Global Partners Project

Monmouth and Coe Collaboration
in Orientation /Reorientation Programming
for Exchange Students

Mid-Year Progress Report

See bold type for reports on each of the project objectives.

Project Description

For the original project proposal, please see http://department.monm.edu/offcampus/global_partners_project.htm).

Project Goal:

Focusing on exchange programs offered through each campus, Monmouth and Coe Colleges will develop a collaborative orientation/reorientation experience for students preparing for and returning from international off-campus study exchange programs and for international students on these exchanges at Monmouth and Coe Colleges.

Objective 1: 

To establish a joint committee comprised of faculty/staff members from Monmouth and Coe Colleges that will plan, oversee, and evaluate orientation and reorientation activities for exchange students (The term exchange student is used for Monmouth and Coe students who study abroad on exchange programs and for international students who come to our campuses as exchange students.)                            

1.1             Global Partners Project Conference (6/14-17/2001) attendees from Monmouth College and from Coe College will work with their academic deans to designate at least one conference attendee and up to two other faculty/staff members from each institution to serve on a team that will comprise half of the Exchange Program Acclimation Committee.

During the summer of 2001, the following individuals were identified as members of EPAC: Deanna Jobe, Pam Carstens, and John Chaimov from Coe College and Ken McMillan, Helen Ochs and Tom Sienkewicz from Monmouth College. Tom Sienkewicz agreed to serve as chair.

1.2             The Committee will develop clearly articulated objectives for a one-day orientation/reorientation program.

The EPAC Committee developed the following program objectives for the project:

1.         to prepare American students for the general problems and challenges of living and studying abroad

2.         to assist American students returning from exchange problems in their process of reacclimatization to the United States

3.         to assist international students in their process of acclimatization to the United States

4.     to make all these students more aware of cultural differences and ways to deal with such differences.

1.3             The Committee will meet in person at least one time prior to each one-day program in order to plan orientation/reorientation activities for exchange students.

EPAC has met twice so far, once in Moline, Illinois, on September 19, 2001 and again in Columbus Junction, Iowa, on January 15, 2002.

1.4             The Committee members will maintain regular contact via phone and e-mail throughout the planning process.

E-mail has proven to be an invaluable means of communication for the committee to plan these meetings and to stay in touch between meeting times.

1.5             The Committee will develop a written agenda addressing the articulated objectives for the orientation/reorientation program and identify the individuals who will be responsible for organizing and leading the various activities.

For the agenda for the fall orientation/reorientation program, see  http://department.monm.edu/offcampus/reorientation_program.htm).

1.6             The Committee will develop an appropriate Feedback Form that students will complete at the end of the one-day orientation/reorientation program in order to assess how effectively objectives for the program were met.

For a copy of this evaluation form, see  http://department.monm.edu/offcampus/program_survey.htm).

1.7             The Committee will discuss various strategies for helping the program students adjust to their exchange schools and communities, and work with appropriate personnel to ensure a smoother transition.

Such strategies were part of the discussion throughout the orientation/reorientation program on November 17, 2001.

1.8             Using information from the Feedback Form along with anecdotal information from facilitators/presenters, the Committee will evaluate the effectiveness of the program and make any necessary changes for the next program.

For an analysis of the feedback form prepared by John Chaimov of Coe, see  http://department.monm.edu/offcampus/summary_of_reorientation_program.htm).

1.9             Activities 1.2 through 1.8 will be repeated in the spring for the orientation/reorientation program for exchange students going abroad fall semester of 2002.

The spring orientation/reorientation program is planned for Cedar Rapids on April 20, 2002.

1.10         The Committee will meet after the second orientation/reorientation program to assess the overall effectiveness of the collaboration between Monmouth and Coe Colleges.

This meeting is scheduled to take place sometime after April 20, 2002, although there is some sentiment among committee members that a lot of the follow-up work can be done via e-mail.

1.11         The Committee will formulate a final report to the Global Partners Project outlining the project objectives and how effectively they were met through the activities supported with a Partners Project Grant.

Objective 2:            To hold two orientation/reorientation programs, one in the fall and one in the spring, for exchange students

2.1             Susan Dagit of Monmouth College and Pamela Carstens of Coe College will set dates for two one-day orientation/reorientation programs during the academic year 2001-2002.  (These dates have tentatively been set for November 17, 2001 and April 13,2002.)

The first of these sessions took place as planned at Monmouth College on November 17, 2002. The second has been rescheduled for April 20, 2002 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

2.2             A one-day program for exchange students will be hosted during the fall semester on the campus of Monmouth College and on the Coe College campus during the spring semester.

For a summary of this program, prepared by John Chaimov of Coe, see  http://department.monm.edu/offcampus/summary_of_reorientation_program.htm).

2.3             International students and other personnel from both campuses will participate as resource persons in the programs.

Six participants from Coe joined at least a dozen participants from Monmouth at the November program.

2.4             Students who participated in an exchange program the previous semester will attend the program as resource persons and as part of their reorientation process.

At least seven returning students participated in the November program.

For the program for this reorientation, see http://department.monm.edu/offcampus/reorientation_program.htm.
For a description of the grant which funded this activity, see http://department.monm.edu/offcampus/global_partners_project.htm.
For more information about this project, please contact Tom Sienkewicz at toms@monm.edu.