Global Opportunities at Susquehanna

WHAT’S GO? Susquehanna University is in a central Pennsylvania river valley, but it’s also in a game preserve in the Gambia, West Africa; among Incan ruins in the Andes Mountains; in New Orleans’ French Quarter; and in a farmhouse kitchen, fragrant with local ingredients, near Faenza, Italy. Susquehanna’s award-winning Global Opportunities (GO) program, the only one of its kind in the nation, asks every student to prepare, complete and reflect on an immersion experience in a culture different from one’s own, either in the United States or abroad. See yourself in a whole new light. Discover new strengths.

GO will help you to achieve, lead and serve in an increasingly diverse and interconnected world.

HOW TO GO GO is very flexible. Your GO experience could be: · a traditional semester abroad (GO Long); · a short-term, faculty-led program (GO Short); · a self-designed experience, an internship or service in a cross-cultural setting (GO Your Own Way).

Whatever form you choose, you’ll take a pre-departure class and share reflections on what you’ve learned after you return to campus.

The broader perspectives that GO students bring to classroom and informal discussions create an exciting campus dynamic.

GO Long Susquehanna offers more than 90 semester-long options on six continents, including programs exclusive to SU students. You may study in English or in a foreign language. In fact, many English-language programs are available in non–English-speaking countries.

GO Short GO Short programs are designed by Susquehanna faculty and staff. They last at least two weeks, during winter or summer breaks, and take many forms. Some focus on a specific major or interest; others include a service project.

Susquehanna offers more than 25 GO Short programs, and we are adding new opportunities every year.

GO Your Own Way Susquehanna offers an ever-expanding array of GO options, but the world—and your interests—are vast. If your curiosity wants to take a different route, you can design your own GO experience. SU students have helped women in developing countries start their own businesses, studied music in Vienna and worked alongside migrant workers in Pennsylvania orchards. Once you decide what you want to do, define how it will help you meet GO learning goals and submit your proposal. Then, with approval from the Office of Cross-Cultural Programs, you are ready to GO on an adventure of your own making.

WANT TO GO? We help you make your dream a reality The great majority of college-bound students say in national surveys that they plan to study abroad, but a tiny percentage of them actually go. We believe so strongly in the benefits of study away, we want all of our students to experience it. We remove the barriers you may encounter at other colleges.

Acquiring cross-cultural experience is an important Susquehanna value, and we are committed to helping you get where you want to go. Faculty advisers help you plan your course schedules so GO fits into your four years at Susquehanna.

GO is about experiencing something new and different, which may occur in the U.S. Just as Americans experience a new culture upon leaving the country, there are many opportunities for crosscultural learning within the United States. Time spent on a Navajo Nation reservation or in Hawaii, for example, is just as eye-opening for students who are unfamiliar with their history and way of life. The point is to challenge yourself, to embrace the unfamiliar, and to navigate new worlds, whether near or far.

We keep the cost of study away affordable. GO Short program costs include all flights, accommodations, program fees and most meals. Need-based financial aid is available for qualified students completing a GO Short program. GO Long students pay Susquehanna tuition and receive their regular financial aid. Any difference in cost comes from room, meals, airfare and incidental expenses. GO Your Own Way students may also be eligible for need-based financial aid.

O G O T S WAY

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GO Hawaii GO doesn’t necessarily mean going abroad, especially if parts of America are culturally unfamiliar to you. Susquehanna students spend two weeks experiencing the unique and distinctive culture and history of three islands in Hawaii: Oahu, the Big Island and Kauai. The group visits Pearl Harbor and Volcanoes National Park, and engages in various service projects. By attending cultural programs throughout the islands, students gain a greater understanding of the Hawaiian way of life, both past and present.

The London

Program

of the Sigmund Weis School of Business

Imagine living in London for a semester with other business majors and taking courses taught by both Susquehanna University and British professors. Gain insight into the challenges of conducting business in a global environment.

Travel to another European country, such as the Czech Republic, to complete a team-based consulting project for a company there. You’ll better understand cultural considerations and the collaboration needed to succeed in today’s business world. In your spare time, you can also travel to other European countries to explore their cultural and historical treasures.

GO Austria National History,

Global Responsibilities Visit cathedrals, catacombs, a medieval fortress and an ancient salt mine in Salzburg. Attend a Mozart concert, an opera or a play. You’ll consider the modern-day impact of the Nazi past by talking with local college and high school students, and consider what it means to carry the legacy of an infamous national identity.

