News and Information
Domestic Study Abroad Program Will Take 10 Students to Atlanta University
May 08, 2014
“Domestic Study Abroad” Program Will Take 10 Students to Atlanta University Center
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – (May 1, 2014) – The Master’s of Higher Education program in the College of Education at Grand Valley State University (GVSU) has established a “domestic study abroad” course titled, “Minority Serving Institutions: History, Culture and Student Affairs.” The course highlights U.S. minority-serving institutions, emphasizing the Nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
Donald Mitchell, Jr., assistant professor of education, and Jay Cooper, associate professor of education, designed the program for graduate students interested in working in higher education and student affairs through a grant from GVSU’s Pew Faculty Teaching and Learning Center. The course—which is the first of its kind—will take students to Atlanta, GA this spring. Students will reside on Morehouse College’s campus and spend a majority of the time visiting and learning about HBCUs. The trip will include guest lectures from faculty, staff, students, and administrators at Morehouse College, Spelman College, Jackson State University, and the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Minority Serving Institutions, as well as visits to local cultural and historical attractions.
Participant Maegan Hopson stated, “I've never taken a course at an HBCU and always felt like I missed out on a life-changing experience. Though I've heard and read so much about HBCUs, I would love to finally have my own personal experience and be educated within an HBCU environment.”
“We thought the program would be a unique way to build multicultural competence, while giving our students a cheaper option in comparison to traditional study abroad programs,” said Mitchell, a graduate of Shaw University, the first HBCU in the south. “I anticipate the educational gains to be comparable to a traditional study abroad because many people don’t know much about the unique histories and cultures of HBCUs and our students will be exposed to HBCUs firsthand.”
For more information contact: Donald Mitchell, Jr. at [email protected]