudan . As an extension of the class, students are also involved in service learning.
Dinner Series Program SHIP hosts a monthly Dinner Series program with some of the University's most interesting special guests . These are individuals who generously give their time to the program in order to share their international experience and research with the students. The programs attempt to introduce students to great teaching faculty, to a diversity of areas or countries in the world, and to a variety of academic disciplines and campus programs. During the Dinner Series program, a presenter gives an interactive lecture, followed by a lively question and answer session. A delicious catered meal of foods themed to the same global region from which the lecture was inspired is served during the program. Below is a sample selection of our presenters during the 2005-2006 academic year:
Ambassador Mary Ann Casey: Former U.S. Ambassador: U.S. State Department ( Tunisia and Algeria ) Subject:
The Life of a US Ambassador and Careers in the Foreign Service Subject: Baseball as a Metaphor for International Relations
Subject: Regional Cultures of Africa
Subject: Primate Ecology & Conservation in Vietnam
Adrian Gaskins, Instructor: Department of Ethnic Studies Subject: Researching Black History is Asia - Looking for African Americans in all the Wrong Places
Professor Emeritus John Galm: College of Music Subject: The Making of Carnival in Brazil
Subject: African Nubian Mummies
Carol Conzelman: Doctoral Candidate and Fulbright Recipient, Anthropology Department Subject: Scary Roads, Coca Leaf and Protest Marches : Fieldwork Adventures in Bolivia . Community Building Events International Cooking Class This was perhaps the most fun event that SHIP has ever done! Twenty five students had a lesson in international cuisine with one of Boulder 's best chefs, Lenny Martinelli, Proprietor of the Boulder Dushambe Teahouse and several other Boulder restaurants. This half-day class, which took place in a commercial kitchen, inspired the students to cook on their own and empowered them to realize that, yes, college students can make fantastic meals! This event occurred twice: during the fall semester and again in spring semester by popular demand.
Photo Contest This year was the first annual SHIP Photo Contest. Drawing our inspiration from last year's campus-wide International Education Photo Contest, we were able to create our own contest exclusively for SHIP students and had a very successful outcome. Students entered 53 photos under the contest theme, Travel and Cultural Understanding . Special guest judges Vice Chancellor Michael Grant (Associate Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate Education), Marie Cox (Finance Officer for the Office of International Education), and Sean Pease (Information and Technology Services and master photographer) selected the three grand prize winners. Each winning photographer won a $100 scholarship to be used towards a CU-Boulder Study Abroad program.
Latin Dance Class This event was a fun and exciting opportunity for SHIP students to cut loose and learn about Latin culture through a dance lesson. We were fortunate enough to be able to incorporate this activity into the SHIP program both semesters. The two dance lessons were taught by Carla Amat, an extremely talented and energetic dancer who is a Venezuelan native, currently studying and working here at CU.
Career Services Workshop This event was designed to inform students of the importance of developing a strong resume, as well as the benefits of pursuing internship opportunities early on in their college careers. SHIP worked with Ray L. Garcia from Career Services to create a workshop that taught students how to build a strong resume, highlighting international internship opportunities available through Career Services, and informed students of the wide range of free career services available to them through the CU Boulder campus.
Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse Sister City Presentation SHIP traveled to the other side of the world – well, almost! We had a fantastic time at the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse. Lenny Martinelli, teahouse proprietor spoke of the relationship between Dushanbe , Tajikistan and Boulder , Colorado , USA . He told us the history of not only this sister city partnership but also of the intricate artwork that adorns the Dushanbe Teahouse, inside and out. Additionally, a local Rotary International member spoke about the sister city relationship between Mante , Mexico and Boulder . This event was planned by a SHIP mentor.