Travel with two music professors to explore the sounds, tastes and views of Italy. You will attend music classes, lessons and rehearsals at the Scuola Comunale di Musica “G. Sarti� in Faenza, create Italian cuisine alongside a local chef and explore Italian architecture. And nothing allows you to immerse yourself in the culture more than your stay with a host family who will stay in touch well beyond the two weeks of the program.

CENTRAL AMERICA

SERVICE ADVENTURE Susquehanna University’s Central America Service Adventure (SU CASA) puts you at the center of a national award-winning servicelearning course and mission trip over two rewarding weeks. You’ll contribute to congregations, clinics, refugee and immigrant communities, hospitals and an orphanage in struggling areas of Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Being hosted in homes and churches means you live among those whose lives you enrich and who transform your outlook through shared humanity.

TRAVEL WRITING IN SOUTH AFRICA Travel the coastal areas of South Africa where the struggle for racial equality, from slavery to apartheid, ended only 20 years ago. Your guide is a Susquehanna University creative writing professor who will share his own stories of growing up in this long-troubled, culturally rich nation. During a week in Cape Town and a week in the Xhosa village at Mdu bi, you’ll meet with traditional diviners and herbalists, take in the green Transkei hills, and craft descriptions of colors and flavors you’ve never encountered before.

GO Nepal Sherpa Life and People

Explore cultural, geographical and physiological aspects of the life of the Sherpa people in the mountain kingdom of Nepal. You’ll experience the physical and mental challenge of hiking to Mount Everest Base Camp, a lifedefining accomplishment, while observing the effects of climate change. You’ll also visit fascinating Buddhist and Hindu temples and other points of cultural significance in bustling Kathmandu.

Why GO? Because you will have a wonderful life-changing experience.

At its heart, GO is designed to enhance your personal life and prepare you for professional success.

You will have an advantage in the multicultural settings and exchanges that are part of where you will live and work. You will be an invaluable asset to employers looking for good communicators, versatile managers and inspired leaders.

Reflecting upon your GO experience in a follow-up course reveals deeper lessons and insights that you don’t get through other schools’ study-away programs.

After GO, you will be more self-aware, and you’ll navigate unfamiliar situations with greater confidence and maturity.

When you better understand your own cultural values, especially compared to those of others, you have greater respect for our differences and similarities, and how they contribute to the local and global communities.

Your worldview may change. You’ll see issues from more than one perspective and interact in social and professional settings from a more informed viewpoint.

So find your place in the world, whether a county or country away. You’ll be fully prepared to step into your future, in a global community you’ve experienced firsthand.

WORDS TO GO BY “There’s no better feeling than traveling thousands of miles away from home, studying in an entirely new university, and still doing well as a student. Succeeding both academically and socially in an area outside of my comfort zone … I feel ready to take on the world.”

– Logan Sweet, Class of 2014, Regent’s College, London “I experienced the small wonders of a new country: played soccer with children in the street, ate spicy food with only my right hand (since eating with your left hand is considered disrespectful), experienced summer through December, went on an African safari, danced to Ghanaian music and did as many things as I possibly could there.”

– Destiny Arturet, Class of 2012, Ghana, Africa “Nepal’s culture is centered not around how big your house is, but on working hard and caring for your family. I gained a new appreciation for the little moments in my life, and regained my love of nature and valuing my loving friends and family. GO Nepal will forever be a lifechanging experience, helping me to become a better person.”

– John Rehm, Class of 2015, Kathmandu, Nepal “Students returning from their cross-cultural experiences have added new perspectives to some of our classroom discussions about American politics. So, in addition to the personal benefit they derive from their study-away experiences, students are coming back and having a positive impact on the learning environment for other students, too.”

– Michele DeMary, Associate Professor of Political Science “I feel that students need to venture to less explored territory. People keep asking if being the only Susquehanna University student in this program makes me nervous. It actually feels quite liberating.”

– Andrew Gnan, Class of 2012, Prague, Czech Republic “I’m not exaggerating when I say that the experiences I had on the SU CASA trip were what inspired me to start a travel program at [the high school where I teach.] So thank you!”

– Allison Baugher, Class of 2008, various locations in Nicaragua