Global Education Fund Lunch The Global Education Fund (GEF) is an organization that actively promotes improved literacy in the developing world and in impoverished areas of the U.S. They are based in Boulder and receive some of their funding from the Izze beverage business, also based in Boulder . Izze produces natural fruit sodas. The areas from which Izze imports their fruit ingredients are the recipients of assistance from the GEF. We heard an interesting presentation about the GEF and then had lunch together at an authentic Mexican restaurant. This outing was planned by a SHIP mentor and almost a third of our students attended! Language Clubs SHIP hosts several language clubs. The clubs change each year depending on student interest. This year we hosted Spanish and Japanese language clubs. The student-run clubs sponsor activities that range from holding conversation corners and watching foreign movies, to eating different foods from the region of interest, while speaking and learning the language.
Additional Important Aspects of SHIP
Mentors We have learned that a strong mentor program is vital to the overall success of SHIP. Student ideas and input are at the heart of the SHIP program. Mentors play a vital role by acting as resources and role models for the SHIPsters. This year we utilized five sophomore mentors who each brought unique talents to the team. Our mentors have already had a year of experience in SHIP and understand the transition that new students will be going through. They help incoming students become acclimated to the SHIP program and the University and assist with program planning.
SHIP Alumni as Residence Advisors This is the first year that the Residence Advisors for our wing of Smith Hall are all former SHIP students. Alexandra Johnson, Brian Lichtenheld, and Kerry Floyd were all SHIP students in 2004-05. The Department of Housing respected our need to have this connection, and it has been extremely helpful. The RAs are connected to SHIP because they know and understand the program. They went above and beyond their duties during August move-in, welcome activities, welcome barbeque, and other programs throughout year and this helped build the SHIP community. Staffing the Office This year there was a significant increase in the number of hours that the SHIP office was staffed each week. The Graduate Mentor and the Senior Mentor spend a combined 32 hours a week in the office. Director Larry Bell and Program Assistant Nancy Vanacore both hold office hours as well, and so the office was staffed full-time. This has lead to a greater connection between the SHIP staff and the students.
Communications The SHIP web page was completely redesigned this year and offers an exciting and up-to-date look at the program. The newest edition to the website is the “SHIP Water Bottle Travels the World” section. SHIP students have recently begun taking photographs of their SHIP water bottles during their travels.
Please visit www.colorado.edu/oie/ship to explore for yourself.
We communicate with the SHIP students via an electronic newsletter every Monday. We include SHIP events and other campus or community events relevant to the international focus of the program.
We also make students aware of important scholarship and leadership opportunities available to them on campus. This has lead to students applying for and receiving many scholarships and awards this year as you will see later in the award section.
Crewbook The crewbook is a student directory that is published each September with the names, photos, interests, majors, and contact information for each SHIP student. The crewbook is a way for students to get in touch with each other and to see who shares common interests. For example, several of our current SHIP students are involved in the Model United Nations program here at CU Boulder. Eighty-four percent of students list the Crewbook as very helpful in our most recent spring 2006 survey.
Recruiting SHIP staffed an informational table at each of the recruitment fairs hosted by CU's Admissions Office - Talented Scholars, Minority Recruitment, and Boettcher. This was a great opportunity to recruit the best students from around the state. We are pleased to report that a Boettcher scholar has chosen SHIP for the 2006-07 academic year.
We began publishing and distributing a full-color fold-out brochure created by former SHIP student Emily Mayer to aid in the recruiting process. The brochure highlights SHIP programs such as the Dinner Series, field trips, and academic courses.
In an effort to recruit the most academically promising students from Colorado , we are conducting outreach efforts to all of the International Baccalaureate high school programs in the state. SHIP offers a natural extension of the goals of the IB program , since both programs are based upon the idea and the recognition that we live in an increasingly gl obalized world where the most successful people will be those who become internationally adept. A copy of the outreach letter is enclosed with this report.
We also communicate with CU Study Abroad Programs to seek any undergraduate international exchange students who are interested in living in SHIP.
SHIP Accomplishments With the generous endowment of the late Professor Emerita Bernie Udick, SHIP continues to offer scholarships to SHIP alumni who are studying abroad on CU-sponsored programs. Twenty-six percent of SHIP students study abroad on a CU-sponsored program during their education at CU-Boulder (the total percentage studying abroad would be higher if we included those on non-CU programs). This percentage is slightly higher than the general undergraduate population. W e see this scholarship fund as another opportunity to support SHIP students in their international endeavors . Since the beginning of the program, 54 students have received $29,000 in scholarships.
SHIP Alumni SHIP students are doing great things all over the world. Steve Smith works for Greenpeace in Washington , D.C. Sonja Perakis is enrolled in a PhD program on economic food security at Michigan State University . Sara Balder is a Fulbright Scholar in the Dominican Republic . Marc St. Hilaire works for the Institute of International Education in Washington , D.C. Emily Mayer is working for the Department of Justice in Washington , D.C. Sara Insel volunteers in a Burmese refugee camp. Vandna Mittal works in Singapore .
Four former SHIPsters have served in the Peace Corps. Two as teachers in the Kyrgyz Republic and in Mozambique . Two were in health care programs serving in Peru and Cameroon . Our thanks and congratulations to Anna Jankowski, Alexandra Kaun, Rebecca Knerl and Corinne McCuskey for their service.
These are just a few examples of the great things that SHIP alumni are doing around the world.
Awards won by current SHIP students and alumni:
Conference on World Affairs essay contest: -Liza
Hensleigh - 2005 -Christopher Fenton 2005-06 (CU Rising Star Award) -Lili
Armstrong: 2005-06 Core Leadership Program Graduate -Marisa McGuire: 2005-06 Core Leadership Program Graduate
Community Brick Builder Award: -Liza
Hensleigh 2006 -Matt Postma: Faculty team research grant that dealt with AIDS/HIV in Eastern and Southern Africa -Maia McPherson: Faculty team research grant that dealt with AIDS/HIV in Eastern and Southern Africa -Liza
Hensleigh: Managua , Nicaragua
Additionally, the Academic Support Resident for Smith & Andrew Halls announced that SHIP had a stellar academic showing during fall semester. In a contest involving all floors of Andrews and Smith Halls, the SHIP floors won three of the top four places. 1 st floor won 1 st place with a 3.3 average; 2 nd floor won 2 nd place with a 3.2 average; and the 3 rd floor won 4 th place with a 3.0+ average.
Eighty-seven percent of this year's SHIP students are scheduled to return to CU-Boulder in the fall semester, which is higher than the eighty-three percent average university retention rate.
Recommendations For the program to continue to be successful, SHIP needs a support staff member and increased funding.
The SHIP fee of $363 per student per year is half that of the other RAPS. A fee increase would allow us to offer more SHIP classes and hire a much needed support staff member.
This year we used funds from a reserve carried forward from previous years and hired a full time graduate mentor to staff the SHIP office. We found that having the office staffed full time allowed for increased programming and a level of student involvement and connection to the program not seen in previous years.
What's Next for SHIP? Although we do not have a firm date, Smith Hall is tentatively scheduled for an extensive remodel in 2008-09. The building will be totally gutted and only the exterior walls will be left intact. This is part of an all campus residential hall renovation initiative. The goal is to make living on campus an attractive alternative for upper-classmen. SHIP will need to move during the renovation and potential temporary homes include Cheyenne Arapahoe or Williams Village .
When we move back to Smith Hall, it will be a modern building with many amenities including classroom space not currently available. We will keep you informed about the changes as we receive more information.
We wanted to leave you with a quote from a current SHIP student that we believe describes the largest measure of our success:
Student Testimonial
“SHIP made the transition from high school to college easy. There were mentors there to help you figure out everything from how to plan your class schedule to where to hang out on the weekends. Making friends in SHIP is easy because everybody shares common interests of traveling the world and discovering other cultures. Thanks to SHIP, I quickly became friends with everyone in my residence hall. We not only live and take classes together, but we also hang out with each other on the weekends. I know that I have developed life-long friendships during my experience as a SHIPster. SHIP has also allowed me the unique opportunity to take enlightening classes in a small setting with some of CU's best professors. Joining SHIP was the best decision I made at the University of Colorado !” - Christopher Fenton, SHIP 2005-06 (Please see page 7 of the CU Administration Special Enrichment Opportunities publication). |
